By JOHN BOSCHINI
Jeff Cunningham couldn't have chosen a better time to make MLS history.
The Columbus Crew striker scored in the final minute of Wednesday's clash with Vancouver to give the Crew a 1-0 victory. Cunningham is now tied with Jaime Moreno as the all-time MLS goals leader with 133.
Vancouver started the game with the majority of possession but Columbus had its share of chances. Robbie Rogers put a close-range effort wide of Joe Cannon in the 10th minute and Eddie Gavin put his shot wide in the 24th minute. Vancouver came inches from a halftime lead but Shea Salinas' skidding shot came off the post in first-half stoppage time.
The second half was more of the same with numerous chances but no capitalization. Rogers went wide just after the restart and Andres Mendoza tested Cannon with a long-range shot. Camillo almost knocked William Hesmer with a rocket from 15 yards out but Vancouver still couldn't find a goal.
The Whitecaps should have taken the lead in the 72nd minute when Columbus gifted Vancouver a penalty but Terry Dunfield's weak spot kick was saved by Hesmer. Vancouver's task got much harder six minutes later after Salinas was sent off for a hard challenge on Josh Gardner.
From then on it was one way traffic towards the Vancouver goal. The pressure eventually paid off when Cunningham directed Gardner's cross into the top corner in the 90th minute.
What did you think of tonight's game? How do you feel about Cunningham being tied for the league's all-time goal record?
Share your thoughts below.
I don’t know NF, I paused it when the ball had barely left Gardner’s foot and right before it, I can’t tell if it’s right when he 1st makes contact because the video is a bit fuzzy but it’s damn near close, and Cunningham and the 2nd Crew player are both BEHIND the last Vancouver player.
And remember after the initial clearance of the corner the play developed from, Vancouver cleared out, 1 player was actually on the ground but he did a good job getting up and those last 3 Crew players were offsides and COMING BACK to get onsides, 1 looks borderline, I think he was even so he was not offsides but Cunningham and the 2nd Crew player were both behind the defender, you can tell because of the small box line and because Cunningham’s shoulder is behind the defender, not next to it or in front of it, it’s impossible be behind the someone at any point without being further behind the other person? But oh well Caps should of capitalized on their chances and I don’t think that was red but when you miss those things come back to bite you.
Hope Omar gets the PK next time! Might as well have the kid miss it if you’re going to risk it? lol At least he can learn, but I have a feeling he would of made it
Congrats to Jeff C…Well-deserved and still underrated
He wasn’t a cancer in Dallas? Hyndman made some very interesting comments about Cunningham not playing hard and needing encouragement to play well… apparently if not Cunningham sulked.
Then Jason Kreis said he was a cancer in RSL and got rid of him as soon as possible. And in Toronto he sulked… and probably missed more chances than he has at any team (including a ball a foot off the goal line that would have won TFC the Canadian championship over Montreal).
yeah cunningham was a lockerroom cancer when he smoothed out the pk dispute with mendoza. he also showed up to camp and did his own training before he even had a contract.
I hadn’t watched Vancouver in awhile and was impressed by the tempo and the passing they displayed. Is that typical of them? Shea Salinas was much more effective and intelligent than I had seen him before. They’re not “there” yet, but if I was a Whitecaps fan, I’d feel good about their foundation
Sorry, rufus but JC was certainly not a “locker room” cancer during his time at FC Dallas.
The trival footnote will be Jaimie Moreno who’s only record will be number of PKs scored.
Until Cunningham can claim to have been a major part of 4 MLS Cup winning teams, his scoring totals will be an interesting, yet trivial footnote to the career of a player who has bounced around the league with the reputation as a lockerroom cancer everywhere he’s been.
Vancouver clearly needs more depth. When Hassli, Chumiento, and Demerit are out they can’t even win at home. Dunfield’s PK was awful. They should have played more defensively after the red card to preserve the tie. Poor coaching by Soehn.
I don’t think it was CLEARLY offside, but it’s very close. If you pause the video right as Gardner’s foot touches the ball (not a tenth of a second before or after), Cunningham appears to be about even with the last defender. If he’s off,it’s by less than 6 inches.
There was one Crew player in an offside position, but it would have been harsh to call off the goal since he was not involved in the play.
I only saw a short clip of the goal on MLS soccer right after the match and when mlsscoccer uploaded only that and some other highlight clips, but it looks like Cunningham was CLEARLY offsides!
And not just him but at least 1 more player and it looks like there MAY HAVE been a 3rd player who was offsides when Gardner crosses the ball, is hard to say for sure because the angle of the replay is from midfield but the small box’s line sort of tells you that the Vancouver defender was pretty much on the line while Cunningham and the 2nd Crew player were both behind him and the thing is once the Vancouver defender got up from the ground and cleared out after the initial cross clearance it looks like the Crew players were coming back to get onsides.
Not sure but it looks a bit like it was offsides? Hope for a better angle?
I was pulling for Vancouver, those fans have been getting about 20K to Empire Field and deserve more than 1 or 2 wins!