United Shut Down by Crew
Last night, D.C. United had a chance to get their MLS season back on track. They came into the match with a 1-2-0 record in MLS play this season, including a recent 4-0 loss at much-maligned Real Salt Lake. A home date against a manageable opponent seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Instead, United suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Columbus Crew that left them searching for answers.
After experimenting with 3-5-2 and 3-4-3 formations in recent games, coach Tom Soehn had his team line up in the traditional 4-4-2 alignment. The change appeared to stabilize the game, as play flowed evenly between the two sides. Columbus found the first great chance of the match on a fourth minute counterattack. Goalkeeper Zach Wells charged forward as Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers found space between the defense, but his shot sailed wide of net. United had their chance to take control of the match in the 14th minute, but Luciano Emilio took a commendable cross from Fred and headed it directly at Crew keeper Will Hesmer.
Columbus changed the complexion of the game in the 32nd minute when they broke through United's defense and scored. Appropriately, Guillermo Barros Schelotto initiated the attack. The Argentinean gave United's defense fits all night, as he maneuvered his way through traffic and evaded tackles with ease. Finding himself in a sea of jerseys near the top of United's box, Schelotto anticipated an incisive run by right back Frankie Hejduk and calmly fed him the ball. The move freed Hejduk behind United's defense, which allowed him to slot a ball onto the path of Alejandro Moreno. Bryan Namoff was a fraction too late with his tackle, and Moreno dove to coax the ball into the net.
As the match wore on, it became clear that Columbus would not allow Emilio near the danger zone without two defenders on top of him. United's other renowned attacking players (Fred, Marcelo Gallardo, and Jaime Moreno) received similar treatment. This strategy afforded United's defenders with space in the attacking half, though this was a risk the Crew were clearly willing to take. The more United insisted on attacking through the center of the box, the more defenders the Crew jammed into the space.
United took advantage of their defenders' attacking privileges in the 42nd minute. Emilio and Jaime Moreno found themselves in a mire of defenders at the top of the box, but Namoff bailed them out with an aggressive run into the right side of the Crew's penalty area. With ten yards of space to work with, Namoff touched the ball down for a bounce and wound up for a volley. He aimed his low shot for the far post, but the ball deflected off of Columbus midfielder Adam Moffat's leg, leaving Hesmer with no chance to avert the goal.
Though Moffat could hardly be blamed for the goal, it seemed as though he took it upon himself to regain the visitors' lead. Just a minute later, he raced all the way through United's defense and floated an inviting cross over Wells and into the path of Alejandro Moreno. United defender Gonzalo Peralta needed to take desperate measure to prevent a certain goal. Unfortunately, his intervention resulted in an own-goal.
United settled in for a frustrating second half. Despite Soehn's offensive substitutions, United could barely sniff a goal. After Namoff's goal, his runs were more closely guarded. To Columbus' design, only Peralta and Gonzalo Martinez found space in the attacking half of the field, and unsurprisingly, the defenders did not have the offensive creativity to develop any scoring chances. Though Santino Quaranta and Franco Niell injected life into the game, their practical contributions amounted to little. Fred showed off some of his usual dazzling footwork, but as soon as he got past his man, three more were upon him. As the match wore on, Emilio became less and less effective; by the end of the match he had difficulty simply holding the ball.
At the end of the day, the Columbus Crew played a near-perfect game. That's not to say they were playing above their heads; Schelotto and Hejduk are classy players, and their talents were on full display last night. The problem for United is that the influx of foreign talent and the development of homegrown stars has leveled MLS's playing field. If United wish to climb to the top of the heap, they'll have to find the way to combine their pieces of talent in the most efficient, effective way possible. The good news: they'll have 26 more games to figure it out. In such a long MLS season, accompanied by an inclusive playoff system, United can afford to tinker with formation, personnel, and tactics.
For the full match photo set, click here.