COLUMBUS - The New York Red Bulls dominated the opening 45 minutes, but their level fell in the second half and they settled for a scoreless draw with the Columbus Crew at freezing Crew Stadium Saturday night in the 2007 regular season opener for both teams.
The Red Bulls were unlucky not to find the back of the net in the first half as former U.S. national team captain Claudio Reyna showed his class from the opening kickoff with every touch of the ball. Just 90 seconds into his MLS debut, he played a great ball to Dema Kovalenko, whose shot was well over the crossbar.
Goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus was pressed into action in the third minute, diving to his right to stop a low, hard shot by Eddie Gaven. In the 20th minute, the Crew came close again but Waterreus came up with the ball following a scramble in front.
Three minutes later the Red Bulls had a scare when Reyna and Dane Richards collided at the top of the box and the former Manchester City and Rangers man was lying prone for a few tense moments. But both players stayed in the game. Richards, the rookie out of Clemson, gave veteran Rusty Pierce fits with his speed down the flank.
In the 27th minute, Kovalenko fed Dave van den Bergh, but the Dutch winger's left-footed shot was wide of Columbus goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum. Six minutes later, Gruenebaum tipped Kovalenko's blast over the bar for a corner kick. In the 40th minute, Jozy Altidore spun on Pierce, but Gruenebaum made a kick save, and one minute before the half, Altidore's header of a van den Bergh corner was over the bar.
Van den Bergh had a pair of quality opportunities early in the second half, but his shot from the right side was saved by Gruenebaum in the 54th minute and his attempt from the top of the box was also saved.
Gaven was the best player for the Crew in the opening hour and nearly created a pair of goals one minute apart, but both Andy Herron and Danny O'Rourke couldn't latch onto his through ball in the 57th minute and a minute later, Waterreus stopped a Gaven shot after he made a darting run through the Red Bulls defense.
Recently acquired Clint Mathis made his return in the 61st minute, coming on for Altidore, who, like so many of his teammates, seemed to fade as the second half went on. In fact, as the temperatures dipped and the snow swirled around Crew Stadium, the Red Bulls looked like a team fortunate to come away with a point, especially after Ned Grabavoy put the ball off the post two minutes from full time. In the 90th minute, second-half substitute Brad Evans put the ball off the side netting.
The Red Bulls ran out a 4-4-2 formation to start the game, with goalkeeper Waterreus making his MLS debut, Marvell Wynne and Todd Dunivant at fullbacks and Carlos Mendes and Seth Stammler playing in the middle. With Markus Schopp out with a left groin and hip strain, Richards started on the left side of midfield with Reyna and Kovalenko in the middle and van den Bergh on the right. John Wolyniec and Altidore paired up front.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
