SB Nation - Bernardo Anor

Keeping Tabs on the Rest of MLS: Eastern Conference Comings-And-Goings

ChestRockwell — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:00:07 -0000

As much as we may think otherwise, the offseason is not solely about D.C. United. Like it or not, our glorious heroes will have to share the fields of MLS with the unwashed heathens that make up the rest of the league. Yes, even the lowly New York Red Bulls are allowed to stand on the same field as United. It's an injustice, but then without enemies to slay we would never be quite sure how honorable and dignified United is compared to the craven hordes that comprise the rest of the soccer world.

With that contempt-filled acknowledgment of our peers in mind, it's time to take a look at what the other teams in MLS are doing as the preseason progresses. There's a lot going on out there, and it's better to stay up on it as it happens than find yourself with a ton of questions on opening day about where such-and-such plays now or who the hell that guy is.

We'll start in the East, as that's where our direct competition for playoff spots is. The preseason favorite for most pundits right now appears to be Sporting Kansas City, but if you follow me on Twitter you know I don't think this is a reasonable position. You know this because I won't shut up about it.

Before the season, I'll go into great detail about why I think KC is actually worse than they were last year. For now, we'll talk about just one of the reasons: KC announced a couple of days ago that Kei Kamara - who led them in goals in 2012 - will spend the first two months of the MLS season on loan with Norwich City, who also have the option to buy his contract if he impresses.

Kamara is a big loss for Sporting. His combination of size, speed, and direct style of play perfectly fit the game Peter Vermes wants to play. Further, Kamara is a huge figure in their ornate, Louis XIV-inspired locker room. His personality will be hard to replace if he leaves permanently, and he also served as a mentor to the player who will likely fill his shoes on the wing (CJ Sapong).

Another hot favorite is the Houston Dynamo, but they are also losing a tall, African-born winger/forward. Macoumba Kandji is off to Kalloni Lekopedio of the Greek 2nd division (hope those checks clear, Mac!).

Now, on one hand, losing an inconsistent player like Kandji isn't that big of a deal. In a vacuum, he's an erratic and injury-prone player who can probably be replaced in terms of general quality.

Kandji's departure is an issue, though, because it robs Houston of the 433 option they used at times with success last season. Kandji was the one player truly comfortable playing the left forward position, and other options are injured (Calen Carr, who tore his ACL) or are better elsewhere (Giles Barnes and Omar Cummings).

That's good news for United, because Dominic Kinnear showed time and again what he could do simply lining Kandji up against Robbie Russell and playing long balls for the two of them to chase. Sure, Russell probably isn't going to start over Chris Korb, but the 6'4" Kandji would have presented Korb a problem too given his tendency to hit the ground under even minimal contact.

There was a trade within the Eastern Conference recently that should be noted: Dominic Oduro leaves the Chicago Fire for the Columbus Crew, with Dilly Duka going the other way. Both players have some qualities that make them interesting players, but both have been dogged by on-field flaws (Oduro's finishing, Duka's inability to turn skill into production) and off-field issues.

For the Crew, Oduro will contend with Justin Meram for a starting wide midfield job, with Eddie Gaven playing on either the left if it's Oduro or on the right if it's Meram. He may also see his fair share of games playing up front, especially since Jairo Arrieta appears to be a frequent selection for Costa Rica during qualifying. Essentially, Oduro is a rough replacement for the waived Emilio Renteria. It's a reasonable move for the Crew, who could use a bit more speed anyway.

Duka going to Chicago is a bit harder to figure out. The recent decision to loan Alvaro Fernandez to Qatari side Al-Rayyan - a move likely pushed by Fernandez - left the Fire in need of a wide midfielder, especially since they plan to play Joel Lindpere in the middle. However, Duka's lack of production combined with his merely adequate defensive work makes him a hard sell compared to guys like Wells Thompson (a flawed player, but he does put in the work defensively) or even central players capable of lining up wide like Dan Paladini or Alex.

The real reason that Chicago would agree to take on Duka and his comically outsized cap hit ($110,000 base/$243,000 guaranteed) is that the deal also got them the MLS rights to Robbie Rogers. The former USMNT left winger is currently a free agent. Adding Rogers, mentality questions aside, would make this deal a steal for Chicago. As it is now, however, it looks like the Crew came out pretty strongly ahead.

