Second-half substitute Steven Lenhart scored in the 58th minute and Robbie Rogers scored 21 minutes later as the Columbus Crew beat the USL-1 Puerto Rico Islanders 2-0 at Crew Stadium on Tuesday in the first Group C match of the CONCACAF Champions League.
With Puerto Rico bunkering, Crew coach Robert Warzycha did not see the need to play four in the back so defender Jed Zayner was replaced by Lenhart to team with forward Alejandro Moreno to start the second half.
The opening goal involved six Crew players and started with a free kick from 30 yards by Guillermo Barros Schelotto in his first extensive action after recovering from an injury.
He sent the service to the far post where Chad Marshall headed the ball to the top of the box to Brian Carroll. Carroll knocked the ball to Rogers for a one-touch pass to Eric Brunner at the 6-yard box. He used the side of his right foot to slide the ball over to Marshall who then kept the ball on the ground with a push across the goalmouth to a charging Lenhart.
Rogers iced the win after Eddie Gaven, another reserve, fed Alejandro Moreno in the goal area. He got a heel on the ball to send it to the far side where Rogers had an easy tap-in as the Crew continued their mastery in Crew Stadium. The Crew have now won 23 consecutive games at home in the league, MLS Cup Playoffs and CONCACAF Champions League play.
Former Crew goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who appeared in 17 matches from 2005-07, returned to Crew Stadium as the starter for the Islanders and made four saves while William Hesmer had a languid night as Puerto Rico offered little threatening capabilities. His only save came in the 80th minute. The Islanders were outshot 15-5.
Puerto Rico employed one forward and tried to slow down an attack that had 12 goals in five matches in Schelotto's absence.
Puerto Rico's strategy was clear as proven by the halftime stats. It had one shot compared to eight (three on goal) for the Crew. The Islanders pushed for a breakdown in the Crew defense but were whistled offside five times.
Schelotto was involved early and nearly set up the first goal in the 13th minute. He was near the end line when he headed the ball to the feet of the Moreno at the left post but the forward did not have time to control the ball and sent the shot out of play.
Puerto Rico packed 10 into the box and absorbed the Crew pressure until finally getting its first shot in the 35th minute by Peter Villegas. He took a layoff from Nicholas Addlery and put a strike from 12 yards barely outside the right post.
That seemed to wake up the Crew and shortly thereafter Emmanuel Ekpo got free and drove the ball from 22 yards that Gaudette blocked with his hands. In the 37th, Moreno took advantage of a turnover and tried to beat Gaudette to the near post only to be denied with another save. In the 40th, Gaudette prevented an own goal when Scott Jones inadvertently headed the ball back to him.
The Crew had one more good chance snuffed by a controversial non-call by Roberto Moreno, the referee in last week's U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifier. Schelotto had step in the penalty area but Cristian Arrieta came in and whipped his leg across Schelotto and grabbed his shoulder as he pulled him down.
Arrieta received a yellow card in the 18th minute for dissent and a minute later Addlery was booked for a reckless foul on Gino Padula. Gaudette incurred a caution for delay in the 29th.
Schelotto came out in the 60th minute for midfielder Adam Moffat. Schelotto had not started since July 11 because of a strained hamstring. He missed four games before entering in stoppage time of the second half Saturday against FC Dallas.
Carroll also returned after serving a suspension vs. FCD. The only regular missing was defender Frankie Hejduk, who was been out since Aug. 1 with a strained quadriceps.
With the win, the Crew became the second MLS team to win a game in the CONCACAF Champions League, the club championship for teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The other teams in Group C are Cruz Azul (Mexico) and Saprissa of Costa Rica. The top two teams advance to the knockout stage.
Columbus earned a bye into the group stage by winning the MLS Cup. Puerto Rico advanced to Group C by downing Toronto FC in a two-game series.
Puerto Rico's next Champions League match is Aug. 25 at Saprissa. The Crew are idle this weekend in MLS but play at Cruz Azul on Aug. 26
Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com
