This was the Revolution’s second 4-0 pasting in one week, having lost to Trinidad’s Joe Public in CONCACAF Champions’ League play on Tuesday. New England was missing several starters and fielded a makeshift side. Still, New England’s weakness shouldn’t take away from the beauty and intensity of the football Columbus played that night.

Alejandro Moreno and Frankie Hejduk were away for international play. Sigi played Lenhart in for Moreno and covered for Hejduk by moving Danny O’Rourke to the right with Andy Iro joining Chad Marshall in central defense.

The Crew looked sharp from the start, out-shooting New England 27 -13. The first shot came in the third minute from Gino Padula. The first shot on goal came in the seventh minute from Steven Lenhart. In all shots came from Padula, Lenhart, Schelotto, Marshall, Evans, Carroll, Gaven, Rogers, Iro, and Garey. Thirteen of those were on goal. Four of them went in.

Ekpo and Rogers each took a corner kick, Rogers’ try was even when Guillermo was on the pitch. Evans looked strong and helped Carroll lock up the midfield. Lenhart seems to earn his starts over Garey by being a large, agressive presence that can trouble and even unnerve defenders. He has good skills but also is part of a bit of a head game, I think.

Garey scored a brace after he replaced Lenhart in the 66th minute, and seems to score on blind faith. Sirk’s Notebook revealed that Garey just makes runs with the belief that Schelotto or Noonan will find him headed for the goal. He’s made three this season with that method, which shows just how tuned in this team is to one another.

Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers performed well on the wings. Ekpo was effective off the bench and back from the Olympics. Iro stepped up. O’Rourke was as solid as he’s been for 3 weeks. Hesmer was untroubled.

The team looked like a powerhouse and made achieving the Supporters’ Shield look like destiny. Sigi even said he wanted it.

Three things have made the Crew look great: 1) the training staff is top of the league for maintaining team health and for returning injured players to health, 2) Sigi has built the deepest team in the league by fostering developing talent in an environment that has an abundance of mature, smart players who lead by example, 3) Guillermo Barros Schelotto is the best player in the league right now and has inspired his side to raise their game.

El Mellizo is simply unparalleled in his productivity, talent and ability to inspire his team. There are open calls for his place as MLS MVP at year end. He certainly deserves it.

I’m 8 kinds of certain they’ll renew his contract next year. We’re playoff bound.

Another note on this match. I won a Glidden sweepstakes and got the use of their luxury box for the night. For the biggest game of the year. It was awesome. Beautiful weather, a great game, and a volume discount on beer. I’ll post some pictures later, but I want to thank all of my friends who joined me, as well as Glidden, for their support of the Crew.

On the road in Dallas, the Crew pulled off another come-from-behind win. Columbus completed their August run at 3-1-0, winning the last 3. Schelotto assisted on 5 of the 6 August goals, and made the 6th from the spot against Real Salt Lake. He earned Player of the Month honors, and there’s been a lot of speculation that he’ll be tapped as season MVP even though he wasn’t named to the All-Star team.

Columbus sits at the top of the table on 40 points, with New England just 2 points back. September is bookended by meetings between the East’s top twosome, first in Columbus on September 6 and again in Foxboro on September 27. Those games will be critical winning the Supporters’ Shield.

In Dallas, Columbus handled the Hoops better from the starting gun than they did in Columbus two weeks before. In their first meeting, the first half was dominated by Kenny Cooper, Jeff Cunningham and the Dallas midfield. This time Columbus held possession better in the midfield than any road match since they thumped Kansas City in June.

There were a few moments of concern against Dallas, however. Of course, Cunningham found the net first, but being down a goal before the half is a pretty comfortable territory for the Crew. I felt more nervous about a couple other near misses that came in the half. The old vulnerabilities in the back line may be lying dormant, ready to pull the rug out from under a sure win.

