The last four weeks or so have not been very kind to the Columbus Crew. After leading MLS in the early weeks of the season, the Crew have not scored in MLS play in four consecutive games, the latest a 2-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night at Crew Stadium.
"Obviously, we had chances," said Columbus coach Sigi Schmid, who went on to list four or five good chances his team had to score. "So we're not catching any breaks. I can't say we're not getting the ball into the attacking end or we're not creating chances. I think we are creating chances, but we are not catching a break when we give up two soft goals."
Columbus started the night with Jed Zayner in the backline replacing Danny O'Rourke, who was out suspended after receiving a red card in the loss to Chivas USA on May 31. Then Chad Marshall was forced to leave the game with a neck injury in the 27th minute and Schmid brought on Andy Iro, the Crew's first-round pick in the 2008 SuperDraft.
Ezra Hendrickson was next to go down, leaving the contest just before halftime, but this time Schmid's choice was easy -- Ryan Junge was the lone defender left who was available for the match. At the end of the night Frankie Hejduk was the only Crew player with really any MLS experience in the back four.
"We have confidence in them," said Schmid of his young players. "The issue was not that we had to play young defenders, it was that we had to sub them in, so it restricted what else we could do with the substitutions."
Iro had all of three minutes of experience coming into the game, making three late substitute appearances before playing more than an hour against San Jose. Junge had not played a single minute with the first team this year, while Zayner had seen a load of playing time comparatively -- he had nine minutes, in one substitute outing, entering the match.
"It's not how I wanted it to go," said Iro. "I thought I would only be a matter of time until we'd score, but then they got that second goal and it just took the wind out of us."
Ronnie O'Brien showed why he is considered one of the best assist men in MLS with two perfect crosses to set up the goals. Ryan Johnson headed the first one home through a crowd of Crew defenders.
"I feel like it's coming right at me but it takes a little deflection off Ezra and went the other way and I just couldn't get enough of a hand on it," said Hesmer. "It's one of those that you just want back. It's not an easy save but definitely one I can make."
On the second goal, O'Brien picked out an unmarked Ramiro Corrales with a freekick and he headed the ball well beyond the reach of Hesmer in the Crew goal.
Over the final 25 minutes, the game took a bit of a ugly turn, as it turned more physical. Referee Ricardo Salazar sent off one player from each team over the final 10 minutes.
"If the referee took the abuse that Robbie and Alejandro took tonight, I think he would have reffed the game a little different, but that's just my opinion after coming in here and looking at these guys all banged up," said Hesmer after the game. "The league has to do something to protect its young talent."
"Yeah, I've noticed it, but it's not an excuse," said Robbie Rogers of the tight defending he has been seeing lately. "It happens to other people in the world. The referees obviously aren't going to help me."
Regardless, the Crew would like to know why the goals have dried up. They have not scored now in 367 minutes, shut out in each of their last four games. It's the first time ever Columbus has been shut out in four games in a row and just 53 minutes short of the club's all-time scoreless record.
"We know that we have a very good squad," said Iro. "You don't win six or seven of your first eight games and then suddenly become a bad team. We know we have a really good team."
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
