Crew Get Three Points on the Road

WASHINGTON, DC - March 23, 2013 - The Columbus Crew capped an exciting afternoon in the Nation’s Capital with a 2-1 victory over MLS Eastern Conference rival D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

Defender Josh Williams and Homegrown forward Ben Speas supplied the goals in front of a nationally televised audience (NBC SportsNetwork), as goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum made a series of spectacular saves to preserve the Black & Gold’s lead late in the match.

"I thought everyone fought all 90 minutes," Speas commented. "It was a good performance from a lot of the guys. I think we had some mistakes in the past couple of games, but I feel like we’re learning from them and we’re getting better as the season goes. So that’s a positive."

With the victory, the Crew moves to 2-1-1 on the season (seven points), ending D.C. United’s home unbeaten run of 19 consecutive matches dating back to March 10, 2012. Saturday’s victory is only the Crew’s seventh all-time win at RFK, and the club will ride that momentum into its bye weekend.

The Black & Gold return to action at home against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Quakes Leave Crew Stadium with a Draw

Photos: Kevin Cross/ISNSoccer.com

COLUMBUS, OH - March 16, 2013 - The Columbus Crew and the San Jose Earthquakes played to a 1-1 draw Saturday night off goals from Glauber and Justin Morrow.

It was a match of changing momentum, missed opportunities, and two spectacular goals.  The Crew were without Eddie Gaven, but Ben Speas filled in admirably.

Crew head coach Robert Warzycha agreed.

“He is a good player.  He finds a lot of success on the left side or in the middle of the field.  He’s connecting the passes and linking the forwards, defenders, and midfielders.”

The Stow native joined fellow NE Ohioans Josh Williams (Copley) and Justin Morrow (Cleveland) on the pitch.  Morrow had the best night of the three, securing the 1-1 draw for San Jose in the 74th minute.

But it was Columbus that struck first in the 68th minute.  A Federico Higuain corner kick connected with the Brazilian Glauber, who landed a diving header past Quakes keeper Jon Busch.  The momentum swung to the Crew, but the celebration was short-lived thanks to Morrow’s goal just minutes later.

“When you score the most dangerous time is the five to ten minute period after,” Williams added. “Morrow made a hell of a play.”

The first half was rather pedestrian as both teams struggled to find quality finishing.  There were opportunities abound for both sides.

Higuain, Speas, and Jairo Arrieta were all dangerous for Columbus, whileSan Jose’s Chris Wondolowski was an absolute menace in the final third.  Wondo was the consummate playmaker, seeming to be everywhere on the field. The 2012 Golden Boot winner came away empty-handed, but still kept the Crew on their heels for 90 minutes.

The match ended with a draw for two quality sides, a result that both sides could live with. Columbus has a win, loss, and a draw from three games to start the season.

“I think we played against a very good team today,” Warzycha noted. “You have to remember they won the Supporters’ Shield last year.”

The Crew continue their upward push with games against D.C. United on the road (March 23) before returning home to face the Philadelphia Union (April 6).

Match Photos

Subside Sports Man of the Match: Glauber, Columbus Crew

Glauber, an offseason signing, has fit in perfectly on the Crew backline.  Not only did he help keep Wondo scoreless tonight, but he scored a beautiful goal to get things started for the Crew. Columbus has put their opponents on notice: watch our set pieces or pay the price.  They are clearly more dangerous in this area in 2013.

The View from Our Crew: Postgame Edition

Postgame Audio from Crew defender Josh Williams (available for 90 days)

Postgame Audio from Crew head coach Robert Warzycha (available for 90 days)

Postgame Audio from Crew defender Chad Barson (available for 90 days)

• The Crew attack has become so ever reliant on Higuain and Arrieta.  Federico has loads of pure skill and talent, while Jairo is great at finding space and launching a blistering shot.  The Crew should expect more from their midfield and should get it with the return of Eddie Gaven for the next game.

• Tyson Wahl was “Mr Everything” for the Crew Saturday.  He was a huge part of pushing the attack forward on many occasions; he was more than willing to do that.  But it is a lot to expect from a left back, especially when you are also using him to help contain the league’s most dangerous scoring threat.

• Team chemistry is something the Crew are still working on.  Developing a coordinated attack, especially when building from the back, takes time.  For two seasons the Crew have done some major tweaking in the offseason, creating very different squads for 2012 and 2013.  Supporters need to be patient as the team gels, develops new tactics, and builds a true identity.  Hopefully this will be the squad that brings the Crew to the playoffs and beyond for years to come.

• Seeing Wondolowski play in person gave us a new appreciation for what a great player he is.  He was everywhere on the field, intercepting a pass one minute, pushing forward and landing a pass the next.  He didn’t score a goal tonight, but this is a player we can all be proud of.  Another chance at the national team for Wondo? We will have to wait and see since Klinsmann is the only one that knows that for sure.

• A lot of the media we talked to were trying to draw comparisons between this squad and the 2012 version that missed the playoffs. We don't see it. This is squad with more quality at every position and a lot more depth.  This team will be ready should the injury bug hit and is even built for the future with a plethora of Homegrown options.

Match Analysis from Graham Ward

Columbus will have to be disappointed to start with a draw on their first home game of the season. On a freezing night in Columbus the Crew struggled to raise the temperature with their play on the pitch with Coach Warzycha highlighting the conditions in has postmatch interview.

The team still look like they are getting to know each other and are struggling to find their style of play, which is no surprise considering this team features so many new players. With only three games gone it’s starting to feel like a similar season to last, but if the team can find cohesion on the pitch there should be hope to reach the playoffs.

Crew Falls to Whitecaps on the Road

VANCOUVER, BC - March 9, 2013 - The Columbus Crew leveled the game at 1-1 moments after the start of the second half, but Vancouver Whitecaps FC responded 11 minutes later and the Black & Gold fell 2-1 at BC place Saturday evening.

Six minutes into the match, the Crew fell behind early for the first time this season as Vancouver’s Daigo Kobayashi opened the scoring with a strike from nearly 40 yards out. Jairo Arrrieta tallied for the first time in 2013 and leveled the game seconds into the second half. The Crew’s Josh Williams inbounded quickly to Ben Speas, who earned his first career assist on Arrieta’s goal – his 10th career tally -- near low post to beat Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

Kenny Miller gave Whitecaps FC the lead again for the final time in the 57th minute after a turnover in the Crew’s own end was finished unassisted near-post. The Crew returns home with three points following the two-game road swing to open the campaign.

The home portion of the Crew’s season opens next weekend on March 16 in a fixture against last year’s Supporters’ Shield winner, the San Jose Earthquakes.

Electric Start to Season for Crew

CARSON, CA - March 3, 2013 -  The Columbus Crew began its 18th MLS season with a resounding 3-0 road win against Chivas USA on Saturday evening, with Designated Player Federico Higuain opening the scoring with a stunning 30-yard strike in the 51st minute.

Defender Josh Williams doubled the Black & Gold’s advantage in the 88th minute, finishing an Eddie Gaven corner kick. Dominic Oduro added an insurance goal in stoppage time during a Crew counterattack, beating Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to cap a strong start to the 2013 campaign for Robert Warzycha’s side.

“It’s huge for us," Williams stated. "We wanted to get out of the gates fast. We have been notorious for kind of coming out slow. We definitely wanted to come out and make a statement.”

With the victory, the Crew takes a full three points heading into its second consecutive road match – a March 10 showdown with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. The Crew then opens the home portion of its season on March 16 against last year’s Supporters’ Shield winner, the San Jose Earthquakes.