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YouTubeI was pretty happy with the result. THIS was the team I loved last year and while it was heartbreaking, the team played really well, the best they have all season. The best the fire and that pos mcbride could do was get lucky after we went a player short for THIRTY-FIVE MINUTES! and the Crew almost scored at least TWICE. the fire needed luck because if Blanco hadn't gotten that call, it would have been 4-0. they played like fracking WARRIORS.
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Crew 2009 Season Discussion
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CaD
Dublin'ish
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Pretty terrible way for that game to end. We play so well while we are short only to have that lul to get the Fire a point, sucks.
I also went to the University of Akron v. Crew game in Akron on Sunday.
UA was down 6 starters and the Crew had 2 starters and all their reserves.
Pretty chippy game at times as the Crew had some meathead hacks playing, but in the end it was 1-0 Crew who scored on a nice cross to header play.
Good weekend :D
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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Well after the Marrufo-Blanco-Jerseygate and a week where half my team was out at work, it's good to focus on another game. I have a preview up over at my site.
I am not feeling confident that an injury depleted Crew team can head to a stadium where they always have problems. I think we may be able to squeak a goal, but I think that the loss of Moffat in central midfield will be the biggest problem. The team doesn't have a good replacement for him. Ekpo gets lost in the middle and O'Rourke is too defensive (and will have to play left back tomorrow). Noonan or Gaven may be a good choice, but it sounds like Ekpo will get the nod. Still seeing this as a 2-0 loss. Prove me wrong Crew... Prove... Me... Wrong...
BTW: Hey mc5, thanks for the kind words.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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Crew 1 – Toronto 1 (Game 7 – May 2nd)
People are programmed to find similarities, even when they aren’t there. Seeing some sort of grand plan, when all it is just a string of random events. The Crew mush be hoping that this year has been a series of unlucky bounces, because after they gave up a tying goal in the second half for the four time this year and a still left without a win after a 1-1 draw in Toronto, this is looking like a pattern.
The Crew must have taken their cues from the storms that rolled in at game time. Columbus spent the first thirty minutes of the game in the Toronto end of the field. The Crew has rarely played well on turf, but it looked like the team was at home on the wet, skipping, rock hard surface as they passed the ball around with ease and pinned TFC back.
Eddie Gaven launched several attacks from his new home in central midfield. Gaven moving centrally gave Ekpo free run on the right. Toronto had no answer to the pressure. Unfortunately, the pressure failed to turn into goals. Shots went wide or got caught up in the turf. Again, a pattern was developing, the Crew failed to take full advantage of the possession and chances they were making and ended up going into halftime at 0-0.
The Crew finally found the breakthrough on the other side of halftime. Ekpo would finally take a bit of that luck and turn a chance into a goal. His bouncing ricocheting dribble put him past two defenders and then around the keeper. His finish was just enough to get past a final sliding defender to make it 1-0 in the 54th minute.
10 minutes later Toronto would catch a break on a skipping bad hop and take advantage of a defensive miscue to even the game. Amado Guevara’s pass skipped to Sam Cronin. Cronin evaded the Crew defense to scoop a centering pass to a wide-open Chad Barrett who tied it with a header.
The goal was a microcosm of the defensive breakdowns that have happened so often this year. A bad break on the wing and Cronin gets free. Barrett ends up wide open as Chad Marshall ran towards space and gave him a free header. Gruenebaum gets caught half way off his line and is a sitting duck. 1-1.
The Crew did have a few opportunities late, notably Pat Noonan’s miss on a 1 on 1 with the keeper, but after giving up the tying goal, this really felt like it was going to end up a tie. As for the negatives, the Crew still hasn’t won a game this year, but there are plenty of positives. Columbus played as well on turf as I have ever seen them. They outshot Toronto 17-5. They dominated the first half. Once the Crew starts finishing their chances, this team will look a lot like last years.
Posted 2 years ago # -
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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I think this would all be much easier to take if they hadn't won last year. Up until then, I never really hoped for much: a nice goal now and then, some good players who get traded or who don't get much play, my team gets dissed by the announcers. But NOW, now, I have tasted victory and I have expectations.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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berdawn wrote >>
I think this would all be much easier to take if they hadn't won last year. Up until then, I never really hoped for much: a nice goal now and then, some good players who get traded or who don't get much play, my team gets dissed by the announcers. But NOW, now, I have tasted victory and I have expectations.I think that hits the nail on the head. This team should be so much better that they are. Last year's team would not have let a lead slip away in the last 10 minutes (3 times).
BTW: Conner Senn Memorial Match tonight: Jessie Owens Stadium at 7p. $5 gets you in the door.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The Hegemo
Delusions of Grandview
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pjguldan wrote >>
berdawn wrote >>
I think this would all be much easier to take if they hadn't won last year. Up until then, I never really hoped for much: a nice goal now and then, some good players who get traded or who don't get much play, my team gets dissed by the announcers. But NOW, now, I have tasted victory and I have expectations.I think that hits the nail on the head. This team should be so much better that they are. Last year's team would not have let a lead slip away in the last 10 minutes (3 times).
Exactly...80 minutes of the 2008 Crew and 10 minutes of the 2006 Crew is getting old fast.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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The Conner Senn was pretty good. The scholarship is full endowed, the whole team got a chance to play, plus it was hard to beat the weather and the results.
The soccer will be a little poor when you have teams with such a difference in skill, but I really liked seeing Frankie back out there, sounds like he will be ready for Saturday. Ekpo also terrorized the right side and got a goal.
