Columbus Crew

Pando Ramirez scored two wonderful goals for CSD Municipal as the Guatemalan side edged the Columbus Crew 2-1 in a must-win game for his team. Municipal came in to the game needing a win to keep hopes alive of qualifying to the next round in the CONCACAF Champions League and they achieved just that.

The top two teams in the group advance, and the Crew sit in second place with nine points while Municipal climbed to eight points, though they remain in third place. Mexico's Santos Laguna advanced to the top of group with 10 points after a 5-1 win over Trinidad's Joe Public.

The Crew used an alternate lineup to rest some of their players in this game. But Ramirez expressed pride in the victory. "They had several first-team players, they weren't missing very many. The important thing is that we won, independently of who came and who didn't," he said.

Despite a heavy downpour that dampened the field, Municipal were quick and proactive, attacking early and often. Their perseverance was rewarded when Ramirez eluded a Crew defender with a series of swerving cuts before unleashing a monster shot from about 35 meters away into the back of the net in the 19th minute.

Twenty minutes later, Ramirez would again score after a beautiful through pass from Marvin Avila reached Pando's foot, who curled it towards goal. Crew keeper Andy Gruenebaum was able to partially deflect the ball, which sailed upwards but ultimately dipped into the goal.

Nearing the end of halftime, a corner kick in Crew's favor sailed past the defenders in the near post and found Andy Iro in point-blank range who drilled it past Municipal's keeper, Rony Alvarez.

In the second half both teams had chances to score, but neither was able to move the scoreboard. Municipal was perhaps closest as a Mario Rodriguez cross was not cleared effectively and left Avila with a goalie-less net. However, a Crew defender blocked the shot, which may have been off-target anyway.

Rodriguez had another clear chance for himself as he was left alone in front of goal. His shot, however, went straight to Gruenbaum who pounced on the ball.

Nearing the end of the game, conditions continued to worsen as the rain kept pouring. Scuffles between the two teams, including players and managers, began to break out. The referee ended the game as injury time expired while arguments were getting heated, averting further trouble.

Now Municipal have to beat Santos in Mexico to guarantee a pass to the next round. Meanwhile, the Crew also need a win against Joe Public to guarantee advancement. Santos can guarantee themselves a place with just a tie, but Joe Public is already eliminated.

A. Mendoza scored within the last minute for Columbus Crew in their CONCACAF Champion League Group B Game against Mexican Team Santos Laguna in a hotly contested second half.

Mendoza was attempting to play in one of the areas when the ball was deflected to his area just outside the Santos goalpost.

He then kicked the ball directly in the goal net, surprising M. Becerra, the goal keeper for Santos Laguna, who was unable to block it.

The result was the only goal and score for Columbus Crew and a revenge for its previous loss to Santos duing one of the CONCACAF Champion League games in Mexico.

While the first half was uneventful, the second half of the game picked up full steam with both teams attempting to score the first goal.

The tempers started to flare with the result of yellow cards being issued by the referee Courtney Campbell.

The first yellow card was issued by the referee Courtney Campbell to E. Gavin of the Crew for kicking the ball into the net after the whistle was blown within 41 minutes.

The second yellow card was issued to O. Peralta of Santos after a boot challenge to Marshall within 64 minutes.

Santos Laguna received a free kick after K. Burns received a yellow card within 73 minutes for insubordination to a referee.

The last yellow card was issued for F. Hedjuk for a two foot tackle towards the end of the game and a minor fight in the field. Hedjuk was lucky because he could have been expelled.

The Columbus Crew and Santos Laguna teams were disciplined, consistent, and dominant in the field as well as the game.

It is not surprising taking into account that Santos Laguna is within the first top ten teams of the Mexican League while Columbus Crew is in first place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

The result of the game leaves Columbus Crew in first place in Group B CONCACAF Champions League followed by Santos Launa. It remains to be seen what will transpire.

Columbus Crew 1-0 Santos Laguna

Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus Ohio

Most Valued Player: Mendoza

Was it an impressive evening for the Seattle Sounders? 

It was the team’s most impressive performance of the season and arguably the best overall in the history of its MLS franchise.

The broad-shouldered player served as the evening’s catalyst scoring the first three goals of his Sounders career in a stunning 4-0 shutout win. What made it all the more impressive was that he did it against the Eastern Conference leader, the Columbus Crew, and on its home turf before 17,144 patrons.

The Swiss World Cup performer Blaise Nkufo shot home three goals and silenced his impatient critics. 

What they should have realized was that it was just a question of time before he secured his breakthrough.  His midfield work was steady as his physicality and presence combined with an astute role as a facilitator aided the team’s effort. 

Consider this fact—the Sounders are 5-0-1 in matches Nkufo started at forward.