Speaking of the yellow football team, they have also recently added Brazilian center back Glauber as well as Uruguayan-American left back/defensive midfielder Agustin Viana. The Crew will always be a defense-first team under Robert Warzycha, and the move does address two problematic positions for Columbus.

Glauber - who has played in several European first divisions, both elite (Germany and England) and not (Romania) - will be expected to give Chad Marshall a partner who is more than merely competent. At 6'3", he and the 6'4" Marshall may be the biggest center back pairing in MLS. However, it'll be just as important that both stay healthy, as injuries in that spot have hurt the Crew time and again.

Viana gives Columbus a left back, which is clear progress considering they went through much of last year without one. Natural center back Josh Williams never looked comfortable out wide, while their attempted conversion of Bernardo Anor never really got off the ground due to a torn ACL for the natural winger. Time will tell if Viana is actually any good, but at the very least his signing points out that Warzycha does in fact understand that sometimes it's best to actually get a left back to play left back.

Finally we come to the ongoing circus that is Toronto FC. Kevin Payne left United to fix TFC, and is figuring out just how much there is to do. A few days ago, he told the press of his disappointment with how several Toronto players arrived for camp out of shape. How out of shape? Payne referred to some as "not even close to being fit" and also noted that none of the rest of the players seemed bothered by the fact that their teammates had let them down with an offseason that apparently consisted of Tim Horton's doughnuts, poutine, and sitting around watching reruns of The Real Housewives of Winnipeg.

That's what KP signed up for, though: Turning around a club where mismanagement has not just lead to bad players being on the team, but just as crucially has fostered a culture of losing. Standards are so low that it takes a club executive to call people out for being unfit, rather than there being the kind of intense competitor that actually suits up for the club who would call out his teammates to their faces.

Furthering Payne's dilemma, TFC's salary cap is a mess due to the presence of three Designated Players as well as two more guys - Darren O'Dea and Richard Eckersley - at the high end of the non-DP pay scale. Two of those DPs (Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans) are coming off of major surgery as well, with Koevermans out until at least June and Frings simply an unknown following hip surgery.

In other words, this season for Toronto appears to be less about worst-to-first and more about simply stopping the bleeding. Sad as it seems, that would qualify as big progress for the Reds. Of course, if the rumors are true and they're pursuing Freddy Adu, the days of the TFC Circus may still have some life yet.

Thoughts on these moves or who our biggest competition will be in 2013? Let us know in the comments.

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Match #29 Preview: Philadelphia Union At Columbus Crew

Ben Feldman — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:11:15 -0000

Setting: Saturday, September 29 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH; kickoff scheduled for 7:36:30 PM Eastern

Broadcast Information: The Comcast Network (JP Dellacamera, Bob Rigby), with coverage starting at 7:00 PM Eastern with a pre-game show / FOX Sports Ohio (Dwight Burgess, Duncan Oughton, Ashleigh Ignelzi), 610 AM WTVN (Neil Sika, John Bluem), WVKO FM 103.1 (Carlos Cordova, Benny Pietrangelo) in Columbus / MLS Live, Direct Kick (FOX Sports Ohio feed)

Columbus's Record: 13-11-6 (45 points, sixth in East)

Columbus's Last MLS Match: L, 2-1 at Chicago

Philadelphia vs. Columbus This Season: 1-1-0 (Columbus 0 @ Philadelphia 1 on April 14; Columbus 2 @ Philadelphia 1 on August 29)

For the Columbus Perspective, Visit Massive Report

Having finally broken a winless streak that stretched back nearly two months, the Philadelphia Union are back on the road to take on the Columbus Crew for the third and final time this season. Columbus enters play this weekend in the #6 seed in the East, just a single point out of the #5 seed and a playoff position. However, while the Crew still more or less control their own destiny, they have dropped three of their last four matches (0-3-1), and probably cannot afford to drop any more. Like with Houston last week, Philadelphia is facing an opponent in big time need of a win. After facing Philadelphia, Columbus hosts Sporting Kansas City, then visits D.C. United before closing out the season at home against Toronto. From the Columbus perspective, with two very tough opponents above them in the standings coming up next, the Crew's playoff hopes might well rest on getting a win against Philadelphia on Saturday night.

