Lenhart rallies Columbus for 2-2 draw with Toluca

March 10, 2010

Steven Lenhart scored a pair of second-half goals and the Columbus Crew rallied for a 2-2 draw with Toluca on Wednesday in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Lenhart’s goals in the 66th and 84th made for a dramatic finish as the Champions League resumed after a nearly four-month break.

Antonio “Sinha” Naelson put the Diablos Rojos ahead in the 19th minute and Antonio Rios doubled the advantage in the 45th.

Toluca, which has won only twice in nine games in the Mexican Clausura but is unbeaten in its last four, will host the second leg March 17.

Columbus, which hasn’t played a competitive match since October 25 and is not scheduled to begin the Major League Soccer season until March 27, faces a major challenge to overcome the first-leg deficit. MLS teams have only earned two draws in 19 matches in matches played in Mexico.

The Crew played without midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto and defender Frankie Hejduk due to yellow card accumulation.

It still had the better of early play until Sinha traded passes with Raul Nava at midfield and ran into the top of the penalty area unchallenged. He slowed to let defender Danny O’Rourke overrun the play and then hit a low rolling shot inside the left post.

Possession was even for the rest of the half but Rios ran onto a loose ball after Columbus defender Eric Bruner tried to head away a chipped ball into the area. Rios’ right-footed shot from just outside the arc swerved just inside the left post and into the high corner.

Columbus appeared to regroup in the second half, with Emmanuel Ekpo testing goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera in the 47th and ahead trying to chip the Mexican keeper, who was out of position off his line, in the 57th.

“Being down two goals, we just had to come out in the second half and pressure them, get after them,” Lenhart said. “We didn’t want to go down to Mexico down a couple of goals.”

The Crew finally converted when Ekpo sent a chipped pass into the area. Lenhart took the ball off his chest and volleyed it with his right, beating Talavera to the near side.

Lenhart equalized with six minutes remaining. Columbus’ Emilio Renteria, who replaced Ekpo in the 73rd, set up the finale, sending a short ball to Lenhart as he crossed into the area. Lenhart took one touch and finished with a right-footed shot.

COLUMBUS, Ohio

Concacaf

Tags: alfredo talavera, antonio rios, bruner, COLUMBUS, concacaf champions league, diablos rojos, Emilio Renteria, Emmanuel Ekpo, Eric Bruner, frankie hejduk, guillermo barros schelotto, lenhart, loose ball, Major League Soccer, mexican clausura, Mexico, mls teams, nava, o rourke, Ohio, quarterfinals, sinha, soccer season, Toluca, yellow card

Crew claims place in quarterfinals with 1-1 draw

October 21, 2009

The Columbus Crew became the first team from U.S. Major League Soccer to reach the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, getting a 74th-minute goal by second-half substitute Emilio Renteria to earn a 1-1 draw with the Puerto Rico Islanders on Tuesday.

The draw gave Columbus eight points in Group C, three better than Costa Rica’s Saprissa, which played Cruz Azul later Tuesday. But the Crew beat Saprissa in Costa Rica and drew with it at home to advance on head-to-head results.

Renteria, who entered the game two minutes earlier for Emmanuel Ekpo, capitalized on the work of Steven Lenhart, who replaced Frankie Hejduk in the 61st minute. Lenhart won a ball outside the area and closed on Puerto Rico goalkeeper Justin Myers, who raced off his line to give the Columbus forward a smaller target.

Myers blocked Lenhart’s initial shot, but the rebound bounced back to Renteria, who shot over the out-of-position keeper.

The Islanders, who advanced to the semifinals of last season’s inaugural competition, finished this year’s tournament without a win in the Group Stage and only two points. Tuesday’s match was their first since October 4 against Montreal, a 2-1 loss that eliminated it from the United Soccer League First Division playoff semifinals.

Neither side looked particularly dangerous in the first half, but and Puerto Rico took the lead on a seemingly innocuous play.

Noah Delgado headed a wayward ball back toward goal and teammate Cristian Arrieta attempted a twisting side volley at the edge of the six-yard box. But Arrieta missed, and the ball bounced in front of goalkeeper Will Hesmer, who appeared to be bracing for Arrieta’s shot but instead let the ball go underneath and between his legs.

Knowing a draw would clinch a place in the quarterfinals, Columbus manager Robert Warzycha inserted Adam Moffat for Kevin Burns to start the second half. Moffat had two chances in the first two minutes, a shot from distance high and a soft header into Myers hands, and Brian Carroll also went just wide from distance in the third minute.

Columbus, the defending MLS champion which has the best record in this year’s U.S. league play, joined Mexican sides Pumas, Pachuca, Cruz Azul and Toluca in the knockout round and will learn its quarterfinal opponent in the November 17 draw at CONCACAF’s New York headquarters.

