By Nino Torres
Austin.-The Crew SC defeated the Austin Aztex 1-0, leaving them in third place in the Aztex Pro Classic and leaving Texas with a balanced sheet:
One win, one loss with two goals scored, three allowed.
Facing a different caliber rival than Dallas, Columbus managed to get its first win of the year.
First Half
Line up: Lampson; Grana, Parkhurst, Ryden, Francis; Tchani, Trapp, Finlay, Steindorsson; Higuain, Bedell.
Head Coach Gregg Berhalter scrambled the lineup for the second game. This time he put Grana and Francis as fullbacks, brought his midfield patrol officers Tchani and Trapp, paired Higuain with Steindorsson and squeezed Bedell into the offensive mix.
Lampson, Trapp, and Bedell made their 2015 debut with different outcomes. While the first two were solid as they’ve always been, Bedell showed little signs of improvement. His game fundamentals are not up to the League’s level yet.
Columbus dictated the pace of the game and was able to control the possession of the ball the way they like it, but could not score. The Aztex goalie, Devin Perales, had a big game denying chances to Bedell, Steindorsson, and Finlay.
With Francis and Grana on the flanks, Berhalter was getting what he wanted from his fullbacks. Francis maintained his high level on the left side and Grana is bringing something the team didn’t have on the right side: consistency.
The Argentine shined once again on both ends of the pitch.
Second Half
Line Up: Clark; Barson, Parkhurst, Wahl, Klute; Swanson, Saeid, Jiménez, Speas; Meram, Kamara
The Crew SC remained in control for most the second half, but the Aztex stepped up and challenged them defensively on more than one occasion.
The goal came in the 81st minute when Chad Barson tapped a “meat hook” cross from Justin Meram.
The Crew SC had fewer offensive attempts than the first half and even when Kamara hasn’t scored yet, his position as a lone forward fits him well. He was also drifting freely to the sides, which could make him a multidimensional weapon at front.
Ben Swanson and Sergio Campbell made their preseason debuts, and they were up to the challenge.
Tomorrow, the Crew SC travels to Bradenton, Florida for the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic.
