Eddie Gaven scored the game's only goal as the Columbus Crew defeated the expansion Portland Timbers 1-0 on Saturday night. The victory lifts Robert Warzycha's team into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Warzycha made four changes to the lineup that lost 1-0 in Los Angeles on Wednesday, led by the introduction of Andy Gruenebaum at goalkeeper. William Hesmer, who had started every league game so far this season, was held out with a leg injury. Rookie Alex Riggs was the backup goalkeeper. Other changes included Dejan Rusmir taking the defensive midfielder position from Eric Gehrig, and Tommy Heinemann and Jeff Cunningham comprising the forward corps instead of Bernardo Anor and Andres Mendoza.
Columbus labored in the first half to put pressure on Troy Perkins in the Portland goal. While the team was able to build attacks into the offensive channels, frequently the cross from those wide positions was off target. Columbus finished the first half without a shot on goal, and just three shots of any kind.
Portland, for their part, put two scoring attempts on frame, but neither - Kalif Alhassan in the first minute or Lovel Palmer in the 22nd - were truly threatening to Gruenebaum. Gruenebaum himself had a somewhat shaky first half, coughing up loose balls on several plays although he was always able to regain control before a Portland forward could reach the ball.
In the second half the team showed greater signs of life - starting with a shot high over the crossbar from Sebastian Miranda two minutes after the break. Columbus appeared to have scored in the 60th minute when Chad Marshall's header from a corner kick appeared to cross the goal line before being cleared by Darlington Nagbe. Unfortunately for the home team, neither the referee nor assistant linesman judged the ball to have completely crossed the line, forcing the home fans to wait a bit longer for the game's first goal.
Warzycha started adjusting the lineup in the 66th minute with two substitutions. Kevin Burns replaced Dejan Rusmir in midfield, while Emilio Renteria came on for Jeff Cunningham - who finished with a single corner kick and no recorded shots.
Along with the substitutions, the Crew adopted a more offensive posture as Sebastian Miranda began pushing farther up into the midfield on the right flank. Julius James moved over to the right side of the defensive line, leaving just three defenders in the back. Emmanuel Ekpo, who had been nominally the attacking midfielder, dropped back into a more defensive role alongside Burns, allowing Eddie Gaven to take the reins of the offense in a five-man midfield.
Just after Cole Grossman replaced Miranda as the team's final substitute, and with just more than 10 minutes to play, the Timbers' luck finally ran out. Robbie Rogers started the sequence with a cross from the left flank, which was headed toward goal by Chad Marshall at the back post. Portland's clearance went straight to Tommy Heinemann, whose shot through traffic bounced off the far post. The rebound fell at the feet of Eddie Gaven, who appeared to shoot between Emilio Renteria's legs. Danso attempted a second goal line clearance, but was unable to do so as the ball ricocheted into the net.
See video of the scoring sequence on the MLS website.
In the end, none of the six Portland players in the six-yard box could prevent Columbus from taking a deserved lead. The Timbers played with more urgency after the goal, but were ultimately unable even to put a shot on target in the game's remaining minutes.
What It Means
The victory moves the Crew into a tie with Philadelphia for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Union have played two fewer games than Columbus has; both teams have eight victories and seven draws, while the Crew have lost six times compared to the Union's four losses. New York sits a point behind the lead pair, but have played two more games than Columbus (four more than Philadelphia).
The loss, Portland's sixth in nine road games, leaves the Timbers with 21 points on the season. The team lies in eighth place in the Western Conference, six points ahead of last place Vancouver.
Game Timeline
45' Kenny Cooper replaces Jorge Perlaza
66' Kevin Burns replaces Dejan Rusmir
66' Emilio Renteria replaces Jeff Cunningham
74' Sal Zizzo replaces Diego Chara
78' Cole Grossman replaces Sebastian Miranda
78' Peter Lowry replaces Darlington Nagbe
78' Caution, Peter Marcelin (Reckless Foul on Emilio Renteria)
79' 1-0 Eddie Gaven (unassisted)
Attendance
11,246
Lineups
Columbus Crew
Andy Gruenebaum, Sebastian Miranda (Cole Grossman 78'), Chad Marshall, Julius James, Josh Gardner, Dejan Rusmir (Kevin Burns 66'), Eddie Gaven, Emmanuel Ekpo, Robbie Rogers, Tommy Heinemann, Jeff Cunningham (Emilio Renteria 66')
Unused Subs
Alex Riggs, Eric Gehrig, Bernardo Anor, Justin Meram
Portland Timbers
Troy Perkins, Lovel Palmer, Eric Brunner, Mamadou Danso, Rodney Wallace, James Marcelin, Diego Chara (Sal Zizzo 74'), Jack Jewsbury, Darlington Nagbe (Peter Lowry 78'), Kalif Alhassan, Jorge Perlaza (Kenny Cooper 45')
Unused Subs
Adin Brown, Mike Chabala, David Horst, Eddie Johnson
Up Next
Columbus, after hosting English club Newcastle United in an exhibition this Tuesday, will travel to the Rocky Mountains for the next two weekends. Their first opponent will be Real Salt Lake next Saturday, followed by a game on Friday, August 5th at Colorado. The team's next competitive home game will be August 13th against the New England Revolution.
Portland will return for a two game home stand, starting with a visit from Toronto FC to Jeld-Wen Stadium next Saturday. They will then host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday before consecutive weekend trips to San Jose and Houston.
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