Sunday, April 21, 2013

Crew Rd 7: Ugly Loss

Columbus looked completely out of sync last night in Bridgeview, Ill. as the Fire out-shot, out-played and out-hustled a very poor looking Crew - a lopsided 0:1 final.

1ST HALF

Crew HC Warzycha keep his lineup/formation the same as the past few weeks and Chicago looked ready for it. After an early Crew goal called back for offsides, the first half was slow and sloppy. Neither team really taking control.

2ND HALF

Chicago locked in to what the Crew were doing and punished them harshly. That adjustment is best seen in the fact that the Fire ripped off 16 of their 21 shots in the 2nd half.

Columbus looked terrible right from the whistle. Federico Higuain's passes we off target by yards. Eddie Gaven looked ill, Glauber another step slow. Almost a general disinterest from the Crew. Had it not been for poor finishing and good goal keeping from Andy Gruenebaum this game could have been much worse (but how many times to you hear that kind of thing about goalies on bad teams?)

THOUGHTS

• The tactics the Crew are employing were figured out in total by Frank Klopas and the Chicago Fire. Predictable, stale and unable to produce scoring opportunities. What is a generally defensive formation in the 4-2-3-1 (or more like a 6-3-1) wasn't even able to keep the Fire away from testing Gruenebaum.

• Tyson Wahl, Glauber, Eddie Gaven and Federico Higuain looked off last night. Nothing was connecting and it was hard to watch.

• Ben Speas looked consistent with previous outings but was subbed off for Jairo Arrieta around the 60th min in the 2nd half when it probably should have been Gaven or Viana who came off.

• Chicago's finishing was not good but not sure they have had this much opportunity all year. It was like an indoor cat looking out a open door to the outside for the first time.

• Chicago: 21 shots, 7 on target.
• Columbus: 6 shots, 0 on target.

• Take away the Chivas game and the Crew have 6 goals in 6 games with 7 goals against. Also puts them at 6 pts on 6 games which is puts them down with New England, DC United and the this team that just ran them out of town, Chicago.

• Imagine if DC bothered to actually prepare for Columbus last time they met. Speaking of which, DC is in town this weekend.

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