In this match it came down to Andy Iro overcommitting a couple times, and not always taking the best position to absorb the Hoops attack. On the other hand, he showed good speed and made a vigorous defense. Where I supported Iro’s move to central defense just a few weeks ago, with Danny O’Rourke swapped to the left, now I think O’Rourke looks better in the center. He’s has made huge strides in understanding the position and was worked hard to control his temper. It will be interesting to see how Sigi chooses to cover Hejduk’s absence for National Team play in September. Will O’Rourke play in center with Iro on Hejduk’s side? The reverse? Will we see Jed Zayner in for Frankie instead?

Chad Marshall contributed to another goal this week off of a corner kick. Despite Marshall starting well back from the far post, Schelotto directed the ball to Marshall who got his head on it. It was too far out to make it in the net on its own, but it did make it to Alejandro Moreno’s head and was knocked in. Schelotto give the Crew to confidence and guile to score on an insane percentage of set pieces.

Columbus’s midfield looked solid and linked well between defense and offense. Brian Carroll made less of an impression than he normally does but contributed to the improved possession. Brad Evans likewise was solid but as key to the game as he often is. The interesting thing there is that perhaps it shows better cohesion throughout the pitch, with the central midfielders seemlessly connecting to the offense and helping stuff opponent advances with good positioning.

Eddie Gaven had a great game. He recorded his first goal of the season through solid positioning off of a brilliant Schelotto cross. Earlier in the season Schelotto would play balls into the box that wouldn’t find a single Crew player in position to finish. Emmanuel Ekpo was among the first to read Schelotto’s intentions. Now, week after week, Schelotto’s entire team is playing up to his game vision. Evans, Carroll, Marshall, and now Gaven, have finished brilliantly on plays Schelotto began brilliantly. I’ve been hoping that Gaven would get a goal and finally unlock his ability to finish. I hope he’s good for three more.

Sigi was asked if any of the players had any funny superstitions or rituals they followed before each game. Brian Bliss pointed at Sigi and mouthed “He does. He does.”

Sigi drew some laughs, saying that he rejected the term ritual, instead “It is really just consistent preparation.” He explained that each player does what he needs to in order to be mentally and physically ready for the game. Sigi said that some players listen to their favorite songs, some pay a visit to the trainers, some sit quietly, and several take care of “nutrition:” food, supplements, shakes, health drinks, etc. He singled out Frankie Hejduk for having a locker overflowing with vitamins and supplements which he mixes in complex, exotic formulas before each match. Sigi said that “you need a chemistry degree to follow what Frankie does.”

It was a very open and entertaining discussion. Also before that game I saw el Mellizo’s twin brother and his family enjoying a visit to Columbus. Gustavo Barros Schelotto was on the plaza snapping a photo of his young kids with Stinger, the Blue Jackets’ mascot. I hope they enjoyed themselves.

I wonder how he’d look in black & gold?

–

This past Sunday was the Crew Summer Picnic at the Fort Rapids indoor waterpark, also a perk for season ticket holders. A few hundred fans turned up to meet and hang out with Crew players, coaches and fans in a fun setting. Most of the players were there. The older married guys were doing the family thing and the younger guys mostly hit the waterslides and the buffet.

I didn’t approach any of the players or coaches. Instead the kids and I tried to ring all the fun we could out of the last Sunday before school started. It’s hard to do better than a free waterpark.

But then Adam Moffat approached me. As I climbed the stairs with my six year old, Oor Wullie stopped me, “How’s it going? Are you having fun?”

I said, “Yeah, I am.” and quickly stepped aside. Stefani Miglioranzi was one level up with a bucket full of water ready to dump on the head of whoever Rab C. Nesbitt could stop at the top of the stairs. I kinda wish I would have played along. It’s funny for a middle-aged dad to have a footballer take the piss out of him, but I had seen Hen Broon do it to someone else minutes before.

