Columbus Crew at D.C. United: Running Commentary
Good evening folks. It is a clear evening at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. and tonight's match between the Columbus Crew and D.C. United should be a thriller. The fans at RFK are in full voice and will be hoping to help D.C. forget about last week's ugly loss to Real Salt Lake.
The Crew come in feeling confident after last week's 4-3 shootout against Chivas USA and will look to take advantage of a D.C. defense that has looked extremely vulnerable this season.
If you will be following the match and will be online, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and play by play in the comments section below. I will be providing some commentary as well.
My prediction? D.C. United 2, Columbus Crew 1.
Enjoy the match.
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FINAL- Crew 2, D.C. United 1. Columbus moves its winning streak to two while D.C. loses a second straight match. Share your post-match thoughts in the comments section below.
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59th minute- Franco Neill is a speedy option who should give the Crew's back-line some problems.
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54th minute- Gonzalo Peralta has looked shaky all night long. You wonder if Tom Soehn saved his receipt and plans on returning the Argentine defender.
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51st minute- The Crew's second goal has been ruled an own goal by Peralta. Legit decision.
D.C. has yet to show much this half. No sense of urgency from the home team yet.
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HALFTIME- D.C. finally showed some life late in the first-half but Columbus has shown it all match. The Crew is playing well and the team defense is the difference here. A BIG question for D.C. is how do you make up for the fact that players such as Moreno, Emilio and Gallardo just aren't going to help you defensively (not that Gonzalo Peralta has tonight either). D.C. sure could use Ben Olsen, whose energy and bite usually serve as the catalyst for D.C. Without him, D.C. United falls into these flat spells that cost them.
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45th minute- This game has definitely picked up intensity, much better stuff from both sides.
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43rd minute- GOAL COLUMBUS. And it's Alejandro Moreno with the finish on a great run and cross by Adam Moffat. The Crew is just out-hustling D.C. tonight. Crew 2, D.C. 1
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42nd minute- GOAL DC UNITED. Finally, a quality build-up by D.C. finishes with a strong Namoff shot that gets deflected past Wil Hesmer. D.C. United 1, Crew 1.
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38th minute- D.C. United looks flat out mediocre tonight. Not what I expected considering how soundly they were thrashed by Real Salt Lake.
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36th minute- Emilio gets a ball on a platter in front of goal but can't get a good shot off. Emilio hasn't looked right yet this season.
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32nd minute- GOAL COLUMBUS. Alejandro Moreno finishes off a great ball in from Schelotto to Hejduk, who crosses for Moreno. Nice sequence for the Crew and D.C. United's defense is beaten again.
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29th minute- WOW. SAVE ZACH WELLS. Schelotto has a wide-open look but Wells stops it.
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27th minute- JP with the note that this game is being shown in Argentina. I think the folks in Argentina have probably fallen asleep already waiting for some good chances to be created.
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25th minute- Can somebody get D.C. United a jersey sponsor so their uniforms can stop look like warm-ups?
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22nd minute- I have to say that there hasn't been the good combination play in the final third you would hope from these two teams.
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19th minute- The crowd in D.C. has died down a bit but D.C. United actually looks to be waking up a bit with some more possession. Now if they could find the pass in the final third.
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17th minute- Somebody get Eddie Gaven a razor and does anybody else think John Harkes sounds like Christopher Sullivan tonight?
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5th minute- Robbie Rogers comes very close with a shot on goal. D.C. already looking a tad shaky in the back.
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Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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Good early showing by the DC supporters.
I'm pumped up about the midfield for both teams, as well as that graph of the number of Argentinians in MLS.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 08:11 PM
A scoring chance for both teams, early in the game. Rogers from the Crew should have done much better.
Posted by: Joe_in_ND | April 17, 2008 at 08:14 PM
Rogers needs to finish that, seemed like he had a nice window to put it through.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:14 PM
has any team ever had a slower combination of forwards than Schelotto and A. Moreno? They're hard-working dudes, but damn... I've had pancake syrup that moved faster.
And nice run by Robbie. A 22-year-old would've known Schelloto there.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:15 PM
Screaming Eagles are providing good loud support. The game has a decent pace and good control by both teams.
Posted by: Joe_in_ND | April 17, 2008 at 08:17 PM
ack - one of these days I'll get around to consistently spelling GBS's name correctly.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:17 PM
Was thinking just that Brant when I saw Moreno chasing that loose ball. I guess you don't need to be quick if you have a rifle for a leg and Spidey instincts.
And I guess that's why they have Rogers and Gaven flying down the wings (mostly Rogers) to receive through passes from the two cerebral forwards.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:23 PM
You wish the Danny O'Rourke OJT could've been more in preseason or reserve division games. He *is* trying, but how much damage is he going to do to Columbus along the way?