Prior to joining the Sounders for active duty Nkufo received the supreme honor of having a statue of him unveiled in Enschede, where he set a scoring record with 111 goals in seven years for FC Twente in Eredivisie, Holland’s first division.  When one adds the additional goals that he secured during that period for Switzerland in international play the number expands to a whopping 200.

The match began on a spirited note. 

Both teams moved at a swift pace, determined to break on top first with a score as goalkeepers Kasey Keller of Seattle and William Hesmer of Columbus were called into immediate action.

Columbus is where Sigi Schmid had coached with great success before moving to Seattle.  It's a team he notably does not wish to lose to for good reason, given his close Crew contacts.  “You don’t want to lose to your friends because you hear about it more often,” Schmid has frequently noted.

Nkufo broke the deadlock early en route to the first hat trick in Seattle franchise history. 

It came in the 4th minute. 

Nathan Sturgis whipped in a corner kick that Fredy Montero headed into the chest of Crew goalkeeper Hesmer. Nkufo knocked the rebound past Hesmer for his first goal as a Sounder. Nkufo’s goal tied the mark for earliest in club history that was set by Steve Zakuani on May 1 of this season against Columbus in the team's Seattle meeting.

Nkufo’s scoring had interesting timing.  The first tally came early in the match, his second in the middle phase, and his final score in its late stage.

His big night resumed with a goal in the 39th minute.  The Swiss star took a cross from Sanna Nyassi, dribbled into the 6-yard box, and slid a left-footed shot into the corner of the net.

The red hot Sounders were not about to stop there during perhaps the best first stanza in the club’s history.  Just three minutes later Nyassi was taken down in the box by Crew defender Danny O'Rourke.

Sturgis stepped up and buried the shot.

Sturgis' score produced two more records on a historic record setting night.  His boot into the low left corner was the first penalty kick score in team history while tying a record for most first half goals. 

The other time that Seattle produced a 3-0 halftime lead was at home this season against the New England Revolution.  This feat was more impressive considering that it came against a team currently leading its conference who entered the contest with a glossy 13-6-5 mark and 44 points playing on its home pitch.

Columbus came out for the second half determined to turn things around after having been wounded before its home faithful.  It struck repeatedly, but an alert Kasey Keller chalked up 5 goals while several second efforts just missed the mark. 

It was one of those evenings when destiny was wearing Seattle blue.  

This was Keller’s 50th consecutive MLS start.  The shutout was his 10th, delineating a  clean sheet every fifth match.  

Nkufo set the franchise hat trick mark and became the fourth player this season to reach that milestone in the 75th minute.  Steve Zakuani beat the Crew defense to the end line and found Nkufo at the top of the box.

Nkufo blasted a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net for the game's final goal.

Seattle held an advantage in shots of 16-14 and an 8-5 edge on goal. The seven first half shots on goal set one more club record.

The Sounders lead the all-time series with the Crew 2-0-2.  The clubs will lock horns again in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on October 5 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

The victory put Sounders FC in a tie for fourth in the Western Conference.  The triumph was its first on the road since July 31.  Seattle‘s MLS seasonal record stands at 10-9-6 with 36 points.  

Seattle continues CONCACAF Champions League group stage play when it visits Mexico's Monterrey on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT. The match will be televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel. Sounders FC concludes its four game road stretch next Saturday when it faces the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park with kickoff set for 5 p.m. PT.

T-180: Amid all the Qur'an burning (which thankfully didn't happen), Al-Qaeda disenfranchised gullible youth recruiting, America damning, fallen angel-commemorating and never-forgetting there is the little matter of the good ol' fußball game. Today, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy and Robert Warzycha's Columbus Crew meet in a pivotal showdown in the continuing rat race for the 2010 Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield.

T-120: The Galaxy, Crew and Real Salt Lake (with their scoreless draw against the Seattle Sounders earlier this week) are logjammed at 44 points apiece. In other action today, Toronto FC was silenced by D.C. United in rare fashion 1-0, the New York Red Bulls slammed the Colorado Rapids 3-1, and the Chicago Fire's playoff hopes are done and dusted thanks to the Philadelphia Union, 1-0.

T-100: Oh yes, and yesterday, the Goats are faring well with their new signing Alan Gordon in their 2-0 win against the New England Revolution. You're welcome, Chivas USA!

T-90: Columbus has a 13-5-5 record, Los Angeles has a 13-5-5 record, and Real Salt Lake has a 12-4-8 record. A superior goal differential and goals forwarded have Jason Kreis's club at the top of the overall standings for now.

Well, it was a good run at the top while it lasted. Six months and a couple of weeks, not bad.

T-80: Next up for the Galaxy is a September 18 clash with D.C. United, a September 24 meeting with the New York Red Bulls, and the renewal of the Honda SuperClasico on October 3 against Chivas USA.

