and just 9 of 30 in the last two seasons -- are suddenly 4-0-0 at Crew Stadium this year.
"We only won five games at home last year, and we are within one with 11 home games left, so I think we will top that mark," said Crew coach Sigi Schmid. "I am pretty confident in that prediction. This is something we talked about all pre-season. We wanted to take care of business at home. The fans have been great, and it helps spur us on, so we have become a difficult team to beat at home."
The Wizards learned that the hard way on Saturday when the Crew jumped out to a fourth minute lead and played such attractive and dominating soccer that the 2-0 halftime score felt unjustly low. To their credit, the Wizards rebounded in the second half and made a game of it despite being down a man. The final 10 minutes were heart-pounding stuff, but as has been their custom this year, the Crew dug in and held on for the three points.
As always, here is a collection of notes, quotes, observations, nerdy research, and general stupidity from Saturday's match:
Mr. Moffat Strikes Again
The Crew took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute on Adam Moffat's second goal of the year. Guillermo Barros Schelotto swerved a 30-yard free kick to the far post, and Chad Marshall (who else?) headed the ball back across the goalmouth. As Alejandro Moreno and two Kansas City defenders waited for Marshall's looping header to come down, Moffat barreled into the mix, bowling everybody over as he nodded the ball home from maybe six feet away.
From the man who has brought us The Moffat Rocket, it was much, much, much too close to the net to be a true Adam Moffat goal.
"Yeah, yeah, it was a bit close, but I decided to get my head on it and knock it in," said the stubbled Scotsman. "It was good ball back across by Chad. When he goes for a ball, you know he's going to win it, so you just run to the back post. I was in the right spot at the right time. If it's me, you know I am going to go for it. There were a few of us challenging for the ball, but I guess I am bit taller than all of them."
Actually, Moffat is listed at 6'0" while his most prominent challenger on the play, Jimmy Conrad, is listed at 6'2". But we probably shouldn't let facts get in the way of a perfectly good self-deprecating Adam Moffat quote.
Racing Robbie Rogers
The Crew took a 2-0 lead in the 34th minute on Robbie Rogers' third goal of the season. It was a strange play. First of all, how many goals are set up by a bicycle kick at midfield?
Alejandro Moreno biked a pass from Frankie Hejduk, sending it into Kansas City territory. Wiz defender Chance Myers chased down the ball while his goalie, Kevin Hartman, came off his line. Sensing that the ball was going into no-man's land near the edge of the box, Rogers never gave up on the play. He raced into the fray, and a split second before either Myers or Hartman could clear the ball, Rogers stuck his right foot between the two KC players and sent a slow roller that trickled into the gaping goalmouth.
"I have some speed, so I like to run those down," said Rogers. "If the defender is running toward his own goal and the goalkeeper is coming out, there's always the possibility of some miscommunication, and this time I got lucky."
It was the third such dicey no-man's land misadventure for Hartman and his defenders, and they finally got burned after escaping the first two incidents with a Moreno crossbar and a smothered attempt by Schelotto.
"We played a very high line today," explained Wizards coach Curt Onalfo. "The Crew dropped off so we were pushing way up the field. There were a couple times where our defenders were stepping when they should have been dropping. We have some very young players back there who are going to make some mistakes, but we can live with it because we feel we are building a team for the future that is also a good team right now."
Espinoza's Scarlet Card
Former Ohio State standout Roger Espinoza was ejected in his professional homecoming in the 36th minute after throwing a forearm toward Frankie Hejduk's face. As the two players battled for the ball in front of the benches, arms started flying around. Espinoza turned toward Hejduk and threw a forearm that more resulted in shoving Hejduk off by the face. Espinoza was shown a straight red for the forearm, while Hejduk was given a yellow for his role in the sideline tussle.
"From what I understand, he's a very nice guy, and he's going to live and learn from it," said Hejduk. "He was complaining that I had fouled him, then he turned and looked at me as he was throwing his elbow or whatever you want to call it. That's something he'll learn not to do. You don't look at a guy as you're throwing a blow on him. If your elbow comes up while you're still looking at the ball, then it's just a foul, but if you turn and look at the guy [...]"