Statistically speaking, the Crew weren't much to look at most of the season. They've scored 36 and have conceded 37, both of which are in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. Eddie Gaven (seven goals, two assists) leads them in scoring out of midfield, with Sebastian Miranda, Chad Marshall, and Josh Williams working most matches on the backline. However, midseason acquisitions Federico Higuain (5 goals, 4 assists) and Jairo Arrieta (3 goals, 6 assists) have created an offensive revelation for the Crew. In fact, it can be argued that the biggest problem for Columbus over the past few weeks has been with opponents partially neutralizing Higuain by keeping him out wide, away from the goal. He's been kept away from the dangerous areas where his skills have really been shining. Defensively they've been solid, but at this point solid's not enough. If they're to beat out Houston for the #5 seed, Andy Gruenebaum has to steal a match or two. Perhaps most importantly, though, Robert Warzycha has to stick with a group of eleven. Union fans are all too familiar with the perils of a starting lineup that isn't stable from week to week, let alone month to month, and now is really not the time to be trying to build chemistry with a new combination of guys.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, was all about trying out new combinations in their past week. Philadelphia fans were waiting for a player like Josue Martinez to get a decent shot, and Hackworth finally obliged. Martinez scored on a slightly broken play as the Union dropped the Dynamo 3-1. Freddy Adu also gave Union fans his best showing in a while, scoring the Union's other two goals before leaving the match with an injury that he actually picked up while scoring. The Union managed to stave off mathematical eliminated from playoff contention, though realistically they've been out of it for a while, but the solid victory gives John Hackworth and company something to be genuinely happy about for the first time in several weeks. Martinez may very well get a few more opportunities before the season comes to a close to show how his development has progressed, and to earn increased playing time for the 2013 season.

Likely starters:

Philadelphia: MacMath; G. Farfan, Valdes, Okugo, Williams; M. Farfan, Carroll, Lahoud, Adu; McInerney, Martinez

Columbus: Gruenebaum; Williams, James, Marshall, Miranda; Mirosevic, O'Rourke; Renteria, Higuain, Gaven; Arrieta

Injury updates:

For Philadelphia, as of Tuesday, Danny Cruz was "doubtful" due to a left big toe sesamoid stress fracture and right calf strain (try saying that five times fast). Keon Daniel (right knee contusion), Freddy Adu (left quad strain), and Gabriel Farfan (right ankle contusion" were all "questionable". For the first time since what seems like the spring, rookie Krystian Witkowski is available for selection. Witkowski had been suffering from concussion symptoms, but is now finally cleared.

For Columbus, as of Tuesday, Tommy Heinemann (left knee surgery), Will Hesmer (right hip surgery), and Bernardo Anor (left knee ACL tear) were all out. Carlos Mendes (right hamstring strain) is "doubtful". Danny O'Rourke (left ankle sprain) is "questionable". Andy Gruenebaum (lower back stiffness) is "probable".

Of note:

Matthew Foerster is listed as tomorrow's match referee. Once again, the Union will be dealing with a referee just getting started in MLS. In five career MLS matches, Foerster has called an average of 23.8 fouls per match, handed out an average of 4.4 yellow cards per match, has yet to give out a red card, and has awarded two penalty kicks.
Chris Birchall, Brian Carroll, Gabriel Gomez, and Danny O'Rourke are all one yellow card away from receiving an automatic one-match disciplinary suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Tomorrow night will be the first time that former Crew member Brian Carroll has played at Columbus Crew Stadium since being traded from Columbus to Philadelphia. You'll recall that when the Union visited Columbus towards the tail end of last season, Carroll was injured in mid-week training and missed the match.
Both of these teams like to concede late: 11 of Columbus's 37 conceded goals, and 10 of Philadelphia's 33, have come in the final fifteen minutes of matches.
Interesting note: Freddy Adu's brace against Houston was his first two-goal match in MLS.

The Union continue to play the role of possible playoff spoiler as they visit the Crew, who are in desperate need of a win for their playoff hopes. We hope you can join us here tomorrow night for a gamethread!

Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC: The Game Thread

John Leung — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:00:08 -0000

TORONTO FC	vs.	COLUMBUS CREW
5-14-5, 10th East		8-8-6, 7th East
LS: Koevermans (9)		LS: Eddie Gaven (5)
2012 Major League Soccer Season, Game 25 Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio Wednesday, August 22, 2012 7:30 PM EDT (5:30 PM MDT) TV: GOL (Canada), Fox Sports Ohio (USA) Radio: Sportsnet 590
Referee: Sorin Stoica (5 MLS matches, 3 YC/gm, 4 pens) Forecast: Sunny, 25°C; Wind NW 5 km/hr Last Meeting: 3/31/2012, TFC 0-1 CLB

Time to learn a lesson, like Pavlov's dog
If same-ing isn't working why don't you different instead, instead, instead
Like Samson and Delilah, Attila and the Huns
You're ready for a new round, don't it look like it's gonna be fun, be fun
Up from the floor on the count of ten, oh, you get up, you get down, and you try it again

- "Try It Again", The Hives

It's 11 days later than it's supposed to, but the case is still the same -- it's another "derby" date. The Trillium Cup is once again on offer, with the Ohioans holding a one-game advantage in what is essentially, with the entry of Montreal into MLS, a hollow, meaningless derby. But it's points nevertheless, and hey...the more points we can take from teams trying to get into the playoffs, the better, right? Spoiler time, indeed.

The lineups on both sides have a few key gaps to deal with, though. Doneil Henry is now out after sustaining the injury against Sporting KC, and Reggie Lambe and Jeremy Hall remain out. On the other hand, the Crew is without Will Hesmer and Bernardo Anor, two very important pieces of the Crew puzzle. Meanwhile on the discipline front, Torsten Frings will have to be on his best behavior for referee Sorin Stoica, as he's one yellow away from an automatic suspension.

This will also be our first close-up look at the Crew's new DP, Federico Higuain, who had an assist on his debut during Columbus' last match against Houston. There'll also be leading goal-scorer Eddie Gaven, and Jairo Arrieta, whom along with Higuain will be two to watch out for up front. Otherwise, aside from Kirk Urso (who passed away days before the original date of this match, leading to the rescheduling), the Crew are almost the same as they were since the teams last met in March.

Pre-match, do check out Dave's tee-up of tonight's match, and James' Know Your Enemy file. Then, if you're feeling lucky, enter our "Are You Smarter" contest to win your very own Preki doll. We'll have team news as soon as it hits twitter and general chat and commentary in the comments section throughout the game.

Poll

Who ya got?

Toronto

3 votes

Columbus

5 votes

Draw

2 votes

An asteroid collision

1 votes

11 votes | Poll has closed

Shuffling The Lineup Card

Patrick Guldan — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 04:08:39 -0000

The recent switch of Bernardo Anor to left back was brought on by the tight rosters and salary cap situations that all teams play under in MLS. The Crew felt Shaun Francis was less valuable than his near $50,000 and international roster spot. It also left the team with one true left back on the roster.

This situation highlights the situation that's been ever present since the beginning of the year. Not only are the Crew using a new lineup practically every week; Warzycha often will put players in unfamiliar spots, often to mixed effect.

The list is long, Eddie Gaven has played in three spots in midfield and at forward. Tony Tchani moved to right midfield, a spot he played in 6 games during the 2010 season. Forward by trade, Justin Meram has often featured as a left midfielder.

Perhaps the most interesting case is Milovan Mirosevic. The highest profile off season signing was expected to add scoring punch, but he has two goals in 13 games, 12 starts. He often lined up behind the forwards during his time at Universidad Catolica as an offensive catalyst. With the Crew, he's often paired with a defensive midfielder and acts as a box to box midfielder with far more defensive responsibilities. It's certainly altered his offensive impact.

Mirosevic's game is probably more suited to a diamond midfield with a strong holding midfielder behind him. It's not a coincidence that many of his best games have been when he's worked with the veteran Danny O'Rourke allowing him more freedom. In Montreal, he moved up as a withdrawn forward and did get a goal, but it was off of a corner rather than stemming from his position on the field.

Fellow midfielder Tchani has had an up and down year. He started the first game in Colorado as part of the three man central midfielder. He then sat for four games, only to be pressed into action on the right wing, even getting starts over other, more natural wide players.

Looking more comfortable and natural, Tchani has scored twice in June after his move back to the center. His versatility certainly has given his season new life. He still faces plenty of competition for his spot, but he's no longer mired on the bench.

Meram had a three game goal streak in May, but has been quiet since then. He first saw action as a sub in Portland, working on the left wing. He came off the bench and got a goal in the F.C. Dallas game the following week, again playing on the left. He notched goals in road games in San Jose and Seattle, again playing on the left.

He hasn't scored since and his minutes have dwindled during the month of June. He was left on the bench for the Crew's last game with Aaron Schoenfeld, Bernardo Anor, and Dilly Duka getting the nod over him.