Luciano should've scored. This should be 1-1.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:24 PM
Emilio is just straight killing Inter Guam. Robbing it of points.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:24 PM
I'll buy the theory that with Columbus' speed on the wings, they might be able to make it with their molasses up front (cuz they have talented molasses...)
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 08:29 PM
Good job Barra Brava, getting ugly on cue!
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 08:38 PM
WHat a save by Wells, which thwarted a great link-up play with GBS and A.M.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:39 PM
haha, it's almost a guarantee that if fans ever use the middle finger, the TV cameras will be certain to catch it.
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 08:40 PM
Do any of you also think Rogers is just going through the motions out there. I'm not disputing his talent but there have been quite a few opportunities to turn on the pace and challenge for balls and put people under pressure, and hes just jogged instead of going all out.
Posted by: steven | April 17, 2008 at 08:40 PM
good progression for AM's goal. Frankie is the man.
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 08:43 PM
GBS with the pass before the pass that leads to the goal. How he even knew Hejduk was going to be there, who knows.
If soccer/football/futbol scored assits like hockey, GBS would be well on his way in breaking MLS' assists record already.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:43 PM
Steven - Rogers was just hanging out in the box on the goal, the defender gave him a little tug on the sleeve and he stopped.
And then right there, jogging back on D. Huh, Dempsey is subject to the same thing, playing whole matches at a jog.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 08:44 PM
I'm noticing that too Steven. It's disappointing. Rogers is most likely the fastest white boy in the league. He needs to turn it on and create more chances.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:44 PM
But it wasn't even during the goal, eric. there was twice when GBS tried sending Rogers through and Rogers gave up on the ball without even attempting to catch up to it.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Rogers seems to run hot and cold. When he's hot, tho, he's damn hot.
I'm a bit surprised that al that DC attacking talent hasn't found a hole in the Crew defense yet. Carroll is really a huge, huge difference back there for Columbus this year. Hard to appreciate unless you've watch the Crew just dork it up over and over and over the past few years.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:47 PM
"Rogers is most likely the fastest white boy in the league"
Dandy Landy?
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 08:48 PM
Who was that defender that Rogers couldn't turn around? Who ever is the future LW for the 'Nats should definitely be a threat there.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 08:48 PM
If I'm Sigi, I'm warming up a serious RR pep talk for halftime. If he's still worn out from last Saturday, then get 'im outta there. he shouldn't be, tho - he's only 20 years old.
And where's Eddie Gaven? Is he still there?
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:49 PM
Well, considering Rogers beat out Charlie Davies AND Marvell Wynne during sprint timing at the U-23 camp, I'd give Rogers the nod for the speedy whitey label.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:50 PM
I wouldn't want to have to predict a footrace between Rogers and Land-o. But last Saturday, Rogers looked like he was teleporting around the field.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:50 PM
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Posted by: beckster | April 17, 2008 at 08:51 PM
Bad luck for the Crew.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:51 PM
haha...if not deflected, that wasn't even going to be close.
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 08:51 PM
Emilio's shot accuracy hasn't been there but he's done a heck of a job holding the ball up and dropping it off in good positions.
Anyone else think that shot was going to be off if it wasn't deflected?
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:52 PM
2-1 GOOD GUYS!
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:52 PM
Yeah I consider DC goal an own goal. Because that shot by Namoff was awful. It was going wide. DC is showing a very weak defense. 2-1. DC goes from top one year to bottom the next? Lets hope not.
Posted by: Spencer | April 17, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Moffatt with the Messi-like run. Nice.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Hardest working team in America...
As my brother used to say, in the old Chris Wingert era: "They have to be the hardest working, 'cuz they're the dumbest freakin' team in the league..."
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 08:54 PM
When did DC become so sucky? They're leaking chances on one end and wasting em on the other like only LA can.
Posted by: blake | April 17, 2008 at 08:54 PM
It really frustrates me about Rogers because he could be fantastic winger in MLS and for the US but his work rate bothers me, I think it bothered me in the U20 world cup too. Maybe thats why he didn't work out in Holland, just speculating could be wrong.
Players not working hard is a criticism I have of many current Nat regulars as well. There is no reason not to have a high work rate. Its one of the reasons I like Rooney, he chases down everything whether its a lost cause or not, and he creates some goals by forcing mistakes where other players wouldn't make the effort. Kuyt is another one.
Posted by: Steven | April 17, 2008 at 08:54 PM
I love MLS hahaha. Piss on united!!