10 v 11
The Crew battled two soccer clichés in the second half. The first is that a two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in soccer. The second is that a 10-man team can be more dangerous than an 11-man team. Sure enough, the Wizards made a game of it in the second half, pulling to within a goal on a 79th minute penalty kick goal by Claudio Lopez, then creating several tense moments the rest of the way.
"I thought we made the second half more difficult than we needed to," said Schmid. "K.C. did a good job of moving the ball despite being down a man, but I think what happens psychologically, no matter what you tell your team, is that guys start thinking, 'Hey, we're up a man,' so guys start dropping off and thinking they can sit in a space without stepping up, so we started giving up a lot of possession. Part of that was Kansas City raising their game. When a team is playing down a man, guys all know they have to give 10 percent more to make up for it. Then the guys on the team that is up think they can do 10% less, and suddenly things equal out again."
The Crew seemed intent on building a 10-0 lead by halftime, but in the second half, Schmid felt that they may have been wiser to try to hold their 2-1 in the final 10 minutes lead instead of trying to bump it back up to 3-1.
"I think we could have done a better job of taking the ball to the corners and killing time," he said. "Going for the third goal is great if you get it. But if you swing it in there and they clear it out and come the other way, it's a long way to run back."
Why I Didn't Ask O'Rourke About His "Penalty"
When Danny O'Rourke was whistled for a dubious looking penalty, I immediately returned to the press box to see if the call was legitimate. Replays showed that while O'Rourke did have a fistful of Scott Sealy's jersey, he did not push, pull, hold, tug or otherwise alter Sealy's position. Sealy simply flopped to the ground. As if that were not bad enough, Sealy had his back to the goal a good 16 yards from the net. There was no imminent danger or scoring threat. So the Wizards were awarded a penalty on a non-foul that took place on a non-scoring threat.
(At least it wasn't as bad as last year's game at Arrowhead when the Wizards were gifted a stoppage time penalty when Kerry Zavagnin reached out and kicked a stationary Stefani Miglioranzi in the shin, then fell down to garner a penalty call.)
Flops and bad calls happen. And if you play central defender long enough, they are going to happen to you. But the last person any Crew fan wanted to see victimized by a bad penalty call at this stage of the season was Danny O'Rourke.
Once I saw that the call was soft (to use the charitable term used by the television announcers), all I could think was, "Imagine being Danny O'Rourke." You've spent your first few years in the league being a pit bull defensive midfielder assigned to maul anyone and everyone that poses a threat. Aggression was encouraged, and the consequences of physical play were nothing more than the occasional booking or suspension.
In 2008, you have switched to a brand new position. This position requires infinitely more subtlety than the bloodthirsty aggression that has been your forte. You're an intelligent guy, so you work hard at un-learning your prior habits while picking up the nuances of your new position.
And then in the first two games, nature triumphs over nurture and you commit two brainfarts that lead to penalty kicks. Your buddy between the posts bails you out both times, but the trend is established. The imaginary tabloids in your mind start spinning hot-off-the-presses extra-extra-read-all-about-it headlines like: "Thug d-mid good for a penalty per game as thug center back!"
But you don't let it get you down. It motivates you to work harder. You bust your butt every day in practice, focusing on field awareness, when to challenge, when to hold your ground, and when to shepherd an attacker toward your help. You keep a sense of humor about your foibles and you refuse to play scared.
You finally break the streak, and then play two more penalty-free games. Your improvements and adaptations with regard to your new position are evident. Your confidence is growing.
And then, out of the blue, you are whistled for a phantom penalty. It has to seem like a cruel joke. All the work, all the learning, and all of the practical application goes up in smoke when that whistle is blown. You have worked so hard and focused on keeping it clean in and around the penalty box... and this is your reward? You surely feel like the luckless contestant on Fox Soccer Channel's newest reality game show, "How Many Penalties Will They Call On Danny O'Rourke This Year?"
To make matters worse, your buddy can't maintain his miraculous penalty save streak. And the goal from your penalty has now changed the complexion of the game so that victory, once assured, is now in some feverish degree of doubt. In some way, you feel you have a let your team down, even if you didn't do a thing to deserve the distinction.
As backward as it seems, the fact that it was a bad call makes it harder to deal with. It's not a defect in your play, but a defect in your reputation in a referee's mind. If it's your mistake, you can fall on your sword and then work your butt off to get better. There's a solution to that. It's in your hands. But if you're getting a bad call just because you're the guy that gave up two PKs already... How do you fix that? Especially now that it's three?