He's been a very interesting case. He came out of Michigan with a solid goal scoring record as a forward, but has nearly exclusively been used as a left winger. This is especially odd given the Crew's injury problems at forward and offensive struggles. Warzycha is certainly a coach who goes with what he sees on the practice field and has a set idea of his type of forward. Meram certainly has had chances recently to play and has been uninspiring, but it certainly raises the question what he's capable of at forward.

Anor saw his first game action at left back on Sunday. He's had a couple weeks of intensive practice and worked on it during the preseason, but he's very raw at the position. It's not unheard of for a player to move back as he develops further. Real Salt Lake is trying the same thing with Kenny Mansally. He has plied his trade as a forward and winger with New England, but made his debut at the back.

Warzycha loves outside backs who can spread the field and get forward. Anor can certainly do that. Other players have made the same switch and its a valuable asset to have a player with the skills on the ball in defense. Sometimes tinkering can unearth a gem, Anor isn't there yet, but he's been inconsistent and uninspiring as a left winger so far this year.

The tremendous amount of shuffling Warzycha has done so far this year has put some players into unfamiliar territory. Some of this has been forced by injury and roster constraints, such as the cases of Anor or Tchani. Other reasons are more opaque, as in the cases of Mirosevic and Meram. With the Crew still struggling to get healthy, expect the shuffle to continue.

Real Salt Lake 0 - Columbus Crew 2 - Match recap, facts & more

denz — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 17:29:31 -0000

For the first time in 5 years Real Salt Lake has lost 3 straight matches, for the first time in those three matches it was more about a team beating them, than it was about them beating themselves, or at least it was in my opinion. Thanks to the RSL Communications team, here all the official info:

RSL FALLS 0-2 AT CREW IN POWER-OUTAGE DELAY

RSL Loses Third Consecutive MLS Match, First 3-Game Slide since July 2007;

COLUMBUS, Ohio. (Saturday, June 30, 2012) - Real Salt Lake (10-6-2, 32 points, West #2) dropped its third consecutive MLS match and suffered its fourth loss out of five games across all competitions, with an 0-2 loss Saturday night at Crew Stadium. The match kicked off an hour late following a massive power outage that affected 300,000+ people across Central Ohio, including Crew Stadium, which saw power restored only three hours prior to a scheduled 8:00 p.m. ET kick.

RSL allowed a pair of first-half goals en route to the setback, which snapped a four-game road unbeaten streak, the second-longest in club history. Crew MF Tony Tchani slammed home a pass from teammate Emilio Renteria in the 16^th minute, collecting a ball eight yards out for the eventual game-winner. The Tchani goal also snapped the RSL road shutout streak at 331 minutes, also the second-longest in club annals.

As the half came to a close, Crew icon Eddie Gaven found the back of the net on another sloppy mess in the box, as a Chris Birchall corner kick was redirected to the top of the six-yard box by Josh Williams, eluding the RSL defense. The 44^th-minute strike provided the final margin, the fifth goal of the year conceded in either first or second-half stoppage time.

more info after the jump:

Real Salt Lake Match Notes - CLB 2 : 0 RSL

Real Salt Lake's record of 10-6-2 (32 points) through 18 games is second only to its 2010 start and its 4-3-2 road mark is the best in the team's eight-year history, surpassing the 3-4-2 road mark during its record-setting 2010 season ... With 14 points away from home already this year, RSL remains just five points away from establishing a new standard of success ...
Tonight's road result snapped RSL's unbeaten run away from home at five games, the second-longest run in the club's eight-year history, trailing only the nine-game unbeaten road streak from August, 2010 to April, 2011 ... RSL extended its scoreless streak away from home to 330 minutes, trailing only the 344-minute run in the Fall of 2010 over a span of four games ...
A trio of RSL regulars missed tonight's match, as Captain Kyle Beckerman served a one-game suspension for caution accumulation, while DF Jamison Olave (R calf) and MF Ned Grabavoy (adductor strain) remained in Utah due to injury ... With tonight's caution-free performances, M FJavier Morales and FW Alvaro Saborio see their yellow-card accumulation totals adjusted ... Saborio is no longer in yellow card peril, while Morales needs to go without a yellow Wednesday against Seattle to avoid a suspension ... RSL FW Fabian Espindola picked up his fourth yellow of the season tonight, meaning that the Argentine striker must go RSL's next three games - Wednesday v SEA, Saturday v POR and July 14 at SJ - in order to earn the MLS "Good Behavior Incentive" ...
Only DF Tony Beltran and FW Alvaro Saborio have appeared in all 18 MLS games for RSL this year, with Beltran the team's 2012 minutes leader (1603) ...
Real Salt Lake continues this week's stretch of three games by welcoming 2011 MLS Cup Playoff opponentSeattle Sounders FC on Wednesday, July 4 at Rio Tinto Stadium. A handful of tickets remain for that night's 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff, a rematch of last November's Western Conference Semifinal, and can be purchased at www.RealSaltLake.com or by calling (801) 727.2701. Three days later, RSL plays host to another Cascadia club,Portland Timbers FC, the Saturday, July 7 match kicking off at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium ...

