The Columbus Crew lost Eddie Gaven in the seventh minute on Friday night, and went on to lose 2-0 at the Colorado Rapids. Brian Mullan opened the scoring in the 55th minute, unleashing a blistering shot from distance that flew under the crossbar and into the far side netting. Omar Cummings doubled the Rapids' lead with about 10 minutes to play, finishing off a sequence with Sanna Nyassi that took advantage of an Emmanuel Ekpo miscue.
Head coach Robert Warzycha fielded a lineup with few surprises, returning Andres Mendoza and William Hesmer after each recovered from recent injuries. His hand was forced in the fourth minute, however, as Eddie Gaven went down grabbing his right leg after a challenge with Jeff Larentowicz outside the Crew penalty area. The veteran midfielder tried to shake off the knock, but three minutes later had to concede that his night was finished. He was replaced by Bernardo Anor.
While there may be no way to know whether the early loss of Gaven condemned the Crew, the players that were on the field proved incapable of putting the Rapids under sustained pressure. The visitors made it to halftime with the score 0-0, thanks in large part to resolute - and last-second - defending. Emmanuel Ekpo was frequently forced back into a holding midfield position to counter the Rapids' possession, leaving the flanks or long balls as the Crew's most promising routes of attack.
It was a long lateral ball from Chad Marshall that started the Crew's most dangerous opportunity of the first half. In the 18th minute, Marshall sent a long pass over to left back Josh Gardner, who was pushing up into space on the left flank. Gardner trapped the ball forward for the run of Robbie Rogers, whose alert turn and cross looked like it was headed for Andres Mendoza in front of the Rapids goal. Mendoza, however, was unable to reach the ball as it bounded just out of reach in front of him.
Columbus started the second half with appeals for a penalty kick in the 49th minute, but referee Alex Prus kept his whistle in his hand after Mendoza appeared to go down under a challenge at the top of the penalty area.
Five minutes later, the Rapids took the lead. Left winger Wells Thompson started the play, sending a cross-field pass to Brian Mullan on the right flank. Mullan, about thirty yards from goal and with space to operate, turned and unleashed a shot that skimmed under the crossbar for the game's first goal.
Columbus almost equalized in the 74th minute when Eric Gehrig picked out the run of Mendoza with a curling pass that checked up in the grass nicely. Mendoza's controlling touch set up his preferred left foot, but his shot was stopped by the onrushing Matt Pickens. The rebound also fell to Mendoza, but his follow-up shot was blocked.
The Rapids found their insurance goal with about ten minutes to play. Emmanuel Ekpo was stripped of the ball in the defensive midfield, immediately putting the Crew back line under pressure from the combination of Sanna Nyassi and Omar Cummings. Nyassi held the ball long enough for Cummings to break in from the left, sending the ball into space for Cummings to shoot home into the far side netting.
What It Means
The loss leaves the Crew with 34 points, and a 9-7-7 record. They lead the Eastern Conference, but only by two points after Philadelphia tied Chicago earlier in the week. The Union have a chance to regain first place on Saturday evening as they host the Houston Dynamo at PPL Park. Kansas City and New York both lurk a bit further back, each team having 30 points to trail Columbus by four.
Colorado's victory pushes them to 37 points. They are still in fourth place in the Western Conference, but now trail the Seattle Sounders by only one point. They now enjoy a four point lead over Real Salt Lake, who host New York later on Saturday.
Timeline of Events
7' Bernardo Anor replaces Eddie Gaven
52' Caution, Dejan Rusmir (persistent infringement foul on Jeff Larentowicz)
55' 0-1 Brian Mullan (Wells Thompson)
55' Eric Gehrig replaces Dejan Rusmir
72' Justin Meram replaces Bernardo Anor
79' 0-2 Omar Cummings (Sanna Nyassi)
83' Joseph Nane replaces Pablo Mastroeni
87' Anthony Wallace replaces Kosuke Kimura
90+' Scott Palguta replaces Anthony Wallace
Attendance
14,503
Lineups
Columbus Crew
William Hesmer, Sebastian Miranda, Chad Marshall, Julius James, Josh Gardner, Dejan Rusmir (Eric Gehrig 55), Eddie Gaven (Bernardo Anor 7 (Justin Meram 72)), Emmanuel Ekpo, Robbie Rogers, Tommy Heinemann, Andres Mendoza
Unused Subs
Andy Gruenebaum, Korey Veeder, Kevin Burns, Cole Grossman
Coloado Rapids
Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura (Anthony Wallace 87 (Scott Palguta 90+)), Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Drew Moor, Pablo Mastroeni (Joseph Nane 83), Brian Mullan, Jeff Larentowicz, Wells Thompson, Sanna Nyassi, Omar Cummings
Unused Subs
Steward Ceus, Quincy Amarikwa, Ross LaBauex, Andre Akpan
Up Next
The Columbus Crew will return home for three of their next four games, starting next Saturday against the stumbling New England Revolution. They will then face the Philadelphia Union on August 20th before heading to Seattle to take on the Sounders on August 27th.
Colorado's next few games will mostly be on the road. They will travel to San Jose next weekend, followed by trips to Chicago and Los Angeles. Only a home game against Chivas USA, scheduled for August 20th, breaks the streak.
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