COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tuesday's exhibition game against Ohio State may not have held any competitive weight for the Columbus Crew, but it did offer a glimpse at the forward pairing of Emilio Rentería and Justin Meram, who could be starting up front in league games for the next few weeks.
Crew head coach Robert Warzycha on Tuesday said that Aaron Schoenfeld and Olman Vargas, the starters last Saturday against Vancouver, could be out for awhile because of injuries suffered in that game, a 1-0 defeat.
Schoenfeld has a heel injury – more specifically a right plantar fascia rupture – that could sideline him for at least a month. Vargas has a left hamstring contusion that Warzycha estimates could keep him off the field for two to three weeks.
“We will practice Wednesday and Thursday and see what we will do,” Warzycha said.
That could give an opportunity for Rentería (above) to regain his starting job Saturday at Portland. The Venezuelan had a goal and an assist as the Crew defeated the Buckeyes in the 11th annual Connor Senn Memorial Match at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
The Crew opened the scoring after just two minutes when Aubrey Perry fed Cole Grossman. In the fifth minute, Bernardo Añor slotted a ball from Rentería. Their roles switched minutes later as Rentería netted with a diving header off Añor’s cross. Grossman made it 4-0 in the 22nd.
The match was called in the 31st minute because of lightning.
