OUT: FW Pat Noonan (lower back strain); FW Jason Garey (R ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Frankie Hejduk (R hamstring tightness); MF Robbie Rogers (L hamstring tightness); DF Chad Marshall (facial contusion) ... COLORADO RAPIDS - PROBABLE: FW Conor Casey (R foot strain), DF Cory Gibbs (R calf strain); GK Matt Pickens (back spasms)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: CLB: Andy Iro (through April 11)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (29 meetings): Crew 8 wins (1 shootout), 35 goals ... Rapids 14 wins (2 shootout), 42 goals ... Ties 7
AT COLUMBUS (15 meetings): Crew 6 wins (1 shootout), 23 goals ... Rapids 6 wins (1 shootout), 25 goals ... Ties 3
RETURN MATCH: 8/1: Columbus Crew at Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m. MT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/28: CLB 2, COL 1 (Schelotto 53; Ekpo 70 - LaBrocca 60)
7/27: COL 0, CLB 2 (Lenhart 21; Garey 75)
• The Crew's 2-0 victory at Colorado last season was their first in the Centennial State in nearly a decade. They had last won at the Rapids on July 4, 1999, a span of eight games where Colorado had won four with four draws.
• The Crew have won three of the last four meetings in Columbus, with one draw. Colorado's last win in Ohio came June 26, 2004, a 2-1 win at Crew Stadium.
• Coaches record: Robert Warzycha v COL: first game ... Gary Smith vs. CLB: first game
COLUMBUS CREW
The defending MLS champion Columbus Crew remained winless on the campaign, concluding their Western swing with a 2-1 loss to Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. The Crew have two points from four matches, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• Chivas USA were back home after defeating Colorado and FC Dallas to start the season, while Columbus was on the second game of a Western road swing.
• Chivas opened the scoring after 25 minutes. Youngster Gerson Mayen, making his second career start, turned the corner on the left and hit a low crossing pass that Atiba Harris turned home first-time for his first goal of the year.
• The Crew pulled level 12 minutes later. A corner flew over the goalmouth but was collected by Emmanuel Ekpo on the back side, and he flipped a cross into the area that bounced around before Andy Iro volleyed it into the back of the net for his second career goal.
• Just after the break, Chivas pulled back into the lead. A free kick from the left was headed toward goal by Shavar Thomas, but came off the right goalpost. From the goalmouth scrum, Eduardo Lillingston was quickest and poked it into the goal for his second tally in as many weeks.
• The Crew were left a man down just four minutes later when Iro was sent off for a tackle on Chivas USA defender Carey Talley.
• Crew head coach Robert Warzycha made two changes to the team that lost 4-1 to Real Salt Lake just three days earlier. Andy Iro made his first start of 2009, coming into the back four for Jed Zayner, and Alejandro Moreno returned from international duty, replacing Jason Garey in attack.
• Here's Warzycha's team (4-1-3-1-1): William Hesmer - Danny O'Rourke, Andy Iro, Chad Marshall (Jed Zayner 94+), Gino Padula - Brian Carroll - Eddie Gaven (Steven Lenhart 84), Emmanuel Ekpo, Robbie Rogers (Duncan Oughton 68) - Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Alejandro Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Kevin Burns, Cory Elenio, Alex Grendi, Andy Gruenebaum
• "I think we went forward to be honest with you. I think we showed some character in the second half, especially when we went a man down. I think there was more energy when we were pushing for the goal and trying to score the goal," Warzycha said. "With 10 men it is sometimes very difficult, especially against a team like Chivas. I'm disappointed with the result but I'm pleased with the performance."
TEAM NEWS
• With two losses and two draws from four matches, the Crew have posted the worst start for a defending MLS champion. The Crew's 0-2-2 record surpasses the 0-1-3 starts of the 2003 Los Angeles Galaxy and last season's Houston Dynamo when they opened defense of their titles.
• "No one said it would be easy. Nobody treats us like we are the champions. We are another team to them and we have to earn every result," Warzycha said.
• Warzycha had some injury issues to deal with in the Chivas match. Fullback Frankie Hejduk was unavailable after suffering a leg injury in the U.S. World Cup qualifier vs. Trinidad & Tobago at midweek. Robbie Rogers was forced to come off with a quarter of the match remaining, still troubled by a hamstring injury.
• As well, after starting in the RSL match, Jason Garey suffered a sprained ankle which kept him unavailable for the visit to Chivas. Defender Chad Marshall, who missed the last two months of the 2007 season because of post-concussion syndrome, took an elbow to the head late in the Chivas match.
• "Frankie is a great player, but we have a lot of quality on the bench," said defender Andy Iro, who of course will be suspended for the Colorado match. "We did more than OK last year when Frankie was gone on international duty or with injury. He'll be back soon enough and that will be good for the team, but until then, we have enough quality to deal with it."
• The start is also the second-worst in club history. However, in 2004 the Crew began the season with three losses and two ties, then won the Supporters' Shield on the strength of an 18-game unbeaten streak.
