Match 20- DC United x Columbus Crew
July 15, 2006
RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.- By Brian Weeks, Tuesday, July 18, 2006
A quick glance at the form guide should have been very revealing prior to DC United’s game Saturday evening against the Columbus Crew. United came into the match undefeated in nine matches at home during the 2006 season, including a comprehensive 5-1 victory over the Crew on May 31 at RFK, and had not lost since May 6 in Colorado. During their unbeaten streak, United had won nine games and tied three. Meanwhile, the Crew were winless in their prior seven games, including a 1-0 loss to United a week earlier in Ohio. In addition, the Crew was missing a number of regulars due to injury. Head Coach Sigi Schmid had publicly called out his players in midweek. All signs pointed to a Crew team in disarray, and an easy victory for United. However, in a league that prides itself on parity, no result is ever certain, and the Crew pushed United to the brink of a draw with some late chances. United head coach Peter Nowak praised the Crew effort post-match, saying, “Respect and credit to them (the Crew), they were still pushing for the one point.” In the end, United escaped with a victory, and their 44 points puts them an astounding 20 points ahead of their nearest rival in the Eastern Conference.
United made only one change from the team which had defeated the Crew 1-0 the prior weekend. Alecko Eskandarian, who scored and was sent off in 65 minutes of action in the victory, was replaced by Clyde Simms in the starting eleven. With Simms inclusion centrally, Ben Olsen was pushed to right midfield. Consequently, Freddy Adu was moved from outside midfield to forward. The defense remained the same, with All Star Troy Perkins starting in goal, and Brian Namoff, Bobby Boswell, and Facundo Erpen lining up in front of him. Brian Carroll partnered Simms in central midfield, and Joshua Gros patrolled the left flank. Playmaker Christian Gomez started behind the forward pair of Adu and captain Jaime Moreno. The Crew made two changes to the team which lost to United. Defender Marcos Gonzalez, instrumental in the sending off of Eskandarian a week earlier, also found himself suspended for the return match. Forward Joseph Ngwenya, who has scored two goals against United this season, was injured during the match in Columbus and was replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Kei Kamara. Late afternoon thunderstorms in the D.C. area failed to cool things down, and there was only a very small breeze to cool the players as they made their way from the tunnel into the sticky heat of RFK.
The Crew was on the back foot from the opening whistle of Saturday’s match as United attacked with purpose. United’s two outside midfielders of Olsen and Gros were particularly involved in the opening exchanges. United’s first chance came in minute 5, as Moreno settled a free kick in the corner of the six yard box and cut inside before having his shot blocked by a desperate Crew defender. The rebound fell nicely for Gros, who hit a left-footed blast from 25 yards which Crew keeper Noah Palmer, one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in University of Maryland history, could only catch at the second attempt. Gros had four shots in total during Saturday’s game, and his continuing development as a player was rewarded by Nowak when he was named as an All-Star reserve during a conference call on Monday. In minute 8, it was Olsen’s turn to attack from the wing, as Moreno slipped a pass into the box for Olsen who back heeled it with style into the stride of an onrushing Moreno, who could only shoot straight at Palmer from just inside the area. United’s stylish and relentless attacking mentality was rewarded in minute 15, as Olsen again streaked down the right side and unleashed a blast through the legs of a Crew defender. Palmer saved, but punched the ball directly into the path of an onrushing Gomez, who finished first-time into an empty net. There were suspicions of offside and protest from various Crew players, but Gomez looked to be even with the last defender as the ball was struck by Olsen. Olsen continued his eventful return to RFK Stadium with a yellow card in minute 26. Referee Michael Kennedy did an excellent job of letting the teams play on Saturday evening, and Olsen’s card was one of only two issued on the night. The Crew, meanwhile, struggled to settle into any sort of rhythm, and had to wait until minute 27 for their first shot by Kamara, which failed to test Perkins. United had another excellent chance in minute 28. Olsen, playing centrally for a spell, released Moreno who advanced with only one defender to beat. Moreno elected to cut inside and shoot rather than pass to an overlapping Gomez, and ball was deflected for a corner. Adu had a goal disallowed in minute 40 as United maintained its pressure, but the Crew equalized against the run of play in first-half injury time. Kamara was sent through after a deflected Crew shot ricocheted directly into his path, and he made no mistake with a side-footed half volley inside Perkins’ near post from 10 yards out. United seemed shocked and dismayed by the fortunate Crew goal as the halftime whistle sounded.
United made one change to the starting eleven at halftime, as John Wilson entered the game for Facundo Erpen, who had injured his foot shortly before halftime. It did not take the home side long to respond to the Crew’s equalizer, as they struck again in minute 49. The play started with Gros bringing the ball into the Crew’s half and releasing Wilson down the wing. Wilson’s cross was headed clear by the Crew defense towards the top of the box, where Carroll met it with a stinging shot to Palmer’s far post that hit the underside of the crossbar and settled in the net. Carroll’s wonder goal was only his second in 83 career matches with the Black and Red. Freddy Adu had another goal disallowed in minute 54, as Olsen’s cross was correctly ruled out of play before finding Adu’s foot. The Crew made their first substitution in minute 62, as Eric Vasquez entered for Bisaku. Two minutes later, United added to their lead. Jaime Moreno received the ball on the left wing and held the ball as two Crew defenders converged. This freed space for Gomez to make a run through the heart of the Crew defense, where Moreno played what Nowak called a “world-class” ball directly into his stride. Gomez settled and brought the Crew defender and goalie to ground before losing his footing. Ben Olsen was on hand to shoot an agonizingly slow shot back across the grain towards the far post and into the net. The game seemed to be over at this point, but the Crew was set to battle until the end. United may have inadvertently assisted the Crew effort by playing “too many negative balls” after United scored the third goal, according to Nowak. In minute 68, another University of Maryland product entered the match, as rookie forward Marc Burch, signed in midweek from the Los Angeles Galaxy, replaced Ward. The two Crew substitutes combined to produce the second Crew goal in minute 72. Burch played an appetizing ball back to an onrushing Vasquez, and his blast from 22 yards out rocketed inside Perkins’ near post. Nearly a minute later, the Crew nearly had a shocking equalizer. Eddie Gaven rose high to head towards Perkins’ goal, but the United keeper made himself large and palmed the ball away as the United faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Crew had two more excellent chances to equalize in extra time, but their finishing let them down. Gaven was the culprit on the first chance, as he found himself alone six yards from Perkins’ goal, but could only head the free kick marginally wide. The Crew had another chance deep in injury time, as a corner kick was cleared to Palmer, who had advanced into United’s penalty area. His header seemed destined for United’s goal, but a desperate lunge saved United, and the whistle blew for full time. Despite the victory, Nowak and the United players were not satisfied with the way the match ended. Nowak said, “At the end we were very disorganized… there was too much space between the midfield and back line.”
United looks to extend its unbeaten run to 14 games as they travel to Chicago to take on the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening. The Crew returns home for two matches this week, the first against New York on Wednesday in what will be Bruce Arena’s first match in charge of the Red Bulls. They will also play the red-hot Galaxy on the weekend. United finished the regular season series unbeaten against the Crew, tallying three victories and a draw. The two teams still have at least one match remaining this season, as United will host the Crew at the Maryland Soccerplex on August 1 in US Open Cup play.