Epic Battle for First

Columbus Defense Holds Strong under Pressure for a 1-1 Tie

COLUMBUS, OH - July 4, 2009 - Expectations were high for this holiday matchup as first place D.C. United faced off against the second place Columbus Crew. The Crew, coming off a U.S. Open Cup loss against the Rochester Rhinos, had a chance to move to the top of the Eastern standings for the first time this season. Columbus is led by June's MLS Player of the Month Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Schelotto, a true leader on the field, still leads the league with 10 goals.

Several key players from both squads were absent due to national team obligations in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Defender Chad Marshall (U.S.) and midfielder Robbie Rogers (U.S.) would be missing from the Crew lineup, while United was without Dejan Jakovic (Canada) and Santino Quaranta (U.S.). Injuries might have been a factor for both squads. Midfielder Adam Moffat (hamstring strain) would be out for the Crew, while forwards Jaime Moreno (hamstring injury) and Luciano Emilio (bone bruise) would miss time for D.C. Fred, who regularly plays in the United midfield, would start the game on the substitute bench due to a adductor strain.

Columbus did a nice job pushing forward in the first thirty minutes, but the defense seemed to struggle in transition. Midfielder Christian Gomez,who also spent time with the Colorado Rapids, put D.C. in front 1-0 in the 33rd minute. Gomez was able to turn a loose ball into a salvageable shot that made it past Crew keeper Will Hesmer. It was only a matter of time before one got by Hesmer, who was under constant pressure the entire night.

The Crew allowed six shots on goal in the first half, which is almost unheard of for this stingy defensive unit. However, the team would allow a season-high eight shots on goal by the 52nd minute. Crew Head Coach Robert Warzycha looked to make a tactical switch out of the locker room, sending in "super sub" Steven Lenhart for defender Andy Iro, who has seen only limited time this season. The move paid dividends as Lenhart and midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo joined together to assist Alejandro Moreno with a goal in the 59th minute. Moreno, who now has three goals on the season, was able to put the shot into the right corner of the net past United keeper Josh Wicks. This was one of the only opportunities for the Crew to score and they took advantage.

The D.C. offense continued to push the ball up the field, pushing the Crew "bend but don't break" defense to its brink. An onslaught of 22 shots was allowed by Columbus, but no more shots made it to the back of the net. The match ended in a tie, even though United was the more dominant squad in almost every respect. D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn agreed, saying "We had the bulk of the play, the bulk of the chances. We got to put a couple of those chances away. We walk away from this one disappointed."

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