A cute brunette in a bikini climbed that first flight of stairs and was stopped by a charming, athletic Scotsman in swim trunks. Sean Connery, 1962. Maybe she’d be Ursula Andress… She gives a head tilt… a hair flick… laughs… Bam! Migs dumps 3 gallons of cold water right on her head. They talk another minute, and she walks off. She looked more amused than upset. I was out of earshot, but it seemed like good fun.

It just proves that you can take the schemie off the estate, but you can’t take the Glesga out of the Ned. I just couldn’t believe he was out of his trackies. Next time I see him, I’ll buy a Merrydown for him and his senga. Maybe I’ll get to pet his dug.

Cheers Moffat. I can’t wait til you’re back in form, not just a bampot in baffies.

There’s always something new to see at Crew Stadium. This week we sat to the right of the tunnel before the game and learned that there is such a thing as MLS groupies. I hadn’t considered that. It’s also an interesting vantage point for watching warm-ups and pre-game sideline traffic. There’s a lot more going on than I realized. As the game unfolded, we moved to the Nordecke for the first time. It also has its charms. In fact, my boy finally got to field a pass from the t-shirt cannon. After 3 years of no clear-soda love in our season seats, we get the shirt lobbed to us after 10 minutes with the Hooligans. Thanks t-shirt cannon!

There’s a lot to be happy with on the field. The Crew looked dangerous straight out of the gate with two corners, two direct kicks in the offensive end, and one goal all in the first 15 minutes.

RSL’s success this season is largely attributable to the artificial turf at Rice-Eccles Field, but they’ve made some progress building an interesting midfield. In moments and flashes they showed clever passing and strong cooperation, but those moments were rare, especially in the first half. With this loss they fall to 1-8-1 on the road. I just hope they get another road win against New England on October 4. The turf in Gillette Stadium might even things up. Go Xangos! Channel the power of the mangosteen to destroy Taylor Twellman.

RSL’s game against the Crew didn’t leave me with much to say about them even though they controlled the last 25 minutes of the game. Again, I chalk that up to a bad decision by the Crew. At least they’re consistent. I long for the day William Hesmer plays short balls out of the box - on saves and goal kicks - that are directed TO SOMEONE. The Crew’s up 3-0 this week, 2-1 last week, and yet Hesmer is sending rockets way down field that are 50-50 balls at best. Please stop having him do this. In a game where the Crew field players showed an impressive knack accurate passing, what is there to gain from long ball? In this case, RSL got 10 of their 12 shots from this failed strategy. Please fix this Mssrs. Schmid and Kirillov. The man could stop a bullet. His play is as Hesmerizing as a new stadium banner puts it, but the coaches need to consistently work for possession in the second half when the team’s ahead.

I hate to make that complaint when the first half showed excellent control of the ball, dominating possession, and more grace than an underage Chinese gymnast. Hesmer pitched short balls out to Padula, Hejduk, and O’Rourke and avoided any of the confusion and miscommunication of last week. He even had the confidence to roll a ball across the open mouth of the goal to O’Rourke at one point. I swallowed my tongue for a second, but it worked out. The defensive effort in general looked strong. Hejduk and Padula came forward when they needed to but got quick and effective coverage from the midfield when they did so. Brad Evans was stronger on defense than he’d ever been able or commissioned to be in the past. Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers also contributed on defense. In the first half, the midfield pressured RSL as they mounted attacks, and the back line played the angles effectively without ever overcommitting to a tackle or run they might not make.

This game’s first half was the most clearheaded defensive performance in quite some time. Danny O’Rourke was solid in central defense. Chad Marshall was a rock. The midfield showed a commitment to the clean sheet. That’s in the first half anyway. In the late second half the defense played well, although they seemed fatigued. The lack of possession really put them on their heals and led to 9 second-half RSL corner kicks. This will turn ugly if not fixed.

Schelotto set up Marshall’s great header in the 15th minute from a direct kick perfectly directed to the back post. A few weeks ago Guille told Shawn Mitchell that on direct kicks into the box he aims for Chad. It seems like a winning strategy with Marshall getting more goals this season than ever before.

