COLUMBUS, Ohio – Moral victories and unfinished chances both equal zero, and that’s the sum of another lost opportunity for the Crew as they sink toward the bottom of the league.
But to hear it from the players on Saturday, it’s easy to tell the players aren’t in the dumps just yet.
“It’s not like we’re getting shelled and, OK, they score a goal,” defender Chad Marshall said after Columbus' 1-0 loss to Vancouver. “I don’t think they had a shot on goal. We’re doing everything right. We’re just unlucky for whatever reason.”
The visiting Whitecaps mustered three shots on goal in their win at Crew Stadium on Saturday, none bigger than a goal off a free kick from defender Young-Pyo Lee in the 74th minute. That goal soured an otherwise steady performance from the Crew, who had two goals called back in the match and still stand at six goals scored through seven games.
“We created enough chances to score four or five goals,” midfielder Eddie Gaven said, “but we have to be much, much sharper in the final third.”
Vancouver’s compact defense caused fits the whole match. Time and time again, Columbus were unable to get the ball to forwards Aaron Schoenfeld and Olman Vargas.
“The final pass may not have been there, but I think that we were getting in the spots that we wanted,” head coach Robert Warzycha said.
On the mend
Schoenfeld (bruised heel) and Vargas (hamstring) saw the team doctor Monday to put them in question for Saturday’s game at Portland. Neither will play Tuesday when the Crew face Ohio State in the Connor Senn Memorial Match on the school’s campus.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