T-75: As for the Crew, they return to Columbus on September 14 to take on Joe Public FC in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League group stage, host the Seattle Sounders on September 18, and Santos Laguna in more Champions League fun on September 21. Some home-cooking is in order for Warzycha's men after this is a done deal.

T-70: I don't like meshing a little bit of the women's game with the men's game, but it looks like there may be a new champion in Women's Professional Soccer. Sky Blue FC drew 0-0 with the Boston Breakers, and the Washington Freedom shut out the Atlanta Beat 1-0, eliminating the defending WPS Champions from the playoffs. Also, FC Gold Pride is leading the Philadelphia Independence 2-0 at halftime. Seeds from first to fourth if that result holds: FC Gold Pride, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington.

T-60: You know, I remember where I was when the Twin Towers fell. I was in my high school physics class, and it was my senior year. We were tuning in to ABC, and all of us there saw the World Trade Center go crumbling down. It's a terrible moment in our country's history, and it's only fair that we remember this moment for what it's worth. The wide world of sports is nothing compared to the difficulties going on around the world.

T-55: The keepers warm up. The others should follow suit shortly.

T-45: Our match official today is Alex Prus. Linesmen are Adan Wienckowski and George Gansner, while Kevin Stott is our fourth official.

T-30: Lineups.

T-15: Yep, Mr. Beckham is back and Juninho, too. In other action, the San Jose Earthquakes are taking on FC Dallas at Buck Shaw Stadium. Also earlier this week, Chicago drew Toronto FC to a scoreless draw, and San Jose defeated the Houston Dynamo 2-1.

T-0: National anthem by Stephen Petree.

FIRST HALF START: 7:36 P.M. PT

1' - It's showtime! We're underway. Some fans have chosen to make the trip from rainy Columbus. Well, at least Ohio State won, Terrelle Pryor and all. Omar Gonzalez with the clearance on Steven Lenhart.

2' - Can the Sheik from Montego Bay, the Big Cat known as Donovan Ricketts, pull off a better performance tonight? Here comes LA. Alex Cazumba is marked. Too high a shot from Dema Kovalenko. A warning volley. Goal kick, Will Hesmer.

3' - That's Andy Iro with the sweep. Juninho must prove to be of use tonight. Too long for Alex Cazumba.

4' - This is Frankie Hejduk with the throw-in. First big snatch from Ricketts. Hesmer needed to save that one from Buddle. Goal kick, actually, since it went off the woodwork first.

5' - Saturday night's all right for chippiness.

6' - Todd Dunivant sets it up. And that will go for a throw to Sean Franklin.

7' - Offsides, Sean Franklin. Goal kick, Hesmer.

8' - That's a good sweep right there from Donovan Ricketts. Here is Alex Cazumba and that's too high. Hooo boy, goal kick Hesmer.

9' - Just the third time this year that all three Sao Paulo FC players on loan are starting.

10' - Here is a free kick for Columbus, taken short. Back comes Los Angeles. Got away with that foul on Juninho.

11' - And the boo birds ring out. Back come the Crew. Early on, scoreless.

12' - This is Sean Franklin, setting it up. Passing will be of the utmost importance.

13' - Ricketts with the reset.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 14 Edson Buddle Assist 28 Sean Franklin, 10 Landon Donovan
He's back with a vengeance. And a kiss from Dema. That's brotherly love for you.

14' - Columbus will have to play on its heels.

15' - Good clearance from Andy Iro. Alex Cazumba was trying to win that one, but it goes out. ACB in action.

16' - We are 16 minutes in, and as Hejduk does this free kick, it's 1-0 Galaxy.

17' - Ricketts. Now the callout between the ACB and Riot Squad. Buddle's 14th goal of the season, 13th assist for Landon Donovan, and fifth for Franklin. Not bad.

18' - Back comes Columbus, looking to equalize. Here's a corner.

19' - Cleared by Jovan Kirovski. Offsides, Crew.

20' - Good defense by Leonardo on Steven Lenhart. Corner. Cleared away.

21' - Landon Donovan's run to Franklin cut off. Donovan with the foul, to the consternation of the blue and gold and white masses.

22' - This is Guillermo Barros Schelotto. That feed to Lenhart goes out for a goal kick to Shiek Donovan.

23' - Another foul, and that is on Juninho, back from the business on the other side of the hemisphere.

24' - Now it's Franklin. That will go for a throw-in after the facial from Hejduk.

25' - Los Angeles needs to consolidate on this lead because this is a competent Columbus side that can come back. Throw-in, Todd Dunivant. Mr. Beckham warms the legs. It's a bit chilly down here.

26' - Here's Dunivant. And now it's Cazumba. The back line is forced to reset the distribution. Too long from Dunivant. Goal kick, Hesmer.

27' - Now what type of clearance was that from Mr. Ricketts?

28' - Free kick for Frankie Hejduk. Cheeky overhead from Eddie Gaven, but that's not gonna work. Goal kick, Donovan Ricketts.

