COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew Reserves (2-3-0, 6 points) created plenty of offensive chances but ultimately were shut-out 1-0 by the Houston Dynamo (4-1-0, 12 points) in MLS Reserve League action at Crew Stadium on Sunday morning. Houston’s Brian Ownby provided the match’s only scoring in the 29th minute and Dynamo ‘keeper Tyler Deric recorded the clean sheet to keep the Black & Gold off of the scoreboard.
Within the first 20 minutes of the match, the Crew attack peppered the Houston netminder with shots, which were all turned away. The Black & Gold saw legitimate chances from Ryan Finley, Aaron Schoenfeld (twice) and Ben Speas.
Houston responded to the attack with a chance of its own in the 29th minute, and Alex Dixon’s whipped cross from close to the touchline was headed home inside the six by Brian Ownby to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Ben Speas would have an opportunity to level the game for the Crew, as the midfielder snuck inside the left side of the box and put a curling shot nearside towards the top corner, but Deric again denied the chance with a diving save.
Crew ‘keeper Matt Lampson – who started in the Crew’s 2-1 win over the Dayton Dutch Lions in U.S. Open Cup Third Round action earlier in the week on Wednesday – kept the Crew in the match before the first half concluded as Lampson made diving saves in the 35th minute and again in first-half stoppage time before punching away a cross on the last action before the halftime whistle was blown.
In the second half, the Crew’s best chances came from a pair of shots in the 57th minute from Bernardo Anor, who drove a shot from nearly 30 yards out, which was saved. On the ensuing corner, Anor’s header was sent straight at Deric. Later, Ryan Finley’s shot from the top of the box off of a loose ball in the 74th was the Black & Gold’s final scoring opportunity while Houston nearly made it 2-0 when Houston’s Alex Dixon put a shot off of the cross bar in the 87th minute.
Crew Soccer Academy players Alex Bumpus, Brady Blackwell, Noah Hutchins, Andrew McKelvey and Williams Bayemi all saw action in second-half substitute roles.
The Crew Reserves next travel to face the Dayton Dutch Lions on June 8.
MATCH SUMMARY
Columbus Crew 0 – Houston Dynamo 1
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Venue: Columbus Crew Stadium
Referee: Mark Kadlecik
Assistants: Peter Balciunas, Pierre Saintil Francillon
Fourth Official: Andrey Castel
Weather: 73 degrees and clear
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU – Brian Ownby (Alex Dixon) 29
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
CLB – Kevan George (caution) 15
HOU – Mike Chabala (caution) 33
CLB – Ethan Finlay (caution) 43
Crew: Matt Lampson; Shawn Sloan, Kevan George, Konrad Warzycha, Kyle Hyland (Alex Bumpus* 77’); Ethan Finlay (Williams Bayemi* 77’), Danny O’Rourke (Brady Blackwell* 46’), Bernardo Anor, Ben Speas (Noah Hutchins* 66’); Ryan Finley, Aaron Schoenfeld (Andrew McKelvey 65’)
Substitutes not used: Brad Stuver^
^ Guest player * Academy player
Dynamo: Tyler Deric; Christian Gonzalez, Bobby Boswell, Louis Thomas, Mike Chabala; Luiz Camargo (Irvin Ramirez* 65’) Alex Dixon, Memo Rodriguez; Brian Ownby (Anthony Arena 85’), Elo Ozumba, Brian Salazar
Substitutes not used: Tally Hall
^ Guest player * Academy player