In the 25th minute Schelotto scored off of a penalty kick that was certainly earned when Nat Borchers took down Eddie Gaven as he reeled in a great through ball from Guillermo. Gaven crossed the ball that found Brad Evans at the back post in the 55th minute. Gaven missed a header early in the match that probably should have found the net, but he played pretty well all told. If he could put just one of the balls Guillermo is playing to him into the back of the net, I think it would make all the difference for him through the playoffs.

On Evans’s goal you can see Moreno making for the near post while Evans reaches the ball at the back post. Columbus seems to have gotten very consistent in getting in position to make its goals. I think that’s an example of the confidence the team has in one another - especially with Schelotto’s on-field leadership - that makes the Crew a strong contender to stay at the top of the table. That is, of course, if they can hold their improvements in possession all the way to stoppage time.

Kenny Cooper and the FC Dallas Hoops came to Columbus Saturday night. Shellas Hyndeman has added 2 new players since he replaced Steve Morrow in June. Those additions, Jeff Cunningham and Nick Sikora, played well in Columbus, but Cunningham’s lone goal wasn’t enough to continue the Hoops’ 11-game unbeaten streak.

Both Columbus and Dallas were coming off of a bye week, but only the Hoops came ready to play. Columbus struggled throughout the first half while FC Dallas ran a 45-minute passing clinic. FC Dallas clearly has the skill to beat any MLS team.

Jeff Cunningham is as fast as Frankie Hejduk and showed a presence on the attack that the Crew struggled to contain. Although he didn’t score, Kenny Cooper was perhaps more dangerous, with several shots in the first half. Cunningham looks like a good addition for Dallas despite his difficulties in Toronto. Cooper’s size, speed, and agility are on par with what you seen in the premiere league. It’s no wonder several teams have expressed interest.

The Crew’s main difficulty in the first half was possession. Dallas held and passed the ball effectively, and made it difficult for the Crew to gain possession. The played the ball to feet, looked for open space, and were patient about finding good chances to advance and shoot. Cooper’s ability to win 50/50 balls is probably top among MLS forwards. He was both frustrating and dangerous as the clear target of choice out of the midfield. Cunningham makes a potent second option. Cunningham’s goal was his first with Dallas and his 100th in his MLS career. He’s only the fourth player to reach that mark in MLS, achieving 62 of those for the Crew. This goal came on a bit of miscommunication between Hesmer and Marshall who ended in a pile while Cunningham tapped it in.

For the Crew’s part, the defense was inconsistent in the first half. There were several errors: poor passes from Gino Padula, an odd turnover from Danny O’Rourke, and several incidents of poor communication - even collisions - in the penalty box.

Hesmer and his defenders were a little out of sync, but there were also several great plays that kept Dallas from converting more of their chances. Other than Guillermo, the defense was all there was to cheer for in the first half. Chad Marshall and Danny O’Rourke each made critical stops, and Hesmer had another excellent match.

There were lessons for the Crew defense in the FC Dallas defensive effort of the first half. Their back four broke up chances by closing down angles to the goal and passing lanes to all but the outside. Pat Noonan hadn’t quite gelled with Padula, Schelotto or Moreno. He should find a way to combine with any of those players for good chances in future games, but Dallas was unforgiving until they encountered Goal of the Week class chances in the second half. The Hoops Aaron Pitchkolan was a standout on defense. His quality play proves that a converted midfield can adapt to the back line if he’s in an effective system.

A major difference between the Crew’s defense and the Dallas effort was that while FC Dallas faced 4 hardworking defense-minded players, the Crew faced 8. The Dallas midfielders fell back to compress the Crew’s attacks between a tight back line and an aggressively defensive midfield. Dallas created both a rock and a hard place. The Crew really only have a rock. Every time the Crew attacked in the first half they faced 8 players. Kenny Cooper and Jeff Cunningham and the Hoops faced no more than 4 when they attacked.
Another key component to the Dallas attack was defender Adrian Serioux’s throw ins. That guy is a cannon. Any throw-in in the attacking half has to be defended like a corner kick. This freak of nature is truly impressive.