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico

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Tags: Adam Moffat, Brian Carroll, COLUMBUS, columbus crew, concacaf champions league, Costa Rica, cristian, Cristian Arrieta, cruz azul, Emilio Renteria, Emmanuel, Emmanuel Ekpo, frankie hejduk, Goalkeeper, group stage, inaugural competition, Justin Myers, kevin burns, lenhart, Major League Soccer, moffat, Montreal, New York, Puerto Rico, puerto rico islanders, quarterfinals, robert warzycha, saprissa, Steven Lenhart, target, U.S, united soccer league, volley

Late goal keeps Saprissa alive, denies Columbus

September 30, 2009

Alexander Robinson headed in a dramatic equalizer in second-half stoppage time and Deportivo Saprissa drew 1-1 with Columbus Tuesday night, keeping alive the Costa Rican club’s hopes of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

The late goal denied the Crew of a place in the quarterfinals, sending Group C to the final match day on October 20.

Robbie Rogers converted a first-half penalty kick to give the defending MLS Cup champions the lead and until Robinson’s goal, a berth in the knockout round. Two points ahead of Saprissa, Columbus still has the advantage.

Having won 1-0 at Saprissa two weeks ago, Columbus will need only a draw in its final game at the Puerto Rico Islanders to advance, while Saprissa will need to win at home against Cruz Azul and hope Puerto Rico can beat Columbus.

The Crew attacked from the outset and led after Walter Centeno slid over the ball and caught Guillermo Barros Schelotto with a tackle in the box in the 24th minute.

Centeno was cautioned for the rash challenge and Schelotto was sent to the sideline because of a bloody shin. The Argentine legend attempted to return to take the penalty, but was forced to remain off the field. Instead it was Rogers, the young American international, who stepped to the spot, slotting his low attempt to Keilor Navas’ right in the 27th minute.

Moments later, Emmanuel Ekpo made a spectacular darting run, but both Rogers and Alejandro Moreno had their attempts blocked.
Saprissa nearly equalized in the 34th minute as Kendall Watson got in behind the Crew defense and latched onto Centeno’s free kick just inside the six-yard box. But Watson could only get a touch on the ball and it rolled wide of the net.

Just before the half, Rogers played a deep cross to the back post, but Schelotto and Moreno both went for the ball and Schelotto’s header sailed wide of the net.

Ekpo made another dangerous run and forced Navas to make a kick save. The Nigerian forward collected the rebound, but headed wide of the net in the 57th minute.

Both teams appealed for penalties in the final 21 minutes as Moreno went down in the box in the 69th minute and Saprissa sought a handball call on Columbus defender Gino Padula, who cleared Watson’s header off the line in the 76th minute.

Just moments from being eliminated, Saprissa found the elusive equalizer in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. Robinson got onto the end of Centeno’s free kick and his downward header from the edge of the six-yard box went through Columbus goalkeeper Will Hesmer’s legs to give El Monstruo Morado a share of the points.

COLUMBUS

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Tags: alejandro moreno, alexander robinson, Argentine, berth, COLUMBUS, concacaf champions league, cruz azul, deportivo saprissa, Emmanuel Ekpo, final game, final match, free kick, Guillermo Barros, guillermo barros schelotto, knockout, match day, mls cup champions, outset, penalty kick, Puerto Rico, puerto rico islanders, Robbie Rogers, Robinson, rogers, sideline, stoppage time, Walter Centeno, watson

Crew opens Group Stage with 2-0 victory over Islanders

August 19, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Steven Lenhart and Robbie Rogers scored second-half goals and the Columbus Crew beat the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-0 Tuesday night to open the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.

It was a sixth-straight victory for Columbus and first in the Champions League, coming after dominating possession throughout and limiting Puerto Rico to a handful of looks at goal.

The result gave Columbus the early lead in Group C with Cruz Azul set to host Saprissa on Wednesday.

Puerto Rico, which reached the semifinals of last season’s Champions League, was playing the third and last match without manager Colin Clarke, who was ejected from the title match of the Caribbean Club Champions Cup.

The Islanders, managed only one scoring opportunity in the first half, that in the 35th minute when a ball deflected off the heal of Panamanian referee Roberto Moreno and ended up at the feet of Nicholas Addlerly.

Addlerly had several touches before reaching the penalty area and shooting through the legs of Chad Marshall – but into the outside netting of Will Hesmer’s goal.

Puerto Rico often defended with nine and 10 men, frustrating the Major League Soccer-leading Crew, which had its best chances before Lenhart’s goal within a minute of each other late in the first half.

Emmanuel Ekpo had a clean look from from 22 meters to force Bill Gaudette into a leaping block in the 36th, and 50 seconds later Gaudette again had to push high a shot from Alejeandro Moreno at the right post.

Addlery earned Puerto Rico’s first corner in the 47th, but the game again quickly again turned Columbus’ way. With Lenhart replacing defensive-minded Jedidiah Zayner to start the second half, the Crew finally converted in the 58th minute. Brian Carroll lofted a ball to the left side of the penalty area, where Marshall sent a square ball through the goal box and an unmarked Lenhart tapped it in.

Columbus continued to push forward and added the insurance in the 79th when Eddie Gaven sprinted down the right side of the area, crossed a ball that Moreno let go and Rogers tapped in from inside the six-yard box.

The Crew next will travel to Mexico City to face Cruz Azul on August 26, while the Islanders go to Costa Rica to play Saprissa a day earlier.

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