Posted by: MasterShake | April 17, 2008 at 08:56 PM
United Defenders can't jump
Posted by: kofi_x5 | April 17, 2008 at 08:59 PM
The Boswell/Erpen duo isn't looking so bad right now.
Posted by: beckster | April 17, 2008 at 09:03 PM
Why is it that the Marines have commercials that are so much cooler than the other services?
You'd think after 20-30 years of watching them on TV, the Army would've gone out and hired the Marines' agency somewhere over the last 15 years or so.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:04 PM
How bad is it that Moffat only makes $17,000.
Posted by: Steven | April 17, 2008 at 09:09 PM
That "Army of One" campaign didn't last long, probably the wrong catch phrase when you had vet's not getting benefits in the news
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:11 PM
And is Harkes just Christian Sullivan's ventriloquist doll? It's eerie how much they sound alike.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:12 PM
Except that Harkes knows not to say "e"Schelotto
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:14 PM
Did anyone catch the ESPN halftime show?
Well apparently Arsenal lost 11 games this season.
Posted by: George | April 17, 2008 at 09:15 PM
oof. Schelotto looks half-hearted tonight. He's beating guys here and there, but his finishing has been uninspired.
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 09:17 PM
if Namoff got credit for an off-target ricochet going off of Moffat, then Moreno should get a goal off of Namoff.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:17 PM
hey, anyone got a stream thats working?
i saw the first half, but the streamer decided to stop streaming all of a sudden T.T
anyone help me out?
Posted by: nelson | April 17, 2008 at 09:19 PM
Wide. Good description of that header, for sure.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:20 PM
yeesh. not sure if I would call GBS's play "half-hearted." He's fought to keep possession. Using his strength to hold-up play. And it doesn't look easy to do that the way D.C. has been trying to stick to him.
He's put in some great passes and has used his cunning to beat defenders.
His first shot was just a great save by Wells. That recent shot attempt was just scuffed. But half-hearted? really?
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 09:20 PM
OK folks. Gots to get me some happy hour. Have fun.
And Rogers, get me a da*n goal, eh?
You too, Emilio.
Posted by: Dominghosa | April 17, 2008 at 09:22 PM
Weak sauce again by Rogers, I'll take Holden as my winger of the future right now.
Good to see Frankie HeyDude getting up and down the field!
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:23 PM
I mean half-hearted because half the time, he looks unstoppable, but once C-bus has their numbers, his passes seem to go nowhere (with the exception of the goal). I'm not saying he's playing badly, he just doesn't seem to be into the game.
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 09:25 PM
Steven -
re your comment that "there is no reason not to have a high work rate," -- you try sprinting non-stop for 90 minutes. Most people get tired. Having a high work rate in a top league is not merely a matter of effort, it also requires an insane combination of speed and endurance. Maybe RR will never have it.
Posted by: wally | April 17, 2008 at 09:26 PM
oh please - not the 3-4-3 again
Posted by: beckster | April 17, 2008 at 09:28 PM
Oh no - MLS is in the juiced ball era!
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:28 PM
Hey look! There was Eddie Gaven!
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Fred makes his best Emilio impression and misses a sitter...
Posted by: Jacob | April 17, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Great stuff from Gallardo, that's what a DP should be doing
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Wally -
Got to disagree with you. I never said I expected players to sprint for 90 minutes. I do expect player, especially forwards and wingers to close down and put people under pressure even if they can't get to the ball. I don't expect them to chase the ball when it leaves their area . Also I think it is not hard to tell when a player has nothing left and when a player is taking it easy with something left in the tank, but with Rogers it happened right from the get go, he shouldn't be tired after the first 20 mins. If Rogers emulated his teammate Moreno's hustle I would have no complaints at all.
Posted by: Steven | April 17, 2008 at 09:35 PM
heydude looks like the missing link
Posted by: Louis | April 17, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Looked like the ball whacked him, not Frankie. And no, I'm not just saying that 'cuz I'm a Crew homer :D
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:40 PM
Kind of disapointed in this ref. I've seen plenty of obstruction tonight which hasn't been called. We should be rewarding skill, not physicality.
Anyway, the good news is that he's calling it equal both ways, so it hasn't hurt anyone.
Posted by: alex (not the same alex) | April 17, 2008 at 09:40 PM
Steven - as long as he doesn't emulate Moreno's 'speed' we'll be fine!
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:41 PM
I'd make Hejduk by RR's running partner. Sure some people are born with more endurance, but it's definitely something you can also build pretty easy if you just train at it. I know plenty of not-so-athletic people who worked up to run marathons. I, on the other hand, turned down the invitation to train for it - but I'm not a pro athlete.
