Crew seek first victory, host Revs
COLUMBUS CREW v NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
COLUMBUS CREW STADIUM, Columbus, Ohio
7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
April 19, 2007 (WEEK 3) / MLS Game #14
ESPN Primetime Thursday returns with an Eastern Conference matchup as the Columbus Crew return home to face the New England Revolution. The Crew are still looking for a first victory on the season - and a first goal - though they have yet to suffer a loss, either, playing to a pair of scoreless draw in their opening two matches. The Revolution rebounded for a First Kick loss to Chicago for a resounding 4-0 victory against expansion Toronto FC in their home opener last weekend.
REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): George Vergara; 4th: Mikael Lundqvist
MLS Career: 53 games; FC/gm: 32.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 13; pens: 20
Games involving Crew: P14 W7 L4 T3; FC/gm: 31.4; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 2; pens: 7
Games involving Revolution: P9 W4 L5 T0; FC/gm: 33.9; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 1; pens: 5
INJURY REPORT: COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: DF Jed Zayner (L knee chondral defect); GK Will Hesmer (R hamstring strain); DF Chad Marshall (concussion); DOUBTFUL: MF Jacob Thomas (R hamstring strain) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: MF Daniel Hernandez (groin strain); DF Joe Franchino (leave of absence); DOUBTFUL: DF Michael Parkhurst (L dislocated shoulder); PROBABLE: DF Marshall Leonard (R hamstring strain); FW Pat Noonan (sports hernia); MF Khano Smith (R hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (42 meetings): Crew 21 wins (4 shootout), 62 goals ... Revolution 14 wins (4 shootout), 52 goals ... Draws 7
IN COLUMBUS: (2 meetings): Crew 12 wins (1 shootout), 41 goals ... Revolution 4 wins (4 shootout), 23 goals ... Draws 5
• This is the first of three meetings between the Eastern Conference clubs this season, the only one set for the Ohio State Fairgrounds. They next meet on June 16 at Gillette Stadium, with the season series finale coming on Route 1 on Oct. 13.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/21: CLB 1, NE 1 (Kamara 86 - Dorman 66)
8/27: NE 1, CLB 0 (Larentowicz 34)
9/2: CLB 3, NE 0 (Garey 3; Gaven 39; Hendrickson 82)
10/14: NE 1, CLB 0 (Smith 88)
• A year ago, the Revolution claimed the season series, winning both of the games on their home ground in the Bay State while coming away with a draw in the first meeting at Crew Stadium.
• The Revolution have won the season series four of the last five seasons, taking the measure of the four meetings in 2002, 2003 and 2005. The Crew won the set in 2004.
• The Crew's 3-0 victory on Sept. 2 of last year was their first victory against New England at home for more than two years. The Crew had won 1-0 on May 15, 2004, then went the next four games on Black & Gold Boulevard without a win against the Revs (0-1-3).
• From the beginning of the league to the 2001 season, the Crew were 10-1 (1-1 in shootouts) at home against the Revolution; since the 2002 campaign, New England has gone 3-2-5 at Columbus.
• Coaches record: Sigi Schmid v NE: P17 W7 L7 D3 ... Steve Nicol vs. CLB: P19 W8 L5 D6
COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew have now opened the season with scoreless draws in their first two games, following a season-opening home 0-0 tie with the New York Red Bulls with a goalless visit to Real Salt Lake last Saturday. The Crew are sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with two points from two matches, two behind the division-leading New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire.
LAST MATCH
• Real and the Crew were both looking for first victories on the season when they met at Rice-Eccles Stadium, after both opened the season with draws.
• And they were both still looking after the game on the Wasatch Front, the Crew also still looking for a first goal on the season after playing to a second scoreless draw.
• The Crew came closest to scoring on the day, but had two attempts cleared off the line: a Marcos Gonzalez diving header that was headed back away by Mehdi Ballouchy, and a Jason Garey that was cleared by a backtracking Eddie Pope after Garey had rounded goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Then in the dying moments, Kei Kamara got free for a header with the goal at his mercy, but put it high and wide.
