The Columbus Crew and Chivas USA traded early goals before settling for a 1-1 draw on Saturday evening at Columbus Crew Stadium.
A brilliant free kick from Ante Razov put the visitors into the lead before the game was two minutes old, but Ned Grabavoy equalized for the Crew in the 18th minute.
The Crew have been busy bolstering their attack in recent weeks, and both new additions made their first Columbus starts. Guillermo Barros Schelotto came into the midfield for the Black & Gold while Alejandro Moreno, obtained from Houston Dynamo during the week, started up top in a new-look 4-3-3 for Sigi Schmid.
Chivas USA fans also unexpectedly got their first look at a recent acquisition as well when starting right back Alex Zotinca strained a right hamstring just before the game and was replaced in the starting lineup by Shavar Thomas, who was acquired only Friday from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Another new starter for Chivas was Laurent Merlin in a wide midfield role, and he played a vital role just seconds into the game, when he was pulled down by Crew defender Marcos Gonzalez 25 yards straight out from the center of goal.
Razov and Sacha Kljestan stood over the ball and Razov struck the ball well with his left, bending it around the wall, past 'keeper Andy Gruenebaum and cleanly into the net.
Schelotto narrowly missed hitting for an equalizer in the ninth minute, forcing Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan to make a point-blank save with the rebound harmlessly bouncing over the touch line.
Schelotto would not have to wait much longer to get his name on the score sheet though. In the 18th minute, the experienced Argentinean playmaker found space at the top of the Chivas penalty area, drew two defenders to him and played a slow roller to his left for Grabavoy.
Grabavoy bounced his shot off the inside of both posts before it finally rolled over the goal line for his second goal of the season, giving Schelotto his first assist in MLS competition.
Chivas would continue to press the action, though, earning more corner kicks and more fouls than the Crew in the first half. The Crew defense narrowly avoided giving up their second goal of the night in the 33rd minute when Chivas sent in a corner kick and Razov appeared to have Gruenebaum beaten for the second time of the half, but Grabavoy was perfectly positioned on the goal line to clear the ball from danger.
Towards the end of the first half, Columbus appeared to be settling into a rhythm, ending the half on an offensive barrage that saw them enter the halftime break ahead on shots 9-8.
As the second half began, the action slowed to a crawl with the two sides trading yellow cards in the first 10 minutes of the half, as Kljestan was booked for Chivas and Ezra Hendrickson of the Crew had his name taken.
Soon after, Eddie Gaven found room down the right side of the Chivas defense. He streaked into the box and cut back to his left foot for the shot, but blasted his effort right into the chest of Chivas 'keeper Guzan.
Chivas would respond by sending their own barrage of dangerous balls into the Columbus penalty area. Midfielder Jesse Marsch had a long distance shot barely sent over the crossbar, thanks to the fingertips of Gruenebaum, and on the ensuing corner kick Razov collected a bouncing ball but sent his own laser-beam shot wide of the target.
The sides continued to exchange chances as the half wore on, with both 'keepers doing excellent jobs coming out of their nets to clear long balls and snaring crosses to minimize rebound opportunities for opposing strikers.
After Maykel Galindo forced a save out of Gruenebaum with time winding down, Grabavoy brought a final save out of Guzan -- his seventh of the night -- as part of a last-ditch assault on the Chivas goal by the Crew in stoppage time.
But Chivas survived the barrage, and with the resulting 1-1 tie, escaped Crew Stadium with their first road point of the year, while the Crew played to their fourth draw of the season. But Chivas also kept alive their record of having never lost in Columbus, two draws there in the last two years following the club's first-ever victory on its travels in 2005.
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
