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Hard-working Crew Columbus shocks Leverkusen 4-3 in borderline 'friendly'
Updated: Wednesday May 30, 2001 10:41 AM
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- After watching the referees deal out eight cards and two ejections, Bayer Leverkusen coach Ralf Minge wondered if his players and their American counterparts understood that the game was just an exhibition match. "It was very entertaining, but it was on the borderline as far as friendlies go on both sides," Minge said after his team lost 4-3 Tuesday to the Columbus Crew in a game that featured 37 fouls, several very hard. Jeff Cunningham scored in the 81st minute and Brian McBride had two goals as Columbus kept Bayer Leverkusen from sweeping its three-game tour in the United States. Cunningham's low shot from about 15 yards deflected off goalkeeper Maurice Gillen and into the net for the game-winner. Dante Washington and Mario Longo assisted on the goal. Cunningham also set up a goal in the 76th minute, sending John Wilmar Perez on a breakaway. Perez dribbled around Gillen and walked the ball into the net to give the Crew a 3-2 lead. Bayer Leverkusen tied the game seconds later when a shot by Thomas Brdaric, off a pass from Robson Ponta, deflected off the leg of Crew defender Mike Clark and into the goal.
The Crew dominated the first half, outshooting Bayer Leverkusen 8-2. Columbus took a 2-0 lead in the first half when McBride converted a penalty kick in the 39th minute and scored a goal just before halftime. Columbus was awarded the penalty kick after defender Thomas Kleine was called for a handball in the penalty box. "The game was very important. We were representing Leverkusen and German Soccer," Minge said. "It was past our season so I think that attributed for some of the lack of concentration on our part." Bayer Leverkusen rallied in the second half. Brdaric made it 2-1 in the 55th minute after collecting a miss-hit ball from Frankie Hejduk. Brdaric also assisted on a goal by Ponta, who scored from 23 yards and tied the game at 2 in the 70th minute. As Bayer Leverkusen picked up their attack the play became more physical. Tempers flared at times in the second half and Hejduk and Clark were ejected for fighting in the 85th minute. "Both teams have a lot of pride we wanted to keep our record without a loss in international game and they wanted to stay unbeaten on their U.S. tour," said Greg Andrulis, who recently took over the struggling Crew as interim coach. Columbus outshot Bayer Leverkusen 15-11 and held a 10-6 advantage in shots on goal. The game was the third for the Germans since coach Berti Vogts, the former coach of Germany's national team, was fired Sunday following a 17-11-6 season. The club beat D.C. United 4-3 Wednesday and beat the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the A-League 6-4 on Sunday. The Crew is 3-0-1 in international friendlies. On Saturday, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars defeated Bayern Munich 2-0, three days after the Bundesliga titlists captured the European Cup. Lineups: BAYER LEVERKUSEN: GK-Maurice Gillen, D-Frankie Hejduk, D-Diego Rodolfo Placente (Domenico Cozza 46') , D-Thomas Hubner (Marco Dos Santos 29'), M-Thomas Kleine, M-Oliver Dittrich (Danny Thones 58'), M-Robson Ponta, M-Thorsten Nittek (David Muller 46'), M-Thomas Brdaric, F-Bernd Schneider, F-Paulo Roberto Rink CREW: GK-Mark Dougherty, D-Mike Lapper, D-Tenywa Bonseu, D-Mike Clark, D-Mike Duhaney (Mario Gori 46'), M-Brian West (Kevin Adams 82'), M-Duncan Oughton (Mario Longo 81'), M-Brian Maisonneuve (Ansil Elcock 46'), M-John Wilmar Perez (Ricardo Iribarren 81'), F-Dante Washington, F-Brian McBride (Jeff Cunningham 46') Scoring: CREW: Goal: Brian McBrise; Unassisted (pk) 39th min.
Cautions: CREW: Mike Clark (Obstruction) 28th min.
Ejections: CREW: Mike Clark (Extreme Force - Second Yellow Card) 85th min.
Referee: Terry Vaughn; Referee's Assistants: Jamil Hamdan (bench side), Kenneth Heller (far side); 4th Official: Mikael Lundqvist
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