COLUMBUS CREW 2 : 0 REAL SALT LAKE

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

COLUMBUS CREW STADIUM

Goals by Period 1 2 F

Columbus Crew 2 0 2

Real Salt Lake 0 0 0

Scoring Summary:

CLB - Tchani (Renteria) 16'

CLB - Gaven (Williams) 44'

Misconduct Summary:

CLB - Vukovic (hard foul) 37'

RSL - Espindola (dissent) 57'

RSL - Steele (foul) 65'

CLB - George (foul) 82'

Lineups:

Columbus Crew (4-4-2) - Andy Gruenebaum; Sebastian Miranda, Julius James, Josh Williams, Nemanja Vukovic; Tony Tchani (Kevan George 70), Chris Birchall, Danny O'Rourke (c), Eddie Gaven; Aaron Schoenfeld (Milovan Mirosevic 52), Emilio Renteria (Justin Meram 79)

Substitutes Not Used: Matt Lampson (GK), Eric Gehrig, Bernardo Anor, Olman Vargas

Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2) - Nick Rimando; Terukazu Tanaka (Luis Gil 73), Nat Borchers (c), Chris Wingert, Tony Beltran; Yordany Alvarez, Jonny Steele, Will Johnson, Javier Morales; Fabian Espindola (Paulo Junior 62), Alvaro Saborio (Emiliano Bonfigli 61)

Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Reynish (GK), Kenny Mansally, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Sebastian Velasquez

Referee: Jorge Gonzalez 

Referee's Assistants: Daniel Belleau, Matthew Nelson 

4th Official: Sorin Stoica

Attendance: 19,674

Time of Game: 1:50 

Weather: Cloudy and 85 degrees

So there you have all the info about the match on Saturday,

OFF MY SOAPBOX

Chicago Fire 1 - Columbus Crew 2: Chicago outmuscled in Ohio

Tweed Thornton — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:44:27 -0000

On the NBC 5 Chicago broadcast yesterday, they mentioned that referee Allen Chapman was officiating just his 2nd MLS Regular Season match. Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas might get a pass on not including Chapman's style in his game plan. At least twenty minutes into the game though, it was clear Chapman was going to allow a very loose game. Chapman didn't call a bad game but Columbus took advantage where Chicago did not. The play that gives you this game in a nutshell is in the 40th minute when Emilio Renteria knocks down Austin Berry and finishes an easy goal. Renteria's move is not all that dastardly. Berry is unlikely to go in hard seeing as how he was charged with giving up a penalty kick situation in his first MLS game less than a month ago.

As in his rookie debut, Berry later redeemed himself scoring a great header in the 72nd minute of play. That only made the score Columbus 2 - Chicago 1 though. A fast and furious attempt at the end of the game did not lead an equalizer. Over 600 Fire fans that traveled for Firehouse East had to go home after a Fire defeat. The NBC 5 Chicago audience got to see some entertaining moments but this was not a game the Fire would pick to showcase after the fact. More thoughts on the game and the rest of Eastern Conference are after the break.

Missing Parts

The early lineup release included Sebastian Grazzini and Dominic Oduro but neither player ended up starting. Federico Puppo played the lone forward while Oduro started on the bench. Grazzini did not even make the 18. I don't mind either player's absence from the lineup. Chicago had played 5 games in 22 days entering last night's match and Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup match against the Michigan Bucks looms large. The Bucks and their indoor facility pose some unique challenges (not to mention a ton of bad blood between the two thanks to some epic Fire PDL vs. Bucks matches). Michigan will be giving everything they've got. It made sense to hold out Grazzini for Tuesday. There's no indication that Grazzini is hurt.