It would be impossible not to take the whole thing to heart. Simply impossible.
When I took one look at O'Rourke in the tunnel after the game, it confirmed my suspicions. I knew I wasn't going to interview him about the play. What would be the point? What would be his options? Rip the refereeing? How counterproductive. Accept culpability for a crime he didn't commit? Unlikely. Do the smart thing and say "no comment?" How print-worthy.
So I let Danny be. It didn't take Dr. Phil to figure out what was likely going through his head. His body language said he was upset about it. His teammates clearly didn't blame him and were behind him 100 percent. Sigi made a point to stop by his locker and offer a few words.
And really, that was the story. No quotes needed. Had it been a legit penalty, we would have needed to talk about it, and I am positive Danny would have done his part. But in this case, two open eyes and healthy dose of empathy were all that were needed to figure this one out. Why pick at the scab on the open wound?
I have few fears about how this will affect Danny going forward. When we talked about his penalty streak previously, he stressed that he doesn't dwell on the past and doesn't worry about bad things happening. If anything, this call will just make him work harder. If he feels he has to hold his breath in the box so as not to get a bogus penalty call for breathing on somebody, he'll probably work on that until he is blue in the face.
Hesmer's Take
Although I didn't ask Danny about it, someone asked Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer what he thought of the penalty call. "I played with Sealy and I know how strong he is," said Hesmer. "There wasn't enough there to bring him down. I don't blame Danny for that penalty at all."
Hesmer Plays
Hesmer was a game-time decision due to what is being called a "left shoulder AC joint sprain." Regardless of the medical terminology, Hesmer's shoulder was pronounced fit enough to play.
"I made it through the whole week without training, then did a little training [Friday] to make sure that I could handle some hard shots," Hesmer said. "Then I came in today, doc gave me a shot, I went and warmed up and felt OK, and then it was time to play."
The Debut of Emmanuel Ekpo
After 17 million Shawn Mitchell blog updates about vague paperwork complications that made it seem as though Crew Technical Director Brian Bliss was trying to purchase Emmanuel Ekpo from the Nigerian equivalent of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the midfielder was seen in the flesh on Saturday night, subbing for a hobbled Moffat in the 54th minute.
"We felt that this was a good time to get Ekpo into the game," said Schmid. "Just like when Gino Padula played his first game, until you get out there and feel the rhythm of the game, the game in MLS is ... people work, people run, people move. At times he got caught with the ball and wasn't making decisions soon enough, but he also gave a few glimpses of what he is capable of. Now he has a better feel for the game and how it's going to be, so he'll know he has to play quicker."
From the Recycling Last Week's Material Department
Last week, I looked at the dates when the Crew have historically met or exceeded the 12-point threshold. With another three points in their pocket from game number six, we can see that the 2008 Crew have met or exceeded the 15-point threshold earlier than any other team in club history in terms of the number of games played, and it is the second-earliest date ever on the calendar. The 1998 team took 7 games to do it, but their season started earlier, so they reached 15 points on April 30 of that year.
Here is a year-by-year look at when the Crew have met or crossed the 15-point threshold:
1996: Aug. 4 (23 games)
1997: June 21. (15 games)
1998: April 30 (7 games)
1999: May 29 (10 games)
2000: May 27 (12 games)
2001: June 23 (12 games)
2002: June 15 (12 games)
2003: June 7 (10 games)
2004: June 12 (10 games)
2005: July 16 (17 games)
2006: June 21 (13 games)
2007: June 23 (13 games)
2008: May 3 (6 games)
No Overconfidence Here
Despite their hot start, the Crew aren't getting ahead of themselves.
"Of course we're aware that this is a good start, but you can't let up in this league," said Hesmer. "There are no easy weeks. Kansas City got off to a start like this last year and they barely made it into the playoffs."
"We're all excited and there's a buzz," said Hejduk. "There's a buzz around the entire stadium. Then fans are buzzed, and we're a little buzzin', but do we think about it? We think about it for a few hours tonight and pat ourselves on the back, but then it's on to next week. I think we've done a good job of that. We keep our focus from game to game. Winning five games isn't going to get us into the playoffs, so we still have a lot to do."
Schmid isn't worried about complacency setting in. "Every week is a new challenge," he said. "Every week is a new adventure."
