Columbus Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum spent plenty of time in Arrowhead Stadium during the first season of Major League Soccer in 1996.
As a 13-year-old soccer freak he loved his Wiz (as they were known back then) and followed the exploits of Preki and Vitalis "Digital" Takawira in their rainbow uniforms.
Other than a gastric incident at the stadium that still has him wary to this day of chili cheese fries to this day, he has fond memories of following his hometown team.
"They had to sell a certain amount of tickets to get a team," he said. "My parents and all the community was pushing for it. My parents had season tickets. I was like any kid that goes to a Crew game now. It was fun."
Gruenebaum played for the FC Alliance youth club and went to Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan. -- just across the Missouri state line -- before attending the University of Kentucky.
"I remember when the draft came there was two places I wanted to go -- Columbus because it was near my school, Kentucky, and Kansas City because I'd get to go back home," he said. "Those are the only two teams I was hoping for. I just wanted a chance, anyway, but if I could pick those two were it."
His goal was realized. He was selected by Columbus in the first round of the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft and played in three matches that season but a second goal was still looming.
That was accomplished on May 5, 2007, when he started for the Crew in Kansas City.
"I remember everything. When I made my first start in Arrowhead Stadium a few years back it was always a dream to play there," Gruenebaum said. "It was a great time even though there were about 6,000 (actually 7,426) people in a huge stadium."
It was almost a storybook ending in a game that was better known for being the first in a Crew uniform for Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Almost. Kansas City's Jose Burciaga Jr. scored in the first minute of stoppage time to beat the Crew 1-0.
Shortly thereafter Gruenebaum lost his job to William Hesmer and sat the bench the final 20 games that year and all but one of 30 last season as the Crew won the MLS Cup.
Hesmer played the first five matches this season before injuring first his knee then his back and is probably two weeks away from resuming training.
Gruenebaum stepped in and has two wins and four ties with a 1.33 goals-against average. Included was a 3-2 win against the Wizards in Columbus on May 9.
"Andy's done great. He works really, really hard in training," midfielder Eddie Gaven said. "He's made a lot of big saves for us. It's nice to see that from him to help the team. I know he's going to want to play well in front of his family."
Now, 25 months after losing a heartbreaker in Arrowhead, he has a chance for revenge in front of them and his friends, albeit in a different venue. The Crew (2-2-7) play Kansas City (4-4-4) Saturday in the Wizards' temporary home, CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The trip home will bring back a torrent of memories.
"I love that area. I plan on moving back at some point. My fiancé (Lacey Sims) is from there. We went to the same high school. I can't wait to move back," Gruenebaum said.
He recounted how much he enjoyed playing for FC Alliance while exhibiting the humor that has made him such a fan favorite in Columbus that a store is selling "Hebrew Hammer" T-shirts in his honor.
"I wouldn't trade my experience for anything because I saw a bunch of shots every game," he said. "I wasn't sitting around like I am here with the Crew seeing one shot a game and watching it go in."
Gruenebaum later had an opportunity to train with Wizards 'keeper Tony Meola.
"I remember they would interview him in the morning him on the radio while I was driving to high school," he said.
Ironically, it was Hesmer, not Gruenebaum, who got the chance to be with the Wizards from 2004-06 before being traded to Columbus.
"Will claims he owns the town but I'd give him a run for his money," Gruenebaum joked. "I guess you could say I was a little envious but I still own that place."
"I don't know much about Kansas City so maybe he does," Gaven said.
Gruenebaum also took notice when the Wizards used their first pick in the 2009 SuperDraft to select Notre Dame defender Matt Besler from rival Overland Park high school Blue Valley West.
"He's living the dream in my eyes," Gruenebaum said.
Yet, all sentimentality for his hometown is in hold until after Saturday's match. Despite a 2-0-5 run, the Crew are fifth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Kansas City, D.C. United and Toronto FC. The Crew have played one fewer game than all of them.
The converted baseball stadium has a narrow field but the Crew won 3-0 in their initial visit there last season, then in the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, squeaked out a 1-1 tie on a stoppage-time goal from Steven Lenhart.
"With the tighter field they're going to make it really hard for us to play," Gaven said. "It's going to be one of those games where there's not a lot of nice, pretty soccer being played. It's going to be work."
The Crew will be without Hesmer, defenders Frankie Hejduk and Andy Iro, midfielders Brian Carroll, Adam Moffat and Duncan Oughton and forward Alejandro Moreno because of injuries or national team duties.
"Every team has to go through it at some point," Gaven said. "Right now it's hit us harder than in years past but it's all right. We've got guys who maybe haven't been on the field as much who are ready to help out."
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com