I do have a few more notes up about the game over at my site.
Posted 2 years ago # -
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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I'll check out your site. It's good to hear Ekpo is doing better! By the end of game on Sat, when he would get the ball, everyone was saying, "oh, no! Ekpo!" rather than the charming porn movie song.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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I am pumped for tonight's game. Another great night, rollback pricing, great weather, and most everyone healthy.
I am seeing a pretty big crowd and 2-1 Crew win. Eddie Gaven will be the glue in the middle, Rogers and Ekpo terrorizing the wings, Schelotto getting everyone involved, and Frankie making sure the team doesn't drop another lead.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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Kansas City 2 - Crew 3 (Game 8 – May 9th)
The Crew finally got the first win of the season. It took 8 games and another close shave, but win number one is in the books. Led by the return of Frankie Hejduk, a virtuoso performance by the offense, and white knuckle last ditch defense, Columbus prevailed over a tough Kansas City team 3-2 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Crew Stadium.
The Crew pressured again pressured the opposition from the opening whistle. The Wizards were pinned back for most of the first quarter of the game. Columbus would have the majority of the possession, but would not be able to get off too many good shots a goal.
The first great chance would come off of a Rogers pass to Gaven. The pass slipped past the Wizards defense, but Hartman would kick save the shot. Rogers rebound shot went harmlessly wide. The second chance would come a little later. Schelotto would track down a long pass and cross it into Hejduk who would pop it up for Moreno. While Moreno would bury the header, the goal would be called back. The first pass into Schelotto was offside and the whole buildup didn’t count.
The breakthrough would come just minutes later in the 38th minute. Padula starts the play with a back heel to Rogers. Robbie cut inside and found Schelotto. Schelotto played another back heel to Moreno, who then played back heeled to Rogers. Ekpo cleaned up the scrum in the box with the goal. Three back heels and a scrum later and the Crew were up 1-0.
Shades of the poor defense would creep back in the 50th minute. Claudio Lopez would settle over a free kick and send it in to the box. Backup goalie Andy Gruenebaum horribly misplayed the ball and it slipped through to make it 1-1. The Crew however would not wait long to reply. A long ball rebounded out to Hejduk. Frankie played a dangerous ball into the box. Schelotto made the perfect run to put the Crew back up 2-1 in the 55th minute.
The other two second half goals would fall back to back. The Crew faithful had seen four leads evaporate, so Eddie Gaven’s goal in the 78th minute gave the fans some breathing room. Gaven played a very good volley of a Rogers cross to put the Crew up 3-1, the lead seemingly insurmountable. However, a minute later, Herculez Gomez would cross the ball to a rushing Josh Wolff to cut the lead back to 1.
The last minutes of regulation would see an additional 5 minutes of extra time added on to the game. The Crew defense buckled under the Kansas City pressure, unable to relieve it for more that 15-30 seconds at a time. This time the defense was able to hold and the Crew pulled out win number one.
There were a lot of really high points for the Crew. Hejduk made the difference on the right side. Schelotto may be even better than last year when he won the MVP award. The attacking trio of Ekpo, Gaven, and Rogers really broke open the game for the Crew. The team looked relived now that it has a win.
The repeating theme amongst the players and coaches is that this really will get the team going. They won’t have to worry about the winless streak. Now they can start thinking about the unbeaten streak they have, 5 games without a loss. Last year’s team found ways to win as a team; it looks like they found a little bit of that Championship magic with everyone chipping in. I don’t think they will have to wait another 8 games for win number two.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I heard that this was Somer's first game that she went to.
In related news... http://crewonespot.blogspot.com/2009/05/51009-stop-throwing-objects-on-field.html
;)
Posted 2 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
!seabus
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Yeah, there was a lot less throwing beer this match than there was after the red on Gino at the Fire match, but it looks like officials are going to be zero tolerance with this kind of crap from here on out.. Fine by me. This needs to stop now before someone gets hurt and they clear the Nordecke..
Posted 2 years ago # -
somertimeoh
Harrison West
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Yes, LauraA and I are good luck. We will be attending many more games, we promise Crew fans!!! :)
ETA: Ha, just clicked on the link. Yeah, not us, but we watched it go down!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Get the Video Plugins Posted 2 years ago # -
Rocknrolloutlaws
German Village
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I'm not one normally to give the refs a hard time. And more often than not, I'd rather they let the game be played by the players than take a more active role.
That being said, there were some examples of spectacularly bad officiating on Saturday. Thankfully nothing that cost us the game, but even so, it was still annoying at the very least.
Posted 2 years ago # -
pjguldan
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Rocknrolloutlaws wrote >>
I'm not one normally to give the refs a hard time. And more often than not, I'd rather they let the game be played by the players than take a more active role.
That being said, there were some examples of spectacularly bad officiating on Saturday. Thankfully nothing that cost us the game, but even so, it was still annoying at the very least.I actually liked the referee (for a change). He clamped down on the holding and grabbing that normally ruins the game and once the players adjusted to a tightly called game, it opened up. I thought that he did a good job of handling the throwing incidents by stopping the game. I thought both of our yellow cards were warranted. You can't deliberately waste time or show up the ref like that. He calmed down Ale when he was about to go off on the assistant. All in all, not bad.
As an aside, the referee did not issue a warning to the Crew for the items being thrown. He only asked for more security. I really wonder what the league will do, because Columbus isn't the only place this happens.
Like Ives Galarcep, I think that officiating is improving, slowly.
Posted 2 years ago #
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