Toronto FC came back to claim a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday night at Crew Stadium, overcoming a pair of goals by Crew striker Andy Herron in his first game back from a lengthy suspension.
Herron put the Crew into the lead twice, scoring just two minutes into the game, and then hitting for his second -- just before having to leave the field with an injury -- after Danny Dichio pulled TFC level. Jim Brennan then scored the second equalizer of the game four minutes into the second half.
The Crew were looking to put behind them a 4-0 thumping at the hands of the New York Red Bulls the last time they stepped on the field. Through the first seven games of the season the Crew defense had only allowed four goals, but that was before they allowed the same number of goals in 90 minutes last Saturday in Giants Stadium.
Toronto FC were making their first trip to Crew Stadium after winning two of three MLS contests (the first two wins in club history) in a homestand that kept the team in Toronto for nearly a month.
It was the first game for Herron after being sanctioned with a four-game suspension following an elbowing incident in the April 19 game against New England; Crew coach Sigi Schmid started him up front with Alejandro Moreno as Columbus went back to a 4-4-2 formation.
Heron made up for lost time immediately. Crew defender Rusty Pierce picked off a Toronto pass and played a lofted ball up the middle of the field onto the foot of Moreno. Moreno laid the ball to his left where Herron had gotten behind TFC midfielder Marvell Wynne, and the Costa Rican international drove a left-footed strike off 'keeper Greg Sutton and into the goal only two minutes into the match.
Toronto FC looked to strike back in the 18th minute. Crew defenders had been shadowing TFC striker Jeff Cunningham all evening, and that opened a space for Chris Pozniak inside the Columbus box near the penalty spot. The TFC midfielder received a pass from the wing and ripped a right-footed one-timer, but Crew 'keeper Andy Gruenebaum was able to dive to his left to redirect the shot.
Toronto did not need to wait long, as the equalizer came in the 27th minute from Dichio. Dichio collected a long ball, played a give-and-go with Cunningham and then struck his own right-footed first-time effort to almost the exact same spot as Pozniak only minutes earlier. This time Gruenebaum was not nimble enough to reach the spot and Dichio collected his second goal of the year.
The pace of the action picked up as Columbus again moved in front in the 37th minute. Midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi was fighting for possession in the TFC box and and a deflected ball rolled back to Ned Grabavoy. Grabavoy put a shot on target, but Greg Sutton was able to parry it as he dove to his right. But the rebound fell to Herron, and he again found the back of the net from close range.
Herron lasted on the field just two more minutes, though, before he was forced to leave with a strained right quadriceps. Ricardo Virtuoso came on for him.
The second half opened at a fever pitch, and Columbus had the first opportunity less than two minutes into the half. Guillermo Barros Schelotto sliced his way through the TFC defense and dished to an open Moreno who struck the ball cleanly and with pace, but directly at TFC keeper 'Sutton.
Only two minutes later Crew defender Ezra Hendrickson, who spent most of his evening shadowing Cunningham, left his man long enough to foul Dichio and give TFC a free kick from 33 yards straight out from goal.
Pozniak rolled the ball to TFC captain Jim Brennan, and he hammered a left-footed blast around the wall and past Gruenebaum into the upper right corner of the goal to level the score at 2-2.
After the TFC leveler, the Crew began to have more of the possession and were more dangerous, with Toronto looking to break on the counter with Cunningham's pace.
And the newly acquired striker nearly hit for the winner twice in the second half, narrowly missing the right post in the 56th minute in an angled shot he rolled past Gruenebaum, and later denied on a breakaway in the 75th minute by the Crew 'keeper, who came off his line quickly to block the effort with his legs while sliding.
The Crew could not use their home-field advantage to find the game-winner, and were forced to settle for their fifth tie in eight games this year, while Toronto FC played to their first.
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