Decent night from McTavish despite the substitution, I'm warming to the idea of him as a serviceable starter.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 09:42 PM
Decent bit of sportsmanship from Fred there.
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:46 PM
eric - agreed
Brant - Yeah Moreno is slow and that shows that you don't have to be fast to work hard. The thing I would say to Rogers is what are you saving you speed for, it doesn't do you any good unless you use it.
Posted by: Steven | April 17, 2008 at 09:47 PM
C-bus has looked great clearing crosses and set pieces today. Dominating the air is why they're doing well.
Posted by: Blake | April 17, 2008 at 09:52 PM
I love Moreno - he's a hard worker who never gives up on anything, and he never quits running. I wish the Jakob Thomases and Ryan Coiners and Joe Ngwenyas of the world had learned more from him (yes, I know Ngwenya was traded for him... in large part b/c Ngwenya loafed more than people realized)
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:53 PM
Last year the Crew would've screwed this up... Is this really a different team this time around?
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 09:59 PM
I miss Nowak as DC's coach. They used to be a possession team under him, Arena, and even Rongen. Not so much under Soehn...
Posted by: Jacob | April 17, 2008 at 10:01 PM
GO CREW!
(well, I guess at this point, they already went, eh?)
Posted by: Brant | April 17, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Heres what I'd tell Rogers. See there is a lot of money in Europe that they are willing to pay a quality player like you. But the thing is you need to work harder. You can stay always be making a lot less than you could potentiallly have. But yeah RR is a good player, but needs to work harder.
Posted by: Spencer | April 17, 2008 at 10:17 PM
man, I haven't seen a player lazier than Rogers in quite awhile. For someone who is so fast, he sure jogs to a lot of balls and then fails to get to them. What a waste of talent. Oh, yeah, and he has a habit of falling down easily.
Posted by: groovester | April 17, 2008 at 10:27 PM
I'm not quite ready to call him lazy, I think Harkes said it right when he said Rogers didn't play with urgency. I think that is spot on.
Posted by: Steven | April 17, 2008 at 10:53 PM
gallardo and schelotto were miles above everyone else.
Posted by: lodigosinvanidad | April 17, 2008 at 11:12 PM
Solid win by the Crew on the road, it's early but I'm still solidly on their bandwagon to make some noise this year, they've got talent all over the field, decent depth, and no obvious dogs in the lineup (while their healthy, at least).
Someone said that Brian Caroll seems to steady them, even if it's not totally obvious what's so great there, and I agree. Plus, Moffat looks like one of the steals of the year, that diamond in the $18k rough that can totally transform an MLS team.
Plus, they've got other good young guys in Iro and Jason Garey who they haven't even brought out of the closet yet this year.
The key in Columbus is getting strong and aggressive play on the wings from Rogers and Eddie Gaven's beard, and Schelloto not getting too depressed that he lives in Columbus and pulling a Yuri Djorkaeff.
Posted by: eric | April 17, 2008 at 11:35 PM
excellent!!
Posted by: brian | April 18, 2008 at 12:16 AM
I watched the game on ESPN360. I actually saw both these teams play last year in Columbus and I have to say that Columbus has made a quantum leap in quality of play. They are much much better now.
Posted by: zackc | April 18, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Well, it looks like Ives will really have to give Columbus credit in his rankings now. Leading the league in points and have now beaten Chivas and D.C. United, and beat DC in DC. (Although I think it's quickly becoming obvious that beating DC is no big deal despite what Ives seems to think of them.)
Posted by: aristotle | April 18, 2008 at 02:11 AM
Hahahaha, this is awesome. My feeble Red Bulls shut out Columbus with ease, and DC SCUM somehow manage to lose to them. Effing sweet.
Posted by: kpugs | April 18, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Ease? Didn't the Crew have something like 20 shots in that game? At least 2 hit the woodwork...
RBNY got a decent shot from VDB that skipped odd and caught Hesmer off-guard, and a pinball scrum bounce in front of the net that might've had a foul in it.
Then they turtled for 85 minutes.
"Ease"? We'll see what happens in Columbus.
Posted by: Brant | April 18, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Rogers did look lacadasical on some of his attacking runs, but there were several times where he still looked dangerous and made some really good runs and passes. Also, I can't criticize his workrate because he almost always gets back on defense, which is impressive for a young winger. He is still extremely green as a professional, so I am not really worried about some of the other posters' concerns.
Posted by: Ben C. | April 18, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Too bad Rogers had a stomach flu (from what I gather). Want to see him when his is 100% like in the Chivas game. Crew is a real surprise this year. Moreno? Could not belive he had it in him but he does. His hard work is paying off.
Posted by: Tom | April 19, 2008 at 11:28 AM