Wonderful Wednesday Win

Schelotto and Company Send the Earthquakes Home with a 2-1 Defeat

COLUMBUS, OH - May 27, 2010 - It was a rare Wednesday night match for the Columbus Crew. The struggling San Jose Earthquakes, who are currently last in the Western Conference standings, proved to be a formidable opponent. Fortunately, the Crew were up for the challenge.

The Crew would again be depleted by injuries to key players, including midfielder Adam Moffat, keeper William Hesmer, and defender Frankie Hejduk. Injuries were also an issue for the Earthquakes, who were without star midfielder Darren Huckerby.

Forward Ryan Johnson, who led the Earthquakes with 4 goals, was the first to score in the 23rd minute. Columbus responded in the 29th minute with a goal by midfielder Eddie Gaven. A Schelotto corner kick set up quite a sequence of events with assists going to defenders Eric Brunner and Gino Padula. Gaven was able to head in a goal to the bottom left corner past a diving Joe Cannon. This brought the score to an even 1-1.

The game became increasingly physical as the match continued. Several hard collisions, including one involving Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum, characterized the fiery play by both squads. Fans and players struggled with several no-calls throughout the match. The referee was extremely conservative with the issuing of cards.

The Crew started off hot in the second quarter with a goal by captain Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the 46th minute. Schelotto, assisted by forward Alejandro Moreno and midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo, was simply electrifying with the ball. He created scoring opportunities and drew the attention of the San Jose defenders. The weather could have become a factor with dark storm clouds looming in the horizon. The rain came, but seemed to have little impact on the game itself.

Midfielder Kevin Burns made his MLS debut when he entered the game for Brian Carroll in the 69th minute. Burns and forward Steven Lenhart, who came in at the 58th minute, were curious choices for Coach Robert Warzycha. Many wondered what his motivation might be, choosing these substitutes over established bench players.

The victory felt somehow shallow with the news of a devestating injury to Brian Carroll. No one realized the seriousness of the situation when Carroll left the game. Most assumed that he would "shake it off" and then continue with the match. This would not be the case as it was announced that Carroll suffered a dislocated shoulder and will most likely have surgery on Thursday. He will miss a considerable amount of time, which will push the depth of the Crew even further. Coach Warzycha discussed the importance of a player like Carroll when he said "I would have rather taken a loss tonight and have Brian for the next game."

The team also announced that defender Frankie Hejduk will miss the next game due to a grade 1 groin strain. Hejduk, one of the game's great professionals, stated that "my injury had no impact on the game. We won and that is what everybody wanted."

The Crew's depth and determination will be tested when they travel to Seattle for a Saturday match against the Sounders. This will be a reunion of sorts for Columbus as they face their former coach Sigi Schmid. Seattlle, who began the season with three consecutive victories, is a quality squad loaded with veteran talent and several key prospects. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg are highly respected in the international game, while Fredy Montero and Steve Zakuani look to be the future stars of Major League Soccer.

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