• "Last season was last season," said Warzycha. "Everything was bouncing our way. This year, we are facing some obstacles. We have to bounce back. But as long as we work hard like we did in the second half of today's game, we're going to get some points."
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids went to The Home Depot Center for the second time in three weeks and won for the second consecutive week, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2. The Rapids have six points from three matches, third in the Western Conference, three points behind division-leading Seattle Sounders FC and Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy were back in action after a week off following their season-opening draw with D.C., while the Rapids were back in Carson for the second time in three weeks, coming off their first win on the campaign.
• The Rapids opened the scoring just 16 seconds into the game - off the Galaxy kickoff. The ball was played to the left touchline, where it eventually came to Rapids defender Ugo Ihemelu. He sent a long ball back down the flank where Omar Cummings chased it down and sent a rolling cross to the far post for Casey to tap it in. It was the second-fastest goal at the start of a game in MLS history.
• The Galaxy gained the lead with goals on either side of halftime. First, in the 37th minute, rookie defender Omar Gonzalez scored his first professional goal, heading home a corner kick. Then three minutes after the restart, Sean Franklin set off on a mazy run before finding Landon Donovan on the left of the area, and he slid a square pass for Alan Gordon to provide the easiest of finishes.
• But Casey wasn't done. Barely a minute after the Galaxy goal, Cummings was again freed on the right flank, and again centered the ball for the burly forward to knock home.
• Dema Kovalenko was sent off in the 59th minute and Casey and the Rapids took advantage six minutes from the end. Colin Clark won the ball on the left and sent Casey in alone, and he rounded goalkeeper Josh Saunders before sliding the ball home to complete his second career MLS hat trick.
• Rapids head coach Gary Smith made two changes to the team that defeated the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 at home the weekend before. Preston Burpo came in between the posts for the injured Matt Pickens, and Pablo Mastroeni returned from international duty and replaced Jacob Peterson.
• Here's Smith's team (4-1-3-2): Preston Burpo - Kosuke Kimura, Cory Gibbs (Ty Harden 88), Ugo Ihemelu, Jordan Harvey - Pablo Mastroeni (Terry Cooke 68) - Nick LaBrocca, Mehdi Ballouchy (Jacob Peterson 79), Colin Clark - Conor Casey, Omar Cummings. Substitutes Not Used: Steward Ceus, Greg Dalby, Ivan Guerrero, Ross Schunk
• I think most games away from home are a heartfelt battle. And, tonight was no different. I felt we gave ourselves almost a perfect start. I don't think you can get a goal quicker than that, but nevertheless I think that LA showed a hell of a lot of spirit, got themselves back in the game, and ... showed a lot of character on their part. LA had to dig deep," Smith said. "In the end, I thought we showed our worth as well. I'm delighted. An away victory is a terrific victory in this league."
TEAM NEWS
• Casey's first hat trick in MLS play came last Sept. 27 in a 5-4 win against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium. "He's obviously the focal point of our attack," team captain Pablo Mastroeni said. "He's critical to our success and a guy that we lean on for our offense."
• Casey's goal after 16 seconds was the second-fastest in MLS history. Only Dwayne De Rosario, who scored in 11 seconds on Sept. 27, 2003, during a match between San Jose and Dallas, has scored faster.
• "As long as he stays healthy, you see the qualities that he has," Rapids coach Gary Smith said. "I think his worth to the team is immense. ... We're well aware of what he's capable of, and I hope we're going to see much more of that. And I'm sure we will."
• On Tuesday night, the two teams met again in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match, and the Rapids eliminated the Galaxy in a penalty shootout after playing to a scoreless draw over 120 minutes. Goalkeeper Preston Burpo - starting his second consecutive game in place of injured Matt Pickens - saved spot kicks from Mike Magee and Chris Klein to ensure the Rapids would advance to a second play-in game against the winner of the Seattle Sounders FC-Real Salt Lake play-in.
• "Preston's a great professional. He's one of life's reliable people," Smith said. "He was extremely disappointed that he didn't start the season. (He) had a fantastic preseason. He's now pulling out all the stops to keep up with that position. Preston will be there when you need him. That's why he's part of this group, because he's a strong person."
• The Rapids played a man down for nearly the entirety of the match after Greg Dalby was sent off with a straight red card in the 36th minute.
• Here's Smith's team: Preston Burpo, Kosuke Kimura (Ugo Ihemelu 75), Ty Harden, Scott Palguta, Ivan Guerrero, Colin Clark, Terry Cooke (Jordan Harvey 90), Greg Dalby, Nick LaBrocca (Mehdi Ballouchy 46), Jacob Peterson, Ross Schunk (Omar Cummings 63). Substitutes Not Used: Steward Ceus, Michael Holody, Gregory Richardson
• "I thought just categorically we showed tremendous character (being) a man down for what I think was the best part of 90 minutes," Smith said. "That's never easy away from home."