29' - I have yet to see this team consolidate on its advantage. By that, I mean the team in the white kits.

30' - A half hour in. It's 1-0 Galaxy. Here's Alex Cazumba, and that's one chip shot he'll want back. Needs to be a bit more conservative next time. Too overconfident with that.

31' - Omar Gonzalez forces a reset. Good tackled on Cazumba.

32' - Back come the Crew. That's a foul. Prus should have given Schelotto a card for dissent. Too loose, Alex. Tighten it up.

33' - And Dema Kovalenko's not too happy. You know, most of Columbus's non-corner set piece are from the right side of the field. Just noticed.

34' - Schelotto to take. So much for that. Cheekiness won't work, Andy Iro. Goal kick Donovan Ricketts.

35' - Back come the Galaxy... and they do consolidate!

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 21 Dema Kovalenko
On the breakway inside the box, the No. 21 converts. It's 2-0 Los Angeles.

36' - It's on now. Good save right there from Ricketts. Corner for the Crew.

37' - Edson Buddle with the clearance. Offsides. No goal for Gaven. Boy, this Crew team is getting snakebitten tonight. This Galaxy side means business.

38' - Here's Sean Franklin. This is good possession, but Edson Buddle will want that one back.

39' - Here comes Columbus. Hejduk with a few throw-ins.

40' - Kovalenko got the ball, not the man. Here is a corner for the Crew. Throw-in for Andy Iro. Goal kick, Ricketts.

41' - Here come the G's and that was too long from Cazumba. He will need to work on his shot selection—er, mechanics. Yeah, that's it.

42' - We are 42 minutes in, and it's 2-0 LA. Still anyone's game. Goal kick Ricketts.

43' - Beckham is faking his limp. You're nobody's fool, sir. Dunivant clears that ball.

44' - This is Adam Moffat. He looks to get the Crew back in it before the half. Thank you very much, says Mr. Ricketts. Some juggling in order before the goal kick.

45' - How many minutes of stoppage time? One minute, says Kevin Stott.

45' + 1' - Good save by Hesmer on Buddle. He was looking for his brace.

It's halftime. First decent half in quite a while.

Final score from Hayward: FC Gold Pride 4, Philadelphia Independence 1.

Halftime Stats:

Shots
Columbus Crew 5
Los Angeles Galaxy 8

Shots on Goal
Columbus Crew 3
Los Angeles Galaxy 3

Saves
Columbus Crew 1
Los Angeles Galaxy 3

Fouls
Columbus Crew 3
Los Angeles Galaxy 8

Corner Kicks
Columbus Crew 4
Los Angeles Galaxy 0

Offsides
Columbus Crew 3
Los Angeles Galaxy 1


SECOND HALF START: 8:40 P.M. PT

46' - Adjustments, anyone? The second half begins.
Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 11 Chris Birchall
OUT 14 Edson Buddle

47' - Mike Magee and David Beckham warming up. Throw-in, Sean Franklin. Didn't work out too well. Goal kick, Hesmer.

48' - Hooo boy. Leonardo got the wind knocked out of him.

49' - He gets up. Leonardo will have to be careful next time. Gonzalez with the clearance.

50' - Good mark by Omar Gonzalez. Sportsmanlike gesture, too. The Galaxy need to have a stronger sense of urgency this half.

51' - Beckham continues to warm up.

52' - Goal kick, Will Hesmer. And Donovan Ricketts lets that go for a goal kick. Offsides, Steven Lenhart.

53' - Franklin with the throw. Great passing tonight. Frankie Hejduk with the break-up, and it's another throw-in.

54' - Too long a cross. Buddle was cramping at halftime. Thus, as a precaution to have him cope with the conditions, the sub.

55' - Free kick for Alex Cazumba.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 9 Jovan Kirovski Assist 88 Alex Cazumba,
It is a rout. Great goal for Kiro off the delivery from Alex Cazumba.

56' - Good shot there from Donovan. Goal number four for Kirovski.

57' - We are 57 minutes in, and it's 3-0 Los Angeles. They can ease mr. Beckham in now.

58' - Now it's Juninho, but Columbus is there to sweep it up.

59' - Todd Dunivant with the clearance, but a terrible shot from Frankie Hejduk.

60' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 18 Mike Magee
OUT 9 Jovan Kirovski

Well the question is now, can Mike Magee finish?

61' - I suppose the fans will be disappointed if Becks isn't the third sub. And Franklin will clear that one.

62' - We are 62 minutes into the match. It's 3-0 Los Angeles. Looks like Emilio Renteria, Andres Mendoza and Emmanuel Ekpo look set to go.

63' - Substitution Columbus Crew
IN 20 Emilio Renteria
OUT 7 Guillermo Barros Schelotto

IN 10 Andres Mendoza
OUT 32 Steven Lenhart

Renteria and Mendoza are in.

