League
In two heated contests last season, the Crew drew in both of its meetings with the Houston Dynamo in 2012. Before the Black & Gold kicks off the first of three matches with the Dynamo in 2013 on Saturday night, here is a look back at the home-and-home series from last season.
On a chilly April night, Eddie Gaven netted his first brace for the Black & Gold as Aaron Schoenfeld recorded his first-career assist. The Crew's effort wasn't enough for the win however as Will Bruin tallied and found Brian Ching unmarked in front of net for the 81st-minute equalizer. Andy Gruenebaum made six saves in the draw, including an acrobatic stop from a long-distance laser from Ching's right foot.
The Dynamo's Brad Davis and the Black & Gold's Cole Grossman traded first-half goals as Federico Higuaín made his MLS debut as a halftime substitute. The Argentine playmaker made an immediate impact, lobbing a 35-yard pass to find a streaking Eddie Gaven downfield to put the Crew ahead 2-1. But it was a late goal from a familiar face that left the Black & Gold with just a point to take from its first visit to BBVA Compass Stadium as former Crew midfielder Adam Moffat pounded a long-distance shot off the hands of Andy Gruenebaum and past the goal line.
The Crew made little movement in Power Rankings around the country this week despite a road draw against the first-place New York Red Bulls on Sunday. The Black & Gold's highest placing is 11th in MLSSoccer.com and ProSoccerTalk's rankings.
Here is where the Crew falls in Power Rankings after Week 13:
MLSSoccer.com: 11th (12th)
ESPNFC: 12th (12th)
Sports Illustrated: 12th (12th)
ProSoccerTalk: 11th (12th)
Last week's ranking in parentheses.
In the latest episode of Between the Lines, MLSSoccer.com's Armchair Analyst Matt Doyle looks at the evolving role of the No. 10 in Major League Soccer. Doyle cites Crew midfielder Federico Higuaín as one of the few remaining playmakers in MLS today.
Crew playmaker Federico Higuaín was named to MLSSoccer.com's Team of the Week for Week 12 after supplying the game-winning assist to Dominic Oduro against Toronto FC on Saturday. The performance marks Higuaín's first Team of the Week honor this season, joining Josh Williams (Week 10), Jairo Arrieta (Week Nine) and Danny O'Rourke (Week Nine) to earn the accolade so far in 2013.
Through his first five games in Major League Soccer, Federico Higuaín has made an instant impact in the Crew attack to help the Black & Gold to a 4-0-1 record and a four match winning streak. With such production coming from the Argentine, here's a look at how Higuaín compares to similar Designated Players through their first five matches in MLS:
| PLAYER | Goals | Assists | Team Goals | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire) | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3-1-1 |
| Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2-1-2 |
| Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy) | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5-0-0 |
| Luciano Emilio (D.C. United) | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1-1-3 |
| Federico Higuaín | 3 | 6 | 12 | 4-0-1 |
(Source: Elias)
Notes: Robbie Keane's first five matches includes the 2011 Playoffs, Luciano Emilio went on to win the 2007 Golden Boot and MLS MVP while helping D.C. United to the Supporters Shield that season.
Crew captain Chad Marshall reflects on the strong, silent leadership he brings to a team fighting its way back to the league's elite.
Justin Meram talks with TheCrew.com about his recent induction into the NJCAA Hall of Fame and his golazo that is up for Goal of the Week:
FREE Showing of the Jay Demerit Story at Capital University on Friday, April 27th at 7:00pm.
Rise and Shine follows the inspirational journey of Jay DeMerit from the 9th division of English football to the World Cup. It is a terrific story and one that every player & fan will love! ALSO..... Jay will be in town with the Whitecaps to play the Crew the next night and if his travel plans allow he may stop by the screening.
To RSVP your FREE tickets please go to the following link and click the Reserve ticket link in the middle of our page: