The Columbus Crew and the San Jose Earthquakes played to a 1-1 draw Saturday night off goals from Glauber and Justin Morrow.
It was a match of changing momentum, missed opportunities, and two spectacular goals. The Crew were without Eddie Gaven, but Ben Speas filled in admirably.
Crew head coach Robert Warzycha agreed.
“He is a good player. He finds a lot of success on the left side or in the middle of the field. He’s connecting the passes and linking the forwards, defenders, and midfielders.”
The Stow native joined fellow NE Ohioans Josh Williams (Copley) and Justin Morrow (Cleveland) on the pitch. Morrow had the best night of the three, securing the 1-1 draw for San Jose in the 74th minute.
But it was Columbus that struck first in the 68th minute. A Federico Higuain corner kick connected with the Brazilian Glauber, who landed a diving header past Quakes keeper Jon Busch. The momentum swung to the Crew, but the celebration was short-lived thanks to Morrow’s goal just minutes later.
“When you score the most dangerous time is the five to ten minute period after,” Williams added. “Morrow made a hell of a play.”
The first half was rather pedestrian as both teams struggled to find quality finishing. There were opportunities abound for both sides.
Higuain, Speas, and Jairo Arrieta were all dangerous for Columbus, whileSan Jose’s Chris Wondolowski was an absolute menace in the final third. Wondo was the consummate playmaker, seeming to be everywhere on the field. The 2012 Golden Boot winner came away empty-handed, but still kept the Crew on their heels for 90 minutes.
The match ended with a draw for two quality sides, a result that both sides could live with. Columbus has a win, loss, and a draw from three games to start the season.
“I think we played against a very good team today,” Warzycha noted. “You have to remember they won the Supporters’ Shield last year.”
The Crew continue their upward push with games against D.C. United on the road (March 23) before returning home to face the Philadelphia Union (April 6).
Subside Sports Man of the Match: Glauber, Columbus Crew
Glauber, an offseason signing, has fit in perfectly on the Crew backline. Not only did he help keep Wondo scoreless tonight, but he scored a beautiful goal to get things started for the Crew. Columbus has put their opponents on notice: watch our set pieces or pay the price. They are clearly more dangerous in this area in 2013.
The View from Our Crew: Postgame Edition
Postgame Audio from Crew defender Josh Williams (available for 90 days)
Postgame Audio from Crew head coach Robert Warzycha (available for 90 days)
Postgame Audio from Crew defender Chad Barson (available for 90 days)
- The Crew attack has become so ever reliant on Higuain and Arrieta. Federico has loads of pure skill and talent, while Jairo is great at finding space and launching a blistering shot. The Crew should expect more from their midfield and should get it with the return of Eddie Gaven for the next game.
- Tyson Wahl was “Mr Everything” for the Crew Saturday. He was a huge part of pushing the attack forward on many occasions; he was more than willing to do that. But it is a lot to expect from a left back, especially when you are also using him to help contain the league’s most dangerous scoring threat.
- Team chemistry is something the Crew are still working on. Developing a coordinated attack, especially when building from the back, takes time. For two seasons the Crew have done some major tweaking in the offseason, creating very different squads for 2012 and 2013. Supporters need to be patient as the team gels, develops new tactics, and builds a true identity. Hopefully this will be the squad that brings the Crew to the playoffs and beyond for years to come.
- Seeing Wondolowski play in person gave us a new appreciation for what a great player he is. He was everywhere on the field, intercepting a pass one minute, pushing forward and landing a pass the next. He didn’t score a goal tonight, but this is a player we can all be proud of. Another chance at the national team for Wondo? We will have to wait and see since Klinsmann is the only one that knows that for sure.
- A lot of the media we talked to were trying to draw comparisons between this squad and the 2012 version that missed the playoffs. We don’t see it. This is squad with more quality at every position and a lot more depth. This team will be ready should the injury bug hit and is even built for the future with a plethora of Homegrown options.