Sigi plays the midfielders other than Carroll in a very offensive posture. They’ve been effective on attacks and counterattacks, but often the defensive risks have led to opposing goals. There’s also been some difficulty gaining and retaining possession of the ball as the focus stays on moving the ball forward quickly rather than intelligently. Columbus could shore up its defense with a more defensive look from the midfield when momentum turns to the opponent.

In the second half Dallas lost a step while Columbus picked up its game. Gino Padula looked better in the second half against Dallas than he did in any of the games before his injury. He provided great `vice forward with several well placed balls along the sideline and to the top of the box. He seemed to have a good read on Alejandro Moreno and Robbie Rogers who replaced Noonan around the 60th minute. Padula showed a strong ability to hit balls over the midfield that nonetheless were played to feet. He also covered his defensive responsibilities while connecting to the offense.

In a post-game interview Noonan confessed that he was out of gas at 60 minutes. I look forward to seeing his play as he reaches full form.

Possession improved greatly in the second half. It was probably the best appearance on that front in several games. Much of the credit can go to the Crew’s central midfielders. Brad Evans had one of his best games of the season. He was effective and evident all over the field in the second half. There were a few times where Evans passed when he should have shot, or went to the wings when he had options in the middle, but he made an argument for staying in the first eleven.

Brian Carroll is consistently strong. The improved rate of possession allowed him to put work toward the offensive effort. Eddie Gaven is getting back to form as well, but I still look for him to find a role that helps him finish chances.

The Crew’s two goals were impressive, and I was excited to see Brian Carroll score. He’s been due a goal for six weeks. It’s great to support a team that is built in a way that allows a 4-year veteran in the defensive midfield get his third career goal. Carroll’s goal was voted Goal of the Week, not just for his shot, but for the combination from Moreno to Schelotto and then to Carroll. It was a brilliant effort that further emphasizes the value Schelotto brings to the team.

Schelotto hit a free kick to the near post that Evans headed past Hoops keeper Dario Sala for the win. Guile is deadly on set pieces and hit a good ball that Evans made better.

Most of the rest of the match was gravy. Good possession, good full team effort. The game ended, however, with several risky attacks captained by Kenny Cooper. William Hesmer really contributed to Dallas’s ability to press the late attack. just like early in the season he kicked several clearances all the way to FC Dallas defenders when he had crew defenders open near by. With a goal lead late in the game there was no need to play deep balls that were lost time after time. A sure ball to a defender will keep possession and help put away those games where we’ve risked too many late, avoidable, attacks.

First place, for three days. Ten more games until the playoffs. Our two games against the Revs and one remaining game in Chicago may decide the Supporters’ Shield.

If Chicago wins they move one point ahead of the Crew into second place in the East as well as the combined table. But, that keeps Columbus within 2 points of first place.

If New England wins, Columbus stays in second place, but the Revs move a total of 5 points ahead of the Crew with a game still in hand.

If they tie, Columbus stays one point ahead of Chicago and within one win of New England.

What’s the best outcome for Columbus? I hate to say it, but I’m rooting for Chicago to get some road points. It’s probably a tough win for them, but there’s enough weakness in New England’s back line I think they might do it.

“At this point he’s probably more inclined to play wide midfield for us while Robbie and Ekpo are gone,” [Sigi] said. “He can play Alejandro’s position in a pinch. He can play Guillermo’s position and he can certainly play both flank positions. He helps us with his versatility and at the end of the day it’s going to be competition and who’s playing best will be out there.”

The Crew traded a first round draft pick and swapping allocation table slots with New England. New England moves to third in the allocation table, Columbus to tenth. There’s a lot of talk about whether it was a good deal, especially trying to value the allocation swap. Allocation awarded McBride to Toronto, but they didn’t end up with McBride. Chad Barrett’s a nice consolation prize, but I think it shows the relatively weak value of the allocation spot.