64' - Free kick for the Columbus Crew. Cleared, and LA is now on the transition. Um, so much for that?

65' - Andres Mendoza with the mark. Franklin with the throw-in.

66' - Here comes Columbus. Nice double-marking on Emilio Renteria. Doing a little elbow music, too.

67' - Nice clearance from the Crew. Throw-in for Los Angeles. This is the first time in a while that I am seeing them play Galaxy soccer. Long overdue.

68' - Uff! Too strong.

Substitution Columbus Crew
IN 17 Emmanuel Ekpo
OUT 11 Dilly Duka

69' - Too long a shot from Mendoza.

70' - Here he comes...

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 23 David Beckham
OUT 19 Juninho

It's GO TIME!!!

71' - Columbus has just been put on notice. I'm sorry, but they have.

72' - Alex Cazumba with the rash challenge.

Yellow card 21 Dema Kovalenko
Los Angeles Galaxy

73' - Here is a free kick for the Crew. Beckham's first shot this year...deflected. Offsides, Mr. 23.

74' - All right, so it took a 3-0 scoreline before Mr. Beckham started.

Yellow card 23 David Beckham
Los Angeles Galaxy

Alex Prus, drinking the haterade. But in all honesty, that was a professional challenge on Emmanuel Ekpo.

75' - We are 75 minutes into the match, and Beckham got his first appearance and first yellow of the season. Oh yeah, and it's 3-0 LA.

76' - Back come the Crew. And there go the Crew. Nice acting, Eddie Gaven. Goal kick, Donovan Ricketts.

77' - Here is Shaun Francis, resetting for Columbus.

78' - Donovan Ricketts with the save.

79' - Gonzalez with another clearance. Is that Cazumba hurt. Ouch. In the least expected of places. He's all right, though. And Chris Birchall will be feeling that for a while.

80' - Too long a cross.

81' - So, unless a rally of the least expected comes to pass, this will be just another Galaxy victory, I'm afraid.

82' - Ricketts resets. This is going to be a good night for LA fans. The first in a while.

83' - Some fans are content and opt to leave. What are you folks doing, the match ain't over! Oh, and Ricketts will take that, thank you very much.

84' - 19,482 came out to see this big one.

85' - You know, now that I think about it, this may not be as conclusive after all. There is plenty of football left to be played. But this looks better for them.

85' - GOAL! Columbus Crew 10 Andres Mendoza Assist 6 Andy Iro
Lame effort from Rickets. Mendoza is the chicken thief tonight.

86' - One of the few times where the defensive back line played the type of garbage defense that hindered them the past few months. Gee whiz guys, kick the bloody habit already!

87' - Mendoza with the rash challenge on Beckham.

88' - A few more minutes to go, and we will head into stoppage time.

89' - That Mendoza goal will not do much to change the outcome. Beckham corner. First of the season, taken short.

90' - How many minutes of stoppage time? Lousy corner, by the way. Two minutes.

90' + 2' - That's a wrap! Just another Los Angeles Galaxy victory! Revenge for the Youth Academy Under-20's, too.

Stay tuned for my take on this match on Bleacher Report and the View From Victoria Street.

Forget the lone Major League Soccer regular season match that took place yesterday evening, last night was all about Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake opening their Group Stage campaign in the 2010-11 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Both Columbus and RSL emerged victorious to kick off the series.

Sure each victory might have been by one lone goal, but watching the games, you could see the dominance and class that both Columbus and RSL exhibited over Municipal and Arabe Unido, respectively. It can partially be noticed through the highlight reels for each game. (See at bottom).

Observing both games live on TV last night, they each established a solid passing game that only their opponents couldn't seem to combat against, unless it was a myriad of shameless fouls and tackles. And yet in spite of this, they couldn't emerge victorious.


I'll admit I was sweating bullets watching the RSL v. Arabe Unido game especially when they fell so early, but thankfully the tied it up before the break, and in the dying moments of the game they got probably the tenth foul committed in the box that finally was called for, for a PK. The frustration probably got to Kries as well.

This is excellent though to see the MLS teams open up so strongly in the Champions League, and exhibit a higher level of skill over their opponents, still a bit surprised about Toronto FC's victory over the Mexican powerhouse, Cruz Azul, but TFC deserved it.

Hopefully, the Seattle Sounders FC can prevail in Honduras against Maraton, while Real Salt Lake and Columbus can snatch a point or even three on the road.

HIGHLIGHTS: Real Salt Lake 2, Arabe Unido 1

HIGHLIGHTS: Columbus Crew 1, C.S.D. Municipal 0

With Group B play of the CONCACAF Champions League on the horizon, it looks like it'll be a brisk competition for the Group title for Santos or Columbus...unless of course Municipal or Joe Public can pull off a few upsets.

Columbus Crew – USA

Current Record: (11-5-4), 3rd place in MLS.

