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Evans was massive with the first goal.

Early Returns -- Crew 2, Kansas City 0 (11/8) -- Midfielder Brad Evans' early score in the eighth minute was all the Massive needed Saturday night to defeat Kansas City in both the second playoff game between the two and, more importantly, the series goal advantage. Advancement is actually based on total goals, and Columbus won that 3-1 overall. The few freezing fannies in the seats (actually a barely respectable 11,153) that braved the brisk autumn chill were well rewarded again. With many high school football playoffs happening at the same time coupled with the weather, we can't complain about the crowd too much, and the noise of the Nordecke made up for any initial disappointment with the attendance size. Still, futbol fans, we need a better turn out this Thursday 11/13 when the Crew host the Chicago Fire for the Eastern Conference championship! Get out there and get Massive! Chicago will arrive with former Columbus notables Jon Busch and Brian McBride on the roster. The Banana Kits needed neither against Kansas City, though, as Wil Hesmer notched another shutout and Robbie Rogers added a second goal at 57 minutes. Rogers netted his off the left foot thanks to a nice sideline ball from MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto that Alejandro Moreno posted to Rogers. Evans' earlier goal had been on a loft from Brian Carroll that Evans picked up past the last defender and knocked into the net. The home field has been good to Columbus this year (12-2-2 overall at home), which hopefully bodes well for Thursday night's action. 

Rookie Steven Lenhart salvaged the tie.

Now Let's Play One That Means Something -- Crew 1, Kansas City 1 (11/1) --   Columbus travelled to Oz Saturday and came away with a surreal and unbelievable result that left both squads in the position of "just win, baby" for next Saturday's playoff rematch at Crew Stadium. Late substitute and rookie Steven Lenhart did not enter the game until the 83rd minute, but netted the tying score two minutes into stoppage time to keep the Massive on even keel as they return home to finish off round one. The goal came after a long range bomb from Danny O'Rourke that missed but knocked off a Wizards defender and onto the chest of Alejandro Moreno, who directed it to Lenhart for the tying shot. So, is the tie meaningless? In some respects, yes, as the teams enter the final game of the series on an even playing field with no advantages either way, except for the nuts of the Nordecke who will be maniacs for the Massive next Suturday night 11/8 at 7:30 pm. This is a "total goals" series, so a loss for the Crew would have meant being down one goal for the final. Now, the teams just play to win and if there's a tie a 30 mini-tiebreaker game would be played to settle it before resorting to penalty kicks. It would have been so easy for Columbus to be a goal up right now, though. While getting the first goal at 53 minutes from Davy Arnaud, Kansas City was playing a man down and allowed a number of Crew chances throughout the second half, all of which amounted to naught. Guillermo Barros Schelotto missed on two missiles, and Chad Marshall failed with two headers. The tie came against a Wizards squad that finished the year with a 5-1-1 run and had been 7-0-3 at home in their last ten.

Fired up in the Nordecke.

Wilding on the Wizards, Comin' to KC  -- It's a start of a new season, right? The Massive come off a 1-0 defeat of DC United before 19,591, one home game after the sold out Beckham Bashing on Oct. 4 before 22,685. Heck, the suppression of the Revolution in September drew 16,918. So travel to Kansas City if you can, catch the first game at your local bar or on ONN and then get thee out to the seats a week from Saturday, futbol fans!  Everyone's 0-0-0 now, not 17-7-6 (or only 11-10-9 in the case of Crew opponent Kansas City). Let's go by the numbers -- the Massive were 2-0-1 against KC this year with an 8-4 goal advantage. The noise in the Nordecke will have to wait, though, as the first matchup is being played in Oz on Saturday 11/1 at 8 pm EDT. We'll need a big crowd at Massive Field the next Saturday 11/8, to ensure advancement, so bring out the black and gold scarves to brave the wind and elements . . .  I'd Like to Thank My Mom, My Agent, Jesus  -- The Nordecke as an entirety won the organization's "fan of the year" award for good reason, thanks to the Hudson Street Hooligans, the Crew Union and La Turbina, all rabid residents of the smokin' section. Chad Marshall was indisputedly Defender and Comeback player of the year, and Guillermo Barros Schelotto won the "fans' choice" and team MVP awards, each for the second year in a row. No time to rest on laurels now, though, so GET MASSIVE!!!!!! 

Get with the Massive, C-bus.

Supporters' Shield and Stuff -- Columbus had the distinction of taking home this semi-illustrious award, the accomplishment of which means much more than the parting gift. After all, we're after the grand prize, the whole enchilada, not a few nachos. Still, the Supporters' Shield will indicate until time immemoriam that the Massive manhandled the multitudes and bested the best. Better put, we had the best freaking record in MLS at 17-7-6, and no Wizard can take that from us! Top performers for Columbus were of course Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Alejandro Moreno, Robbie Rogers, Chad Marshall and Wil Hesmer, among others. Schelotto missed September but notched a franchise record and league high 19 assists and was the beating heart and soul of the team many times. Moreno led the team in goals with 9. Rogers netted 6 while holding the midfield over 2334 minutes, and Marshall was the Minister of Defense, playing 29 games and even more minutes with great results. Wil Hesmer was god-in-goal, with a 17-6-6 record and 10 shutouts. Just keep it up against Kansas City, boys!!

No moving Crews here.

Las Vegas or Bust?!? -- The Crew is alive and well and living in Columbus by all accounts. Not without a scare, though, apparently. Mark Noorzai and his group from out west innocuously wanted to buy a small piece of the Crew last month. Are we feeling sinister? It has long been known that Noorzai wants to field a new team in Las Vegas. Yes, that place where even the soccer scores stay secret, because what happens in Vegas stays ... you know the drill. Problem is, I have always said, Vegas is the foreclosure capital of the country, the home of the most halted construction projects in the US, and with a few bad hands, rolls or spins not a place where the formerly burgeoning population might have money to cheer in a new Surdecke, or whatever they might call it. You get it. Now Crew management and the Hunt family are "guaranteeing" that the Crew will play in Cow Town for another "50" years. Did we dodge a bullet, or have we been had? Noorzoi put his expansion plans on hold while talking to the Crew brass. Food for fodder in the offseason, fans. It'd still be nice to the supposed practice facility get built somewhere near Columbus and many miles east of Vegas . . .

Tags: columbus crew, crew, massive, mls, soccer