Danny Responds To Duncan
In last week's notebook, Duncan Oughton spoke at length about Danny O'Rourke's fashion sense, claiming, among other things, that Danny utilizes the Getting Dressed In The Dark Style of personal fashion. Again, in the interest of being fair and impartial, it was my journalistic duty to give Danny O a chance to respond to Duncan's latest assertions.
"I want to first start off by saying that Duncan is someone I've looked up to for awhile," said O'Rourke, sounding not at all like a man with retaliation on his mind. "I look up to Duncan not only because he's pushing 40, but because of his amazing heart and work ethic."
Danny did take umbrage with Duncan's classification of his personal style, mostly because of the source. "If my style is 'getting dressed in the dark,' then his [stuff] is from the dark ages."
I thought that might be a good Kiwi Lord of the Rings joke, but Danny meant the dark ages of American culture. "Some of Duncan's outfits were seen on mannequins even outdating the disco era. But that's a typical Kiwi. I'm sure that style is all the rage back there."
Just when it seemed like Danny was going to get on a roll, he eased up on his elder teammate. "I am going to stop there because I like and respect Duncan so much," he explained. "But if you talk to him, could you please get my kitchen bowl back? He borrowed it to use when he cut his hair and I haven't seen it since."
I assured Danny that I would attempt to get his kitchen bowl back, assuming that Duncan isn't now using it to eat his Cocoa Puffs, which are part of a nutritionally balanced Kiwi breakfast, along with wombat sausage, freshly squeezed sheep's milk, Vegemite pop-tarts, and a Hobbit-shaped chewable vitamin.
From the Lineup Consistency Department
The injury to left back Gino Padula snapped the Crew's streak of using the same starting lineup at three consecutive games. It may not seem like much, but as Crew PR guru Dave Stephany has pointed out, the Crew have only equaled the streak on two other occasions since their last playoff appearance.
Here are the players involved in the three-game lineup streaks:
JULY 20 & 23 and AUG. 6, 2005
Jonny Walker
Robin Fraser
Chad Marshall
Chris Wingert
Simon Elliott
Chris Henderson
David Testo
Eric Vasquez
Knox Cameron
Cornell Glen
Kyle Martino
JULY 22 and AUG. 4 & 11, 2007
William Hesmer
Frankie Hejduk
Chad Marshall
Marcos Gonzalez
Stefani Miglioranzi
Danny O'Rourke
Danny Szetela
Ned Grabavoy
Eddie Gaven
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Alejandro Moreno
APRIL 12, 17 & 26, 2008
William Hesmer
Frankie Hejduk
Chad Marshall
Danny O'Rourke
Gino Padula
Brian Carroll
Adam Moffat
Eddie Gaven
Robbie Rogers
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Alejandro Moreno
Chad Marshall is the only starter from the 2005 streak that was still a part of the 2008 streak. (And for good measure, he participated in the 2007 streak as well.)
Also, the Crew's modest 2008 streak is somewhat misleading. Sigi is a big believer in consistency, and in the first six matches, he has actually used the exact same lineup at 10 positions. The only changes have occurred at left back. Stefani Miglioranzi started the first two matches, Padula started the next three, and then Ezra Hendrickson started there on Saturday.
Ambiguity -- The Devil's Volleyball
I overheard a fun post-game conversation starter between Dante Washington and Sigi Schmid:
Dante: "101 ..."
Sigi: "Huh?"
Dante: "Victory number 101."
Sigi: "Ohhhh. I see."
Dante: "Did you already forget your 100th was last week?"
Sigi: "No, you just said '101' and my mind couldn't figure out what you meant. When I hear '101,' I think 'That's a highway in California.' Or 'That's the Columbus alternative rock station.' I didn't know where you were going with that."
Weird Wizards / Kansas City Weekend
At this time of year, I have three pro sports teams that are currently in action. It was a strange weekend in that the Cleveland Indians played Kansas City, the Cleveland Cavaliers played the Wizards, and the Crew played the Kansas City Wizards.
Steve Sirk is a contributor to TheCrew.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs. Questions? Comments? Have your lightbulb-lighting "Man, I forgot Brian Carroll was on the field ... Oh my God, what would the Crew do without Brian Carroll?!?!?" epiphany yet? Feel free to write at sirk65@yahoo.com
