Crew Round 23, Crew Win (TFC)

Columbus comfortably holds off Toronto for all 90 minutes and comes away with the 2:1 win.

1ST HALF
Columbus looked the hungrier of the two sides at the start and just 4 minutes in was able to get defensive deflection which enabled an Eddie Gaven shot to angle past a frozen TFC GK Freddie Hall.

Interestingly, the goal didn't change the mentality of either side. Crew kept up the sharp pressure and finding plenty of gaps in the midfield and Toronto looked game to absorb and build possession.

2ND HALF
The script didn't change much from the 1st half and the Crew were rewarded at the 58th minute off some hustle play from Eddie Gaven, Jairo Arrieta and Frederico Higuain. The goal was the first for Higuain in a Crew uniform.

From there the Crew dropped back and essentially abandoned possession. It wouldn't be unfair to call the game flat after the second goal. Out of that and around the 70th minute TFC's Luis Silva took advantage of a sleeping pair of Crew defenders off a free kick to score one back.

From there Crew Coach Warzycha brought in a trio of defensive subs to wrap the game up.

THE END, NOTES
• First off, I gotta say, very cool to see both Cole Grossman and Danny O'Rourke come on at the same time. I've got a big ol' grin on my face because I just wrote about those two playing together the other day.

• Federico Higuain is off to a great start in his first 135 121 minutes. He and Arrieta look like they will be absolute pests to opposing back lines.

• With Higuain, Eddie Gaven has looked like the player we all know he is. Over the past few years the quality has always been there but it looked like it took extreme effort... but now with a couple players up top who can cover a lot of ground with him... man o man, watch out.

• I thought Emilio Renteria looked pretty good running up and down the right side as, basically, a wing man.

• I wasn't impressed with Milovan Mirosevic and Chris Birchall wasn't blowing anyone's hair back. A win is a win.

• Toronto played much of the match like they weren't in the mood, organized but definitely a not tonight honey kinda evening. No pancakes for them, I guess.

• Would have liked the Crew to bury this poor TFC side. Columbus did exactly what they needed to this game, though. 3 points at home and get the PR regulars to beat that free drum for the new expensive signing.

• Looking forward to this weekends match against another below average side in the NE Revs.