• Crew head coach Sigi Schmid made no changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw against the Red Bulls in the season opener at Crew Stadium.
• Here's Schmid's team (4-4-2): Andy Gruenebaum - Frankie Hejduk, Marcos Gonzalez, Ezra Hendrickson, Rusty Pierce - Joseph Ngwenya (Robbie Rogers 79), Ned Grabavoy, Danny O'Rourke, Eddie Gaven (Duncan Oughton 74) - Jason Garey (Kei Kamara 62), Andy Herron. Substitutes Not Used: Brad Evans, Bill Gaudette, Brandon Moss, Tim Ward
• "I thought it was a little bit frustrating. We played a good game against New York where we created things offensively and, in fact, in the first half today I think we created things offensively. The second half wasn't a good half for us," Schmid said. "Give credit to Salt Lake, they packed the midfield, they played very active. If we can get a point every time we play a road game we'll take that, but we've got to start winning our home games."
TEAM NEWS
• The Crew have become just the second team in league history to have scoreless draws in their first two games. The first was the Chicago Fire in 2004; after scoreless draws against Kansas City and San Jose, they lost 2-0 to Dallas in their third game.
• "Obviously we need to finish chances if we are not creating chances. I was disappointed that in the second half we were not creating chances, but we still in the 88th minute almost stole the game with the header by (Kei) Kamara," said Schmid. "We need to be a little more definite in the final third. We need to do a better job of being clever."
• Said Eddie Gaven: "I think we are going to definitely work on finishing. We're probably going to do a lot of shooting drills, because that's what this game is all about - putting the ball in the net. It doesn't matter how good or bad we play if we aren't putting the ball in the net."
• Still, it was a second consecutive shutout for the Crew. A year ago, the Crew posted seven shutouts - just four teams in the league had fewer (Kansas City and FC Dallas 6; Houston Dynamo 5; Real Salt Lake 4).
• "Defensively we played well. Obviously we did a good job of cutting off (Jeff) Cunningham, except for one time when he got through and Andy Gruenebaum came up with a good save. We gave away too many corners and free kicks, but Andy handed them well and that's one of the things our goalkeeping coaches work with him on is coming out and punching balls. You don't see a lot of goalies coming out and doing that."
• Gruenebaum now has back-to-back shutouts in just his second season as a professional, making just three appearances (two as a starter) last year for the Crew.
• "It's like I said before though from last game, the guys in front of me are working extremely hard and that's the reason why we are getting shutouts," Gruenebaum said. "The back four through the midfielders and forwards, they are working incredibly hard and it makes things easy for me, it limits the chances. ... It's the organization of our back four. Every one of them have been playing a long time and that helps me, being younger."
• While the Crew haven't yet won, they haven't yet lost. Yet, they would like to taste victory for the first time this week.
• "You can't ever be furious about getting a point on the road, but at the same time our goal coming in here was three points," Pierce said after the RSL match. "We felt we've had a decent preseason and we felt like we played a good second half against New York. And so we felt the tide was good coming in here."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution won for the first time in the new season in their home opener last Saturday, defeating the expansion Toronto FC 4-0 at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution are now tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with three points from two matches, level with the Kansas City Wizards one point behind the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls.
LAST MATCH
• In the season opener on Route 1, the Revolution were looking for a first victory on the 2007 season, while Toronto FC were looking for their first victory ever.
• Taylor Twellman gave the Revolution a dream start, scoring twice within the opening 18 minutes. First, in the 12th minute, Khano Smith flighted a ball from the right flank that took a deflection and landed at the feet of Adam Cristman. He laid the ball off to Twellman just at the top of the area, and he lashed a low shot home for New England's first goal on the campaign.