Whether or not New England did us a solid probably depends on what you think Pat Noonan is worth. The Revolution have a solid offense that Noonan wouldn’t break into any time soon. And, there are some concerns with his ability to stay healthy. It looks to me like his injury risk isn’t any higher than any other 28-year-old.

To assess his potential value to the Crew I reviewed his overall MLS stats. I chose 15 forwards currently playing around the league to compare with Noonan. This will be his sixth season playing in MLS. I chose forwards with as few as 3 seasons and as many as 13. I chose mostly impact players, but there are no DPs. This is a good sampling of experienced league forwards in MLS. Noonan compares favorable with the forwards finding success in MLS this year.

I pulled the regular season stats for each player in the sample from this MLS site.
Finally, I compiled them in a spreadsheet I’ve published here. (The number after each name is years in MLS.)

Here’s how Noonan stacks up in goals per game:

Assists per game:

Shots on Goal per game:

So there it is, ahead of Dwayne De Rosario in goals, third in assists with only Jaime Moreno and Landon Donovan ahead. He’s right in the running in shots on goal as well.

This last table gives an idea of the overall strength of the acquisition. I used the point system from MLS Fantasy Challenge to give a strength rating. Fantasy rules give 10 points per goal, 5 points per assist, and 2 points per shot on goal. I did the multiplication and got this career points per game rating.

Between Kenny Cooper and Edson Buddle. Better than Barrett, De Rosario, Jaqua, and our beloved Ale Moreno. I think that’s a pretty solid pick up.

It’s no fun to lose. I’m most disappointed that the Crew drops to 1.6 Points Per Game, the same figure as Chicago. That’s a slide from 1.8 at the end of June. New England is at 1.9 PPG with two games in hand on the Crew.

Injuries and absences are an easy culprit to blame for the loss. We knew that Hejduk, Rogers, Lenhart, and Ekpo would be out. Miglioranzi not being available was a surprise. In-game injuries for Marshall in the 28th minute and Evans in the 53rd hurt, and really limited what could be done to adjust their look on the field.

I was surprised by the line up. Zayner and Peterson started while Elenio ,who I thought we’d see, didn’t enter the game. Also, Jason Garey sat until the 69th minute. That’s comparable to when Sigi has brought Lenhart on to the field, but looks like a big step away from what he was trying in Colorado. I’d be curious to hear how Sigi would debrief on the tactical decisions on these two games. Clearly you don’t want to come out to play a game like we did in Colorado each week because it usually shouldn’t bring a win.

Offensively the Crew got some great chances. Schelotto and Moreno each had a second-half goal denied by exceptional saves from Pat Onstad. Gaven and Evans each had some chances. You’d hope Evans could get one of those in, but you really can’t fault those touches.

The Crew are off until August 16, so hopefully Evans, Marshall, and Miglioranzi can get healthy. Hejduk and Lenhart are back, but Lenhart’s probably still a sub rather than a starter in Sigi’s scheme. Hopefully Rogers and Ekpo get some professional growth out of the Beijing visit.

There are rumors that the Noonan deal is back on. He’d be available by the 16th as well. The Crew play Western Conference teams to round out August, including an improving FC Dallas twice. The offense with Noonan can get tooled up to face a string of Eastern Conference games to close the playoff bid.

Defensively, we saw Houston’s goals come from the same kind of plays and field position we get killed on week after week. Poor tracking has made balls played to the penalty arc near deadly for the Crew. The defenders and midfielders seemed to come back to defend fairly well, but aren’t applying pressure in the right spots, or aren’t cutting the right angles down to stop shots. Where there had been a lot of standing flat across the penalty area with no depth of defense, now there’s some depth to go with the poor tracking.