How they got here: 2009 MLS Supporter's Shield.

Key Player: Guillermo Barros Schelotto

The Crew have a lot of hope to go far in this upcoming Champions League campaign. Exiting in the quarterfinals subsequent to a 5-4 aggregate loss against Toluca, Columbus was the last hope for any MLS club to seek Champions League glory.

A gritty team that has a solid passing game, the Crew are a potent force to win the group and possibly make a run deep into the knockout stages. But to do so they're going to need to perform well on the road and have solid performances from Barros Schelotto, Lenhart, Marshall and Hejduk.

Prediction: 2nd. I had a bad feeling about Santos at first given their 3-2 home loss to D.C. United a few months back, but they'll have an advantage over Columbus. The Crew will be worn out from U.S. Open Cup, late season play-off push and the MLS Cup Playoffs around the corner. It'll get messy with their schedule. Still, they should be able to comfortably margin in second.

CSD Municipal – GUA

Santos Laguna – MEX

One Great Season (http://onegreatseason.com/ ) is proud to announce it will be covering World Cup 2010 from start to finish. Group previews begin Thursday and, once the games begin, they plan to update at least twice daily with match coverage, analysis, and other news and notes. Please take a moment to get to know the nine contributors who will make One Great Season the only online destination you'll need for outstanding World Cup coverage.

Jeremy Brown is a New York-based freelance writer. He's worked as a staff writer covering English and international soccer at Goal.com UK and has contributed to several publications over the years, including the New York Post , Scientific American , Seed , Entertainment Weekly , Draft and Star . On Sundays, he can be found groggily galumphing around not-always-trash-strewn pitches in the city's Cosmopolitan League, thankful that he never tried to go pro (because, man, that looks an awful lot like running). Jeremy will be covering Group B, which is made up of Argentina, Greece, Nigeria, and South Korea.

Mike Dick 's fascination with soccer began with Pele's arrival in the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). Living in a virtual soccer vaccuum in Terre Haute, Ind., Mike's love of the game grew via broadcasts of Soccer Made in Germany , BBC World Service football coverage on shortwave radio, and the occasional live match. He witnessed the magnificent play of Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Best, and others in person during the NASL days. Frequently attending Indianapolis Daredevils matches as part of the Amercan Soccer League, he also had the privilege to see an aged Eusebio ending his career à la Willie Mays. A former college goalkeeper, Mike enjoyed the 2006 World Cup in Munich, Berlin and Frankfurt. He supports Nottingham Forest and considers himself to be "the special one" when it comes to prowess on the barstool. Mike, a television producer in Louisville, Ky., will cover Group E (Cameroon, Denmark, Japan, and the Netherlands).

Ben Jackey is an Emmy Award-winning former television news journalist from Louisville, Ky. He is a soccer addict, despite not following the game until World Cup 2002. Since then, he has traveled to watch and cover the United States Men's National Team and was producing a soccer documentary before he left the TV business this year. He is an avid supporter of Aston Villa FC of the English Premiership and may be the only person on the planet with cornhole boards adorned with the Villa crest. Up the Villa! Outside of the soccer world, Ben says he is fun at parties and a great dancer. Now a communications specialist in Louisville, he will cover Group G (Brazil, Ivory Coast, North Korea, and Portugal).

Having played soccer in some form, fashion or level, continually for 28 years and in six countries—with teammates and competitors hailing from more than 50 nations—no other game could have given Mike Marshall an enlightening perspective, both on the human condition and how it might be changed for the better. With interests in history, international relations, anthropology, and design, Mike finds time for kick-ups whenever possible. Professionally, he is the principal behind Marshall Arts, a graphic design and other creative works company. Mike will be covering Group F (Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, and Slovakia).

Mike Mudd , an assistant sports editor at the Louisville Courier-Journal , is a lifelong competitive soccer player, coach, and fan. His claim to fame was making the second-team Indiana All-State level in high school in Jeffersonville, Ind. Mudd covered college soccer while a student at Ball State University in the early 1990s. He is frequently asked about the time he scored four goals in a varsity match twenty years ago. Mudd has watched every World Cup since 1986 and roots more for South American soccer than European, though he has a soft spot in his heart for England. Mike can be followed on Twitter @mudd4goals . He will cover Group C (Algeria, England, Slovenia, and the United States).

Wade Murray learned to play soccer at an early age while growing up in Iowa. He was a Division III All-American player at Luther College and then played semi-professionally in Minnesota and New York. His favorite national team is the U.S., of course, but on the club level he roots for Everton . Wade is currently a digital marketing professional in New York City, and his favorite player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Wade thinks Ronaldo is "simply the smoothest son of a (expletive)" he's ever seen, although "he dives waaaay too much." Wade will cover Group A (France, Mexico, South Africa, and Uruguay).