• Six minutes later Twellman had doubled his season total and the Revolution lead. Steve Ralston hooked in a high cross from the right and Twellman leaped up to send a looping header back over TFC 'keeper Greg Sutton (18).
• The Revolution made it 3-0 on the hour. Cristman was hauled down by defender Andrew Boyens in the area, and Shalrie Joseph -- in his first appearance on the season -- sent Sutton the wrong way in converting from the spot.
• New England finished off the rout 12 minutes later. A throw-in found Ralston ranging free behind the defense on the right, and after turning the corner he laid the ball back to the spot for Andy Dorman, who gleefully thumped the ball home for his first goal on the year -- and the 500th league goal in Revolution club history.
• Revolution boss Steve Nicol made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Chicago Fire in the season opener, getting two regulars back. Khano Smith returned to the lineup on the left of midfield and Sharlie Joseph came back into his usual role in the center of the park, replacing rookies Wells Thompson and Gary Flood respectively.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, James Riley, Avery John - Steve Ralston, Jeff Larentowicz, Shalrie Joseph (Gary Flood 87), Khano Smith (Wells Thompson 69) - Andy Dorman - Taylor Twellman, Adam Cristman (Pat Noonan 69). Substitutes Not Used: Amaechi Igwe, Arsene Oka, Ryan Solle, Doug Warren
• "It was a real team tonight. Every single person played their part and gave everything they had for the team. It was a real team performance," Nicol said. "... We couldn't have asked for a better start. Not only did we control the game, but we made chances and put them away. It's always huge to get your nose in front and the other team has to come and leave holes. So the first 20-25 minutes were about as much as anybody could ask for."
TEAM NEWS
• The Revolution have now not allowed a goal since the opening goal by the Fire after just four minutes two weeks ago. It's still a makeshift back three, with Michael Parkhurst having missed the first two matches, though he is listed as doubtful for this week.
• "We were very solid with James (Riley) back there; it's a learning experience for all of us and I think we did a great job with our shifting and covering," Matt Reis said. "As a whole - as a defensive unit - top to bottom, we did [well]. The shots that they had were long-range stuff. There was nothing too troubling for us. I think, all in all, it was a great performance for us."
• Having Smith and Joseph back in the lineup also paid dividends in the Revolution attack. Joseph reprised his usual ball-winning role in midfield and Smith's running on the left created the opening goal.
• "Shalrie would influence any team he played in. (Smith's) running gave them a problem and it meant that whenever we switched it (to the right), it created space," said Nicol. "They just really used their brains out there."
• Twellman had his double with the match not a quarter old - but was rueing missing out on a fourth career hat trick. He also scored a pair of goals in a Revolution home opener in his rookie season, a double in a 2-0 win against Dallas on May 11, 2002.
• "Khano played a good ball that Adam laid off to me and I just tried to hit it on net," Twellman said. "For the second one, that was just Steve and I doing what we do best, what we have always done. ... I should've had a third (in the 19th minute). Obviously, when you get two quick goals and you're pushing, you're going to hit a wall."
• Other than Parkhurst, another nominal starter missing from Nicol's group is striker Pat Noonan, who came on as a substitute for the second week in a row. "(Pat's) just lacking a wee bit of fitness, that's all. He's not hurt; he's not in jeopardy. He just needs to get some more fitness done and get that sharpness back. I think (Adam) Cristman has done a great job filling in for him," Nicol said.
• Said Noonan: "I'll take it week-by-week. Thirty minutes here and I'll play in reserve again [Sunday] to get some more minutes (he played 72 minutes). Hopefully I'll be ready for next Thursday in the starting 11, and work my minutes in there."
• Dorman's goal was the 500th in Revolution club history and completed an excellent night of work for New England in front of 18,184 fans, the side's largest attendance for a home opener since 2002. Playing at home, Dorman said, was made even easier by the side's fast start.
• "We took our chances today. Last week we created a lot and this week we created a lot and we took them. Especially at home, it settles us down and gets you into a rhythm quickly," he said.