It’s not foot speed or clever challenges that’s beating the Crew defense, it’s simple passes and wide open shots. It’s good to see some adjustment since I’d been attributing the problem to coaching, but I think this game gave more credence to personnel issues as a key factor. That should seem odd given that we didn’t see anything like the defensive first team in this game, but the game actually showed that the same kind of errors and attacks are causing weakness regardless of who’s on the field.

So, how can the Crew squeeze the opposing offenses to keep them from converting chances? Some options are 3-5-2, being more defensive-minded in the current 4-4-2, adding to the roster, eliminating errors, or working on controlling midfield possession better?

Last week’s game against the Rapids was the first without Rogers and Ekpo. Sigi debuted a 3-5-2 starting line up with Lenhart up top with Moreno in his first start. Hejduk was moved from defense to the midfield as the fifth man. With Schelotto playing a bit back compared to most games.  I thought it made sense to formalize Hejduk’s position in the midfield since he’s been playing up there for a month. But with Hejduk out does the 3-5-2 still make sense?

Possibly. If they keep the 3-5-2 Jason Garey is going to be as effective as Lenhart up top. In Colorado, Schelotto was teamed in the midfield with Miglioranzi, Gaven, Carroll, and Hejduk. Rookie Corey Elenio looked sharp in the two international friendlies if Sigi wants to make Hejduk’s spot offensive minded. Ezra Hendrickson could get the nod for his experience and a more defensive mindset. 

Brad Evans took a knock to the ankle in Denver and may not be available. Miglioranzi played 45 minutes against the Rapids with Evans playing the other 45. I think bringing a fresh midfielder in at the half is great idea if they both understand that they’re expected to give 90 minutes of effort in 45. Elenio could be kept back for the second half.

If they go back to a 4-4-2 I think we still see Garey up top and Schelotto in center midfield, but Ezra’s a shoe-in on defense, although Jed Zayner seems to have Sigi’s eye.

Enticingly, Sigi barred Shawn Mitchell (everyone really, but Mitchell’s pretty sure he just means him) so that line-up and tactical decision don’t make it into the press before game time. Evidently Sigi felt like the 3-5-2 change should have been hard for the Rapids to adjust to, but since it was in theDispatch before game time, they came out ready to defend against it, effectively shutting down the Crew’s plan of attack. Could Sigi have some nefarious plan of attack up his teutonic sleeve?

Houston made a decent showing when they came to Columbus, showing good attacking play in the second half, although Columbus handled everything they brought. The Dynamo seems to improve measurably as their seasons go on, and they’ve made a good showing in SuperLiga this month. They’re still only a middle of the pack Western Conference team at this point, but they should not be taken lightly. Two factors that may contribute to a Columbus result are that Houston might show some fatigue from their SuperLiga match being just 4 days ago and, All-Star Dwayne DeRosario is out. 

Against Chicago Sigi had Brian Carroll mark up Blanco. Carroll had his best performance of the season. Brian Ching has 7 of Houston’s 19 goals. DeRosario is the only other player with more than one goal. If Carroll can mark up Ching as effectively as he did Blanco, the Dynamo could be done. 

Finally, Columbus has struggled in their attempts to control possession. If they can concentrate on holding the ball and working quality chances forward - play they’ve shown capable of - Columbus could turn a match they probably should tie into a win. 

Lenhart (Miglioranzi)22, Garey (Evans)75

Have you heard the supporters clubs chant “Ricky Bobby” when William Hesmer makes a save? Sunday’s game in Denver gave definitive proof: William Hesmer pisses excellence.

Hesmer was credited with 7 saves, with the 2 best coming in the 12th and 90th minutes. He was clearly the man of the match. He had an exceptional night, but I think his performance also showed that his goals allowed stats are inflated by weakness in the defense rather than in his individual play. Colorado’s Bouna Coundoul, on the other hand, looked as poor last night as he did in Columbus a month ago.

