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Well, I predicated a 2-1 win for the Crew against FC Dallas and for the longest time, it seemed I would be right. Then the Crew decided to play like the first few games of last year and just couldn’t do enough to hold onto their lead to finish out a game.

Finishing in a 2-2 tie, and gaining a point on the road in an early in the season isn’t a bad thing, but oh what could have been.

The scoring took place in the first half with a penalty in the box against Danny O’Rouke. Former Crew Forward Jeff Cunningham took advantage of the opportunity and netted the PK past Crew Keeper William Hesmer in the first Half. FC Dallas took the lead into half time.

In the second half, Columbus answered back fast. Midfielder Adam Moffat fired a rocket which hit Dallas Keeper Kevin Hartman in his hand, and then deflected in. The Crew kept aggressive to great reward, as George John from Dallas gave up a penalty in the box, resulting in a Penalty Kick. Who else but Guillermo Barros Schelotto stepped up to take the penalty. Hartman made the initial save, but then Schelotto again showed the Crew  management why they re-signed him, as he scored off the save by Hartman.

The Crew found themselves up 2-1 in the 83rd minute. I was sure that after last year, the Crew would toughen up the defense and hold the lead. I actually began patting myself on the back for predicating the right score, and then, in stoppage time, everything got crazy.

After a few fouls near the goal, I was watching and hoping that the free-kick goals given up against Toluca would have been a lesson-learned and they wouldn’t let Dallas tie up the game.

Well the Crew stopped a few, but off a quick reset, FC Dallas substitute Eric Avila netted himself a goal while dashing the Crew’s hopes to start the season 2-0.

Danny O’Rourke then went towards the referees and used some words that earned himself a red card, resulting in a suspension against Real Salt Lake (and also $750 in fines).
 
Notes on the Match
-We are still waiting on the first goals on the year from one of the forwards who have taken the position vacated by Alejendro Moreno.

-The Crew again played a rather boring or sloppy first half, followed by a much stronger second half. If the Crew can put together two decent halves, no one will be able to challenge Columbus this year.

-How massive is Schelotto? You could here the ‘Guillermo’ chants on some free and corner kicks on the ONN feed of the match. If you are taking score, in his last three games, Mr. Schelotto has netted himself 4 goals. The rest of the Crew forwards have combined for 0 in the same span.

-You could also hear quite a few swear words on the ONN feed of the game. Let’s just pretend those were ‘shoots’ being yelled by Dallas’ coaching staff. Nordecke, the official Columbus Crew supporter section has found themselves being scolded for swearing multiple times. It seems pretty funny to me that the television feeds provide worse swearing much louder and very clear.

-Andy Iro must have liked scoring against Toronto, he almost scored again against Dallas. Two games in, and I’m liking the addition of Iro with Chad Marshall as offensive threats on set pieces.

-Chad Marshall’s return from injury is great to see. Having the defending two -time MLS defender of the year on the pitch helps secure an already strong defense.

-Defender Gino Padula didn’t start for a second straight game. With Danny O’Rourke suspended for the game against Real Salt Lake, and with Jed Zayner still injured, will we see Gino get a start?

-Midfielder Robbie Rogers sat out the second half due to an Injury. Ekpo came on in the second half to replace him and he played pretty decently. I think Ekpo is the best on the Crew dribbling skills wise, but still lacks a strong shot and has a weak left foot.  Still, he is explosive and I would not want to face him in the second half.

- We still haven’t seen any of Sergio Herrera in an official MLS match. It’s too early to call him a bust just yet, but….

- Defender Heath Pierce played an awesome game for FC Dallas. He was making long runs and setting up some great scoring chances in the second half. He seems like someone who is vying for a spot on the US World Cup roster.

-This was a very physical game. Eddie Gaven had to be substituted due to a split lip and on a Crew Breakaway, McCartney from FC Dallas committed a pretty harsh tackle, completely missing the ball. I was waiting for the yellow card, and it never came. Odd.

My Man of the match? Adam Moffat. To me, Moffat made up for his weak shot (if you even want to call it that) against TFC. Hopefully Moffat is getting back to the shape he used to be after recovering from lingering injuries.

Up Next: The Crew plays against Real Salt Lake on April 24th at Home. The last time RSL came to Columbus? They ended the Crew’s season in the Playoffs. The Crew should be extra motivated and I can’t see them losing twice in a row against the same team at home. I expect a Crew victory. In fact, I think the main challenge the Crew will have on Saturday will be filling the stands.

Standings: With the 1 point earned in Dallas, the Crew now sit at 4 points, which makes them fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points back.

Tags: adam moffat, andy iro, chad marshall, columbus crew, fc dallas, guillermo barros schelotto, heath pearce, mls, real salt lake, robbie rogers