Crew adjusting to life without Schelotto
League-leading assist man to miss second straight game Thursday
Schelotto produced two goals and eight assists during a four-game winning streak before straining his hamstring prior to Saturday's 1-1 tie at Toronto. The MLS assist leader with 18, Schelotto said he won't play against the Red Bulls but will be ready when the Crew goes to New England Sept. 27.
His replacement at forward, Pat Noonan, scored against Toronto for his first goal since being acquired Aug. 6 from New England but Alejandro Moreno missed the Crew's first penalty kick of the season after Schelotto had converted all four of his chances.
"Apparently I've taken a one-game ban on taking penalty kicks," Moreno said after Wednesday's training as a group of players practiced from the spot.
The missed penalty was the most obvious sign that Schelotto was out of the lineup but there was also a change in the way the team attacked. Schelotto likes to drop into the midfield then spray the ball to the flanks to speedy wingers such Eddie Gaven, Robbie Rogers and Emmanuel Ekpo. Or, Schelotto looks for the hard-working Moreno as he works for position inside the box.
"As a team, obviously, what we lose with Guillermo not being on the field is being able to have the splitting passes; passes that beat two, three defenders at once and we're able to get behind. That's when Robbie and Eddie are really dangerous," Moreno said.
"Our attack takes a different personality when Pat is in there. Guillermo likes to drop a little bit deeper than Pat would but when Pat and I are closer together we're able to combine a little bit more as opposed to him trying to find the passes from deeper in the midfield. It's a different dynamic. When Pat comes closer to me he's going to take some attention away from me. In that regard, it opens up space rather than closes it down."
The Crew fell behind early at Toronto and looked fractured in the final third before getting into a rhythm.
"It took us some time, the first 15-20 minutes, to get used to a different style playing without (Schelotto) but once we weathered that storm we started to settle down a little bit and played our game," Gaven said. "We actually did fairly well making some decent chances. We were only able to score one of them."
That belonged to Noonan, who got the equalizer in the 40th minute in his second start for the Black and Gold.
"It was nice to get on the board," he said. "Obviously, three points would have meant a little more but it was good to get the score even and come out of a tough atmosphere with a point."
Noonan knows he can't match Schelotto's playmaking skills and understands it will take a team effort for the Crew to succeed.
"A player of his caliber, you're always going to miss him. He's such a good playmaker. He's keeps everybody involved in the game," said Noonan. "We've got guys who can step in and fill the role and we're still confident."
Still, the Crew will be lacking one of best ball-strikers in the league in Schelotto.
"We weren't that dangerous on free kicks at Toronto," Moreno said. "There were a bunch of things you could point to -- the conditions weren't the most favorable to play. I don't think there's a lack of confidence. Guillermo brings a quality into his services but Robbie can produce the same and Eddie can produce the same."
The Crew will need every advantage they can get against a Red Bulls team that has gone 3-1-1 in its past five games and is paced by Juan Pablo Angel, who has seven of his nine goals in the past nine games.
"It's important for us to win at home and beat New York because New York is a team that has gained some confidence in the last month, month-and-a-half," Moreno said. "It would be nice for us to come out real sharp and real positive in the way we play and get a good result."
The match will be a good diversion for the Crew after some trying times following the match in Toronto. The team's flight Sunday was violently rocked by hurricane-level winds as it tried to land at Port Columbus International Airport and was diverted to Cleveland before a bus ride home where the storm had knocked out power to most of the city.
While service was restored to Crew Stadium Tuesday afternoon some players still don't have electricity and about 210,000 homes and businesses in central Ohio are without power as of Wednesday afternoon.
"It really puts everything in perspective," Gaven said.
Winning on Thursday will not absolutely clinch a playoff spot for the Crew, but it will certainly put pressure on the club's pursuers.
"It's important to put up a good result not only for New England but everybody else behind us," Moreno said.
Columbus is three points up on second-place New England in the Eastern Conference and for the Supporters' Shield. West leader Houston trails the Crew by six.
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
