2010 Columbus Crew season
Encyclopedia
February
Prior to the start of the 2010 MLS season season, the Crew began play in the CONCACAF Champions LeagueCONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
, with a quarterfinal-fixture against Group C-winner, Toluca of Mexico.
During Group Stage, the Crew finished in a second place in their group with an even 2-2-2 record, narrowly edging the Costa Rican champions Saprissa to become the only American club in the knockout stage. On February 22, 2010; Columbus hosted Toluca before 4,500 people at Crew Stadium for the first leg. For the match, Columbus would be missing veteran striker Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
and defender Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
.
In the match, Mexican
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
-international Sinha
Ântonio Naelson
Antônio Naelson Matias , also known simply as Sinha is a Mexican football midfielder, who plays for Club Toluca in the Mexican First Division.-Biography:...
opened the scoring giving Los Rojos a critical away goal and the lead over the Crew. Following the goal near misses from Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
and Eddie Gaven
Eddie Gaven
Eddie Gaven is an American soccer player who currently plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Youth:Gaven attended Steinert High School in New Jersey but did not play college soccer...
later on in the half almost drew things level. Shortly before halftime, however, Antonio Ríos
Antonio Ríos
Antonio Ríos Martínez is a Mexican professional footballer. He currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Toluca, wearing jersey #15. He made his debut January 18, 2009 against Atlante, a game which resulted in a tie .-Atlético Mexiquense:Ríos started to play for Atlético Mexiquense's youth...
doubled the lead for Toluca giving them a very strong advantage. However, the Rojos would reliniquish their lead in the second half. Lenhart would bag a pair of goals in the 66th and 83rd minute of play to draw the match back on parity, and the Crew would head to Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
tied at two on aggregate.
March
Columbus began their fifteenth Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
regular season at home with a 2-0 win in a match against Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
on March 27, 2010.
Current Roster
As of Aug 5, 2010.Formation
Starting XI vs. ColoradoColorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
on Oct. 23:
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Matches
Standings
ConferenceOverall
Results Summary
Match results
MLS Playoffs
U.S. Open Cup
Prior to 2010, the Columbus Crew had been to the U.S. Open Cup final twice in 1998 and 2002 and only won the cup once in 2002. On June 29, 2010, the Crew began the competition in the third round hosting the Rochester Rhinos of the D2 Pro LeagueUSSF Division 2 Professional League
USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League...
at Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The Crew's Andy Iro
Andy Iro
Andrew "Andy" Iro is an English footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
scored first in the 30th minute by heading in a corner kick
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
from teammate Eddie Gavin. Later, in the second half, Rochester evened the score at one when substitute Darren Spicer
Darren Spicer
Darren Spicer is an American soccer player who last played for Rochester Rhinos in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.-Youth and College:...
scored from 17 yards out. The Rhinos' Alfonso Motagalvan
Alfonso Motagalvan
Alfonso Motagalvan is an American soccer player currently playing for Rochester Rhinos in the USL Professional Division.-College and Amateur:...
was sent off in the 84th minute for a dangerous tackle on Emilio Rentería
Emilio Rentería
Emilio Rentería is an Venezuelan footballer who currently plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
forcing Rochester to play the final minutes of the game with just ten men on the field. The score remained level until the 4th minute of stoppage time when Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
scored on a "half volley" giving Columbus the victory.
A week later on July 6th, Columbus faced the Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
of the USL Second Division
USL Second Division
The United Soccer Leagues Second Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, part of the United Soccer Leagues league pyramid...
in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. The match was hosted by Columbus, again at Crew Stadium. In the 37th minute, Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
was fouled in the penalty area while going for a cross and the referee signalled for a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
. Emilio Rentería took the penalty kick and drove a right-footed shot into the back of the net making the score 1–0. Columbus extended their lead in the 70th minute on a goal from Steven Lenhart, and again in the 87th minute when Eddie Gavin scored off of a pass from Emmanuel Ekpo
Emmanuel Ekpo
Emmanuel Ekpo is a Nigerian footballer who currently plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
. The Crew won 3–0 earning their first U.S. Open Cup semifinal appearance since 2002.
On September 1, 2010, the Columbus Crew visited Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to face MLS club D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in their semifinal match at RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
. Pablo Hernández
Pablo Hernández (footballer born 1986)
Pedro Pablo Hernández is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Argentinos Juniors.-Career:On July 1, 2010, D.C. United officially announced the loan signing of Hernández from Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting, after he trialed with the club.-External links:* at D.C. United* at Defensor...
scored in the 17th minute on a penalty kick to give D.C. an early lead at 1–0. D.C. United almost kept that lead for the victory until the 89th minute when United's Marc Burch
Marc Burch
Marc Burch is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
deflected a shot by Columbus's Andy Iro
Andy Iro
Andrew "Andy" Iro is an English footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
into the net for an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
, tying the score and sending the match into extra time
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
. In the 98th minute, the Crew's Steven Lenhart dribbled the ball into the 18-yard box and was tripped by D.C. United's Carey Talley
Carey Talley
Carey Talley is a former American soccer player.-College:Talley played high school soccer for Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee. His team won the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association soccer championship his junior and senior years in 1993 and 1994. He played his club soccer...
to draw a penalty. Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
took the penalty kick and scored the game winning goal. The 2–1 final score secured the Columbus Crew's spot in the final.
2009–2010 season
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cruz Azul |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 16 | |
 Columbus CrewColumbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 8 |
 Saprissa |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 5 |
 Puerto Rico IslandersPuerto Rico Islanders Puerto Rico Islanders is a Puerto Rican professional football team based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.... |
6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 3 |
Toluca won 5–4 on aggregate.
2010–2011 season
By winning the 2009 MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
for the best regular season record, Columbus Crew qualified directly into Group Stage for the 2010-11 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. It was Columbus' second-consecutive trip to the tournament.
The draw for the group stage was held on May 19, 2010 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Columbus was originally paired with 2010 Guatemalan Clasura champions Municipal. Following the Preliminary Round, the Mexico
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
's Santos Laguna
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
and Caribbean runner-up
CFU Club Championship
The CFU Club Championship or CFU Club Champions' Cup is the annual international football competition held amongst association football clubs from the Caribbean Islands for clubs that are members of the Caribbean Football Union...
Joe Public
Joe Public F.C.
Joe Public Football Club is a football club from Trinidad and Tobago currently playing in the Pro League. Nicknamed the Eastern Lions, they are owned by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner...
of Trinidad and Tobago joined Columbus in Group play.
The Crew finished Group Stage in second place for a second consecutive year, directly qualifying for the knockout stage for the second year. They had a much stronger record than in 2009-10, amassing four wins, two losses and zero draws. Finishing second place in Group B, Columbus was paired against Group A winner, and fellow MLS-participant Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
for the quarterfinals in February 2011.
Group Standings
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico Santos Laguna |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 7 | 13 | |
| United States Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 12 | |
 Guatemala Municipal |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 8 |
 Trinidad and Tobago Joe PublicJoe Public F.C. Joe Public Football Club is a football club from Trinidad and Tobago currently playing in the Pro League. Nicknamed the Eastern Lions, they are owned by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner... |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 21 | −14 | 1 |