The presence of a veteran in central defense would have helped out a lot last night. Arne Friedrich's time table to return should make him available for the New York Red Bulls game on June 17. That's a huge bonus because the thought of Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper lining up against Austin Berry, Jalil Anibaba and Sean Johnson is the stuff of nightmares. On the one hand, Anibaba-Berry-Johnson haven't given up more than two goals. On the other hand, I have no confidence that the trio could lead the Fire to a shutout. It's a promising future but a wary present in Chicago.

Puppo was completely uninspiring yesterday. It's hard to believe that veteran Kheli Dube couldn't give at least a little more than the small Uruguayan. Chris Rolfe traveled with the team and participated in some light warm-ups. Once Rolfe returns, I would very much like to see Dube get a shot at the bench, Rolfe a shot in the starting lineup, and Puppo on the next line out of town. Alex arrives in late June and that will put the Fire at the full 8 international slots. Unless the Fire can make a trade for an additional international slot, Puppo stands in the way of adding a foreign international. Perhaps Klopas can swing a trade for some talent but after coming out like a bandit in his deals last year, I can understand other clubs being hesitant to answer his calls.

Eastern Conference Foes Move Up

Columbus looked lifeless coming into May but they've really turned it around. With the victory over Chicago, the Crew have captured 11 points this month and are riding a 5 game unbeaten streak. Columbus is now tied with the Fire at 18 points in 12 games. Houston is right behind 16 points in 11 games after beating the LA Galaxy 2-1 yesterday. D.C. United claimed first place in the East after fighting back a Revs comeback last night. DCU have 27 points in 15 games which means the Fire would have to win their next three games in order to maintain pace. Sporting KC plays later tonight and they would be ahead of the Fire's pace even with a loss.

Chicago has smaller fish to fry to on Tuesday but make no mistake; this was a very unfortunate loss for the team.

Chicago Fire 1 - 2 Columbus Crew

Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson; Dan Gargan, Jalil Anibaba, Austin Berry, Gonzalo Segares

; Logan Pause © (Daniel Paladini, 60'), Pavel Pardo; Patrick Nyarko, Rafael Robayo, Marco Pappa (Dominic Oduro, 46'); Federico Puppo (Orr Barouch, 46')

Substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Hunter Jumper, Corben Bone, Michael Videira

Columbus Crew: Andy Gruenebaum; Sebastian Miranda, Carlos Mendes (Eric Gehrig, 54'), Josh Williams, Shaun Francis (Nemanja Vukovic, 50'); Dilly Duka (Chris Birchall, 66'), Kevan George, Tony Tchani, Bernardo Anor; Eddie Gaven ©, Emilio Renteria

Substitutes not used: Matt Lampson, Cole Grossman, Justin Meram, Olman Vargas

Scoring Summary
CLB - Eddie Gaven (Shaun Francis) 9'
CLB - Emilio Renteria (Eddie Gaven, Shaun Francis) 43'
CHI - Austin Berry (Daniel Paladini) 72'

Misconduct Summary
CLB - Bernardo Anor (caution) 67'

Views From Field Level (Crew Vs New York Edition)

Sam.Fahmi — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:32:54 -0000

Well, that sucked.

A game that had so much promise to show the true metal of this 2012 Columbus Crew squad. A team coming off a good looking home opener against the expansion Montreal Impact. A team that went on the road to Canada and pulled off a 1-0 win against Toronto FC despite having a penalty kick blocked and having to defend for a good portion of the game in a stadium where they were victorious only ONCE before, but never lost. So much promise and cautious optimism from Crew faithful. Heck, some were even giving head coach Robert Warzycha a little bit of credit for changing his go to 4-5-1 formation for a more aggressive and open 4-4-2 game plan.

Hit the jump now, but stay away from ladder, windows or cliffs please

So, is the 2012 squad really THIS bad? Are Canadian teams even that much worse? What's wrong with Eddie Gaven? What's wrong with Bernardo Anor? WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THE DEFENSE? THE ROOKIES ARE AWFUL. TRADE THE VETERANS. FIRE WARZYCHA. SACK MARK MCCULLERS. START REBUILDING AGAIN. THIS SUCKS. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH.

