The Columbus Crew got their 2008 Major League Soccer season off to a positive start, getting goals from Adam Moffat and Alejandro Moreno for a 2-0 victory against Toronto FC and a win in the first installment of the "Trillium Cup" Saturday afternoon at Crew Stadium.
Moffat scored the first goal of the new season midway through the first half and Moreno finished off the victory with a smooth finish 14 minutes from the end. In between, Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer held firm, including saving a penalty kick seconds before halftime.
In the first game played in First Kick 2008, a raucous crowd greeted both teams in Columbus. More than 2,000 Toronto FC supporters packed the stands behind the south goal and greeted their squad with a chorus of cheers and sea of red shirts, but the Crew faithful in the north end defended their home turf with an army of flags, flares and vocal support of their own.
The traveling TFC fans nearly had something to cheer about in the seventh minute. Defender Jim Brennan took a pass on the left side and lofted a ball down the middle, over the head of defender Chad Marshall. Marshall was barely able to shield off TFC forward Collin Samuel while Hesmer came out to pounce on the ball.
Five minutes later Toronto went close again when Tyler Hemming sent a low cross from the right side in front of the Crew goal but the pass was just inches in front of both TFC forwards, Samuel and Jeff Cunningham.
The Crew missed a good opportunity in the 20th minute when Guillermo Barros Schelotto found Robbie Rogers with a pass. Rogers put a quick move on TFC's Tyler Hemming in the right side of the area and turned toward goal, but his effort was struck right at TFC 'keeper Brian Edwards, who pushed away the shot to his left.
But just six minutes the Crew finally broke through. On a quick restart from midfield, Brian Carroll switched the ball over to the right, finding an unmarked Moffat streaking down the inside-right channel. Moffat brought the ball down with his chest, took one more touch and sent a bounding shot from well outside the area into the lower left-hand corner of the TFC net, past a diving Edwards.
Columbus continued to threaten the TFC goal and nearly doubled the tally in the 35th minute. Schelotto sent in a dipping cross through the box which Moffat was able to get a head on, but the Scotland native -- who made his MLS debut in the final match of the 2007 season -- missed his second goal by inches when his header careened off the crossbar.
Near the end of the half the TFC supporters demonstrated their enthusiasm as Schelotto was attempting to set up a corner kick, showering him in red and white streamers and delaying the restart. The Crew fans returned the favor only minutes later when Todd Dunivant attempted to take a corner kick directly in front of the rowdiest section of Crew supporters. After the kick -- from which Brennan blasted a full volley first-time just over the bar -- Dunivant was still dragging streamers by the time he trotted back to midfield.
The half drew to a close in flurry of activity. As Cunningham broke into the area, he went down under a shoulder charge by Danny O'Rourke and referee Baldomero Toledo whistled for the penalty. Hesmer rose to the occasion in response when Samuel stepped to the spot, the 'keeper diving to his left to block the Trinidadian's shot. He was unable to hold the shot but Moffat continued his big day by beating everyone to the rebound and blasting it out of bounds.
Early in the second half Toronto pressured the Crew defense, forcing several corners in the first few minutes. One corner kick almost netted a goal when Brennan again blasted a ball out of the air, sending toward Hesmer, who was able to get a hand on it. The rebound was on its way into the net but Rogers was perfectly placed on the goal line and cleared it away despite vociferous claims from TFC players that the ball had crossed.
Despite the early pressure, it was the Black and Gold who scored next. Eddie Gaven received a pass in the midfield and looked up to find a streaking Moreno. Gaven's through ball fell in stride for the Venezuelan forward, who was already behind TFC defender Marco Velez. Moreno calmly collected the ball and slotted his shot past the left heel of Edwards and into the net for a 2-0 Crew lead.
The two-goal deficit silenced the Toronto FC supporters who had been so exuberant only minutes earlier, much to the delight of the Crew faithful in attendance, who sent out a chant of "this is our house."
As the game drew to a close the Crew fans got their first look at defender Andy Iro, the team's first round SuperDraft pick this year, as Crew head coach Sigi Schmid replaced Schelotto for the final minutes. The Crew were forced to weather a late storm as TFC went to three attackers, but held on for the first win and first shutout of the new MLS season.
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