The defensive effort looked better than in previous weeks, but it’s impossible to fully assess the new 3-5-2 formation’s impact since the Crew bunkered after Lenhart was ejected in the 42nd minute. In the first half Columbus was able to defend effectively with the a 3-man back line but struggled to keep possession or control the midfield. Colorado pressed offensively from the starting whistle but O’Rourke, Marshall, and Iro marked up well and were helped by midfielders eager to get back to defend. Defensively, the formation seems to suit them, but it will take another week to see if it sticks. It will make sense next week since Frankie Hejduk will serve a one-game suspension for accumulated yellow cards.

The second half was something of a revelation for me. Being a man down, the Crew bunkered into more of an 8-0-1 formation. Even Moreno dropped back to compress play into the Crew’s defensive third. Only Schelotto was left at midfield to seek out opportunistic attacks. He was replaced by Jason Garey in the 63rd minute.

Columbus crowded the field and really hampered Colorado’s ability to pass, shoot or develop an attack. There was simply no space for an attack. This strategy not only helped bring the shut out, but it seemed to counter balance the effects of the altitude. Late in the second half many Rapids players looked haggard while most of the Crew players seemed fresher than expected. In the last ten minutes the field even opened up for some offensive play from the Crew as the Rapids’ attack wore down.

I actually said out loud at one point, “Oh, that’s what bunkering is supposed to look like.” It seemed to be textbook perfect. If there’s is anything to criticize it would be that they had some chances to hold the ball in the midfield after clearances but didn’t. This was especially evident with Hesmer’s goal kicks which, like every goal kick early in the season, were sent directly to Rapids defenders and came back to the Crew’s defensive third in a matter of seconds. This is a minor criticism since bukering is about playing in your defensive third.

In the last several games where the Crew has looked beseiged in the second half and given up goals it’s possible that they had intentionally moved to a semi-bunkered stance. I sure didn’t get that at the time. And, if that was the intent, they did it poorly.

There’s not much to say about the offense or midfield. We didn’t see Corey Elenio since Sigi brought in first Lenhart, and then Garey as additional forwards. They are both up for Goal of the Week. Lenhart’s goal looked a lot like Espinoza’s goal against the Crew last week, with a well-tracked pass from Miglioranzi that threaded through a tight spot in the defense. Miglioranzi got the nod over Evans and performed well.

Evans came in for Miglioranzi to start the second half. Evans ended up with the assist on Garey’s goal. I like the idea of burning a midfielder in 45 minutes. Evans was carried of the field late in the game possibly with an ankle injury. That might keep Migs in the starting role next week, but it would be a shame to lose Evans given the other challenges in the roster.

Eddie Gaven played 90 minutes and seemed more prepared and on point that I expected after so many weeks out with an injury.

Lenhart worked well with Miglioranzi, Schelotto, and Moreno when the offense did break out but his elbow to Erpen’s face later in the half absolutely required his ejection.

Garey’s goal was amazing to me for one little detail. Garey beat a Rapids defender going into the penalty box but seemed to lose his footing as he closed in on the left post. Coundoul closed in on him. And that’s when it happened. Rather than doing the right thing and shooting with the inside of his left foot, Garey tapped the ball with the outside of his right foot. That impulse made all the difference. Coundoul might have reached a ball from Garey’s left foot, but the right-outside jab changed the angle enough to beat the keeper.

Other than those 2 goals, the offense and midfield were awfully quiet. That was by design in the second half, but in the first half the Crew often failed to make plays. The Rapids had them spread thin and playing a reactive game. How much of that can be attributed to the altitude and how much to the new formation I can’t say. With two offensive starters missing, it might be reasonable to play for the exploitative counterattack but I’d still like to see more emphasis on possession. They lack a sureness early in the last few game that they seem to recover when the pressure really comes on.

This game pulls the Crew within two points of first place, and five points ahead of Chicago. It was a disappointment to tie Kansas City, but I didn’t expect them to win in the mountains. This time next year the Crew will be playing in SuperLiga.