Columbus Crew fall to defeat after frustrating night in Mexico

The Columbus Crew lost a heartbreaking game to Santos Laguna on Tuesday night in the CONCACAF Champions League, conceding the game's only goal to substitute defender Ivan Estrada in the third minute of stoppage time. The loss leaves the Crew with a 1-1 record in the competition, three points behind undefeated Santos in Group B.

Columbus started the game with a lineup of mostly reserve players, tapping Andy Gruenebaum in goal and Duncan Oughton at right back. Brian Carroll was the only regular in a midfield that also included Kevin Burns and Dilly Duka on the left and right flank, with Emilio Renteria and Steven Lenhart forming the strike pairing at the front.

Despite this makeshift group, however, the Crew gave a good account of themselves throughout the first half. While Santos enjoyed more possession, the visitors were able to threaten Santos goalkeeper Miguel Becerra on several occasions.

Most notably, the Crew appeared to have scored the game's first goal in the 24th minute. Duncan Oughton played a free kick at midfield to the right flank where Emilio Renteria raced unmarked toward the corner of the penalty area. As defensive pressure arrived the Venezuelan forward sent in a cross, which found the head of Andy Iro in the center of the goal to head home from close range.

Incredibly, after extensive consultations between Panamanian referee Luis Rodriguez and Mexican fourth official Ricardo Arellano Nieves, the goal was called back, Santos was awarded a free kick inside their penalty area, and Emilio Renteria was issued a yellow card.

Several possible interpretations came from various match commentators, with the likeliest candidates being an offside call on Andy Iro, and problems stemming from Emilio Renteria's presence on the field. Just before the free kick, Renteria had been off the field receiving medical attention after being elbowed in the head by a Santos attacker, and it is possible that he did not receive official notice to re-enter the field of play - although televised replays seemed to indicate that the fourth official had signaled that he could play.

While Crew fans were left to fume at the referee's decision, the Crew continued to let their play do the talking. Right winger Dilly Duka frequently made a positive impression, combining with Renteria and Lenhart well in building an attack at the left side of the Santos defense. The home team, for their part, likewise directed their attacks on the flanks, particularly focusing on rookie left back Shaun Francis.

Apart from the apparent goal, Columbus' best attacking chance came in the 41st minute. Building up the right flank, Dilly Duka played the ball on the ground to Emilio Renteria in the penalty area. Renteria did well to turn to face the goal under tight marking, but his left footed shot from 16 yards was dragged wide of the near post.

At the other end of the field, Jose Cardenas had two scoring chances at the very end of the first half, but each time shot wide of the far post from a tight angle.

The last opportunity of the first half came from a free kick by Duncan Oughton, whose curling ball to the far post from the left side of midfield bounced just between the far post and the onrushing Eric Brunner, missing each by inches.

Santos made their first substitution at the half, sending on Carlos Morales in place of Juan Santiago. Whether the addition of another midfielder was the cause or not, the home team enjoyed a much larger portion of the play in the second half, putting the Crew increasingly on the defensive as the half wore on.

Emilio Renteria and Steven Lenhart both had chances to create havoc in the early going, but the opportunities were much less clear-cut than they had been in the first half. Renteria mostly made a nuisance of himself by pressuring the back line and trying to pounce on passes for the Santos goalkeeper, and on several occasions almost succeeded in intercepting the ball.

After Santos sent on forward Carlos Quintero to replace midfielder Jaime Toledo in the 58th minute, the Crew's offensive chances were effectively eliminated. Andy Gruenebaum got lucky in the 61st minute as Oribe Peralta, who looked dangerous all night, got around the Crew goalkeeper but was pushed well wide of goal in the process, allowing the Columbus defense to recover. Peralta's cross into the mixer was met by Quintero, whose shot in a crowd skimmed just wide of Gruenebaum's left post.

Four minutes later, Gruenebaum was called into action again, this time having to react to a powerfully-struck shot by Quintero. The substitute carved out some space at the top of the penalty area on the left side, but his shot was well parried by the Crew's reserve goalkeeper.

Eddie Gaven was the first Crew player to come on as a substitute, but by the 66th minute the Crew had been forced into a bunker mentality. When Jason Garey came on just four minutes later, replacing Emilio Renteria who had gone down with an injury when challenging for a loose ball at midfield, the Crew's most dangerous target for long balls was removed.

The last 20 minutes of the game was played almost exclusively in the Crew's defensive half. While the massed defense of the Black and Gold was able to deal with the repeated Santos attacks, the team was unable to string together any lengthy possession - relying all too often on long balls played forward from a defender which bought only seconds of reprieve before the next wave.

Columbus' bad luck continued as the game passed into stoppage time, as left back Shaun Francis went down with a leg injury and had to be taken from the field to receive treatment. This left the under-seige visitors down a man heading into stoppage time, and it was then that the game's only goal was finally scored.

The deciding goal came from a thrust down the Crew's right flank. After reaching the end line, Santos played the ball into a crowd of players in the center of the penalty area. Columbus got to the ball first, but Eddie Gaven was only able to chest the loose ball to the top of the penalty area, where substitute defender Ivan Estrada side-volleyed a shot through a crowd of players and inside of Gruenebaum's right post.

Seconds after the restart, referee Luis Rodriguez blew his whistle, ending the night in heartbreak and indignant frustration for fans of the Columbus Crew.

Full match highlights, including Andy Iro's nullified goal from the first half, have been posted to the CONCACAF website.