Bruce Sholl started playing pickup soccer as a kid on the dirty streets of Toledo, Ohio. He then went on to captain the Upper Arlington Golden Bears in Columbus, and he started for the men's club team of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He currently plays for The Barnstonworth Rovers third team, a New York City club group. Along with being a fan of his hometown Columbus Crew , he has traveled abroad to play and watch, most notably the Man U vs. Man City Derby in 2008 and the Espanyol vs. Villarreal match this year. His aggressive style of play has translated well to the pub when excitedly watching matches and head-butting fellow fans. Bruce, a retail marketing specialist, is on the general assignment beat.

Steve Susi is founder and chief creative officer of Brand Spanking New York, a NYC branding and creative consultancy. Steve has attended numerous Premiership matches over the past two decades—most of which involving his beloved (yet hapless) West Ham Hammers . He attended the 2006 World Cup in Germany (watch the video) and is a devout Ohio State and all-teams-Cleveland fanatic. Steve will spend the second week of World Cup 2010 watching the national teams of Germany, Holland, Denmark and England at pubs located in those countries' respective capital cities, and he will be reporting/photographing the proceedings for One Great Season. Check out brandspankingnewyork.com for more about Steve and follow him on Twitter at @brandspankingny . He'll be covering Group D (Australia, Germany, Ghana, and Serbia).

Jake Yadrich has worked in the video production industry since 2004, spending more than five years as a videotape editor for FOX 4 News in Kansas City. While at FOX 4 , he and the station's film critic earned acclaim at the 2009 and 2010 Los Angeles Press Club National Entertainment Journalism Awards for their weekly interview segments with Hollywood's biggest stars. In January 2010, Jake obtained what he considers a dream job in becoming the head of video operations for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer . Jake avidly roots for his favorite team, Barcelona , and he brings an industry insider perspective to One Great Season's coverage of the 2010 World Cup. Jake will be covering Group H (Chile, Honduras, Spain, and Switzerland).

Check out all this in-depth World Cup 2010 coverage at http://onegreatseason.com/ .

New York Red Bulls 1 Columbus Crew 3

 

Harrison, N.J. – No Schelotto, no Rogers, no Marshall, no problem. The Columbus Crew shrugged off the absence of their three World Cup stars to produce a 3-1 win at Red Bull Arena. 

 

The Red Bulls started well and for half an hour this was a tense affair, both teams giving away little. The midfield units went toe to toe in a game of much possession and only sporadic penetration. The opening goal came in the 35^th minute, when the movement of Eddie Gaven allowed him to be wide open in front of goal, converting a Frankie Hejduk cross with a smart header past Bouna Coundoul.

 

The Red Bulls were stung by the goal and quickly carved out an opening in retaliation, only for Ubiparipovic to strike the post. In the 39^th minute, Columbus struck a huge blow by taking a somewhat against the run of play 2-0 lead. A Gaven corner found a wide open Andy Iro, who powered a header into the net to send the travelling Crew fans into raptures.

 

The Red Bulls came out after half time and responded well to the 2 goal deficit. The home side pressured further up the field, added width with a change of shape and asked more questions of Columbus. Five minutes into the second half, a through ball to Dane Richards saw the Jamaican forward beat Iro for pace, only to see his shot rebound off the goal post. In the third Red Bull effort of the night to find the woodwork, Juan Pablo Angel struck a 60^th minute free kick against the cross bar.

 

The Red Bulls second half play was rewarded in the 81^st minute. Full back Carlos Mendes pushed up the flank to cross from deep.  Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer found himself in no man’s land as rookie Tony Tchani headed in his first career goal.

 

As the home crowd prepared for a nine minute onslaught, the Crew quickly burst their bubble. A defensive mix up presented Emilio Renteria with a breakaway chance, he ruthlessly converted to suck the air out of the home crowd, and send the Crew home with a valuable three points.  The Crew are now in first place in the Eastern Conference, with two games in hand over New York.

 

Scoring Summary

 

CLB – Eddie Gaven 2 (Frankie Hejduk 2) 35

 

CLB – Andy Iro 2 (Eddie Gaven 2) 39

 

NY – Tony Tchani 1 (Carlos Mendes 1) 81

 

CLB – Emilio Renteria 1 (unassisted) 83

 

NY – Coundoul, Albright (Mendes 71), Petke, Ream, Borman, Hall (Wolyniec 68), Ubiparipovic (Tchani 65), Miller, Stammler, Richards, Angel.

CLB – Hesmer, Hejduk, Brunner, Iro, O’Rourke, Gaven, Carroll, Moffat (Zayner 57), Ekpo (Renteria 68), Lenhart, Garey (Oughton 89).

 

Att: 11,940

The defending champions of MLS, Real Salt Lake, continue their difficult start to the season visiting the Columbus Crew at 7:30 tonight.