Rabid fans can be so fickle sometimes. Well, okay, A LOT of times. One bad results and they are looking for someone to feather and tar with blame or responsibility. Unfortunately, being so angry from the bad result prevents the fans from truly being the 12th man and backing the team through thick and thin. Yes, there are some legitimate concerns that need to be addressed on the field, but it's awfully early in the season and we don't need to lose our marbles. Yet.

Here are some observations from Saturday:

The New York Red Bulls are a HOT HOT HOT team right now. This may have been the worst possible time to play this team. My personal pregame prediction was hoping for a tie, but I had a feeling the Crew would lose because of how hot the Red Bulls are. Thierry Henry is rejuvenated from his time with Arsenal and Kenny Cooper's playing level is elevated from playing next to him.

Saturday was not the Crew's day. PERIOD. The amount of chances that were close, the 1 on 1s that were blocked and the goal line saves from New York were a clear indicator. Yeah, sometime, it's just one of those days where there is a force field on the oppositions goal and Saturday was one of them.

The result would have been different had New York not scored so quickly off the opening whistle. Eric Gehrig simply got beat by a bigger and better player. Not that Gehrig is bad, he was over matched and he does not yet poses the experience to compensate for a match-up that is not in his favor.

There are a lot of questions being thrown out there about Gaven (health and performance). Some of the "veteran" players are actually still trying to get used to the 4-4-2. Gaven made a few runs in the first half, but did not seem to be having his best day. Considering how steady Gaven usually plays, having a bad or sub-par game, is okay. Warzycha made the proper decision in subbing him out.

Dilly Duka looks to be back. Coming on a substitute in the second half, Duka provided a much stronger offensive spark on the left side than Anor did. Duka also played a good portion of the first half of the reserve game that followed, and seemed to be in good health and form. Expecting him to start in Philadelphia on Saturday would seem all but confirmed at this point.

Ethan Finlay is playing like his shorts are on fire. It is evident that he wants to prove to the coaching staff that he should have been starting while Dilly Duka was injured as opposed to Anor. Finlay showed aggressiveness on the offense and defense. Though his 1v1 against New York goalie Ryan Meara was blocked, Finlay showed some of the speed and skills that made him the Crew's first pick in the 2012 Super Draft. It should not be a surprise if Finlay is first off the bench when subbing for Gaven or Duka.

Lest we forget, New York beat Colorado (the team the beat the Crew in the first game of 2012) by that same 4-1 score. Last year, the Crew lost it's opener 1-3 on the road to D.C. United, yet finished the season in the playoffs while DC faltered.

League play is a marathon, not a sprint. Teams that are hot now, may not be by summer or fall. Teams that are cold now, may make runs and win their conference. There is a time to hit the "panic" button, and that time is NOT NOW.

Agree? Disagree? Think I'm an eternal optimist? Like my photos? Hate my writing? Let us know what you think in the comments.

New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew: Live Match Thread

Ben Schneider — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:29:55 -0000

Another Saturday, another afternoon kickoff for the New York Red Bulls, this time out in lovely Columbus, Ohio, as they take on the Columbus Crew. The Red Bulls will be hoping for a third successive win for the first time since early last season.

We mentioned the Red Bulls' injury problems ahead of this game, resulting in Stephen Keel starting alongside Markus Holgersson at central defense. However, the most surprising change is that Joel Lindpere has been benched in favor of Mehdi Ballouchy after a poor start to the season by the Estonian international and a good substitute appearance last week for the Moroccan Maradona (hat tip to our friend @ViperRBNY for that).

Lineups

Red Bulls: Ryan Meara; Jan Gunnar Solli, Markus Holgersson, Stephen Keel, Roy Miller; Dane Richards, Dax McCarty, Rafael Marquez, Mehdi Ballouchy; Kenny Cooper, Thierry Henry

Bench: Jeremy Vuolo, Jonathan Borrajo, Connor Lade, Joel Lindpere, Brandon Barklage, Jhonny Arteaga, Victor Palsson

Crew: Andy Gruenebaum, Sebastian Miranda, Eric Gehrig, Chad Marshall, Shaun Francis, Kirk Urso, Milovan Mirosevic, Eddie Gaven, Bernardo Anor, Olman Vargas, Emilio Renteria

Bench: Matt Lampson, Josh Williams, Dilly Duka, Tony Tchani, Ethan Finlay, Cole Grossman, Aaron Schoenfeld

Let's win.