After an easy win over San Jose in their first match, Jason Kreis' club has only taken one point from three games against top Western Conference teams (losses to Houston and Los Angeles, draw with Seattle). After tonight, RSL comes home for four of their next five matches and will try to start up the momentum going into that strecth tonight.

The Crew are playing in their third game of the season, the fewest of all MLS clubs. After beating Toronto in the first weekend, Robert Warzycha's club drew with FC Dallas 2-2 two weeks ago at Pizza Hut Park. The squad should be at full strength and healthy with the exception of defenders Shaun Francis and Chad Marshall.

RSL players have picked up some injuries in the early season. Both Ned Grabavoy and Chris Wingert are out for tonight's game and Robbie Findlay, Jamison Olave and Javier Morales are all on the injury report but should play.

There is plenty of top-class players on the pitch tonight at Columbus Crew Stadium, posing some interesting battles at a variety of positions.

Matchup To Watch:

Kyle Beckerman (RSL) vs. Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)

Both midfielders are the heart and soul of their respective teams and should go up against each other quite a bit tonight. Both players need to connect to the men up front to get goal attempts. Schelotto also has the skill to break free and score himself. Schelotto could start up front tonight also.

Starting Lineups:

Real Salt Lake:

Nick Rimando (GK)

Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Tony Beltran (DF)

Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Andy Williams, Collen Warner (MF)

Alvaro Saborio, Fabian Espindola (FW)

Columbus Crew:

Will Hesmer (GK)

Gino Padula, Andy Iro, Eric Brunner, Frankie Hejduk (DF)

Robbie Rogers, Adam Moffat, Brian Carroll, Eddie Gaven (MF)

Steven Lenhart, Guillermo Barros Schelotto (FW)

Players to Watch:

Real Salt Lake:

Kyle Beckerman, Nick Rimando, Andy Williams, Collen Warner, Jamison Olave

Beckerman and Rimando are on this list for obvious reasons. Williams and Warner will be part of the midfield battle and trying to contain the middle four for Columbus will be a task they need to handle. Olave just needs to have a solid game, he really has not played up to his abilities so far this season and has a chance to improve his form tonight.

Columbus:

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Gino Padula, Frankie Hejduk, Adam Moffat, Steven Lenhart

Schelotto is the main goal scorer and will need to get on the board tonight. If he fails, the young Lenhart needs to get shots on goal and challenge Rimando in net. Moffat will be part of the midfield battle that will dictate the game and with Schelotto up front, Moffat will have the task of dealing with Beckerman tonight. Padula and Hejduk are two of the best fullbacks in the league. Both play with heart and try to get up the wing for all ninety minutes.

Prediction: Real Salt Lake 1-1 Columbus

This might even be a goalless draw, but it all depends on how the midfield battle goes.

The Columbus Crew is a veteran squad that has been atop the tables the past few years and are looking to stay there.

The Crew won their second consecutive Supporters' Shield last season—the team with the most points at the end of the regular season—even with a brand new head coach, as Robert Warzycha replaced Sigi Schmid who went to the Seattle Sounders.

This season they return nearly their entire starting 11 from 2009, minus forward Alejandro Moreno, who was selected by the Philadelphia Union in the expansion draft.

Former league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto will lead the charge.

The Argentine is a lethal weapon in the attack as both a finisher and distributor. His contributions are invaluable.

In 2009 he led the Crew in goals scored, with 12.

The midfield is young and talented.

Robbie Rogers is a good talent on the flank with good pace. He had his moments last year where he struggled and did not get on the field, but he is an asset and is currently on the bubble for a spot on this summer's World Cup roster.

Eddie Gaven will play on the other side of the midfield and has continually improved each year, also earning a National Team call-up this offseason.

He played in all 30 games last season for the Crew, the first time he’s done so since 2006, and scored six goals—his highest total since 2005 when he netted eight.

Emmanuel Ekpo, 23, will play in the center of the field.

He led Columbus in 2009 in assists with six. In his third year in MLS he should continue to grow as a player.

The Crew also have a pair of the league's top defenders in center back Chad Marshall and right fullback Frankie Hejduk.

Marshall has won consecutive MLS Defender of the Year awards and will look to continue his dominance.

Hejduk was a member of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.

After the 1998 World Cup, Hejduk spent six seasons overseas before returning to America and signing with the Crew. He has a ton of experience and is still crafty enough to get up-field for clutch goals.

The team will look to third-year player Steven Lenhart to fill in for Moreno.

The 23-year-old has scored seven goals in 36 league appearances and has had an impressive preseason.

This is a squad with talent, championship experience and enough youth to keep them energized throughout the entire season.

Columbus is in great position to win a third straight Supporters’ Shield, which would be an MLS record, and fourth overall, which would tie D.C. United for most in MLS history.

But it doesn’t end there for this team.

They expect to be contending for the MLS Cup as well, and they are certainly more than capable.