In only a few hours time the Columbus Crew will renew their battle for the CONCACAF Champions League when they take on Toluca of the Mexican First Division at Crew Stadium.  The match is the first leg of a two game series, the second of which will take place on Toluca’s home turf, Estadio Nemesio Diez.

The starting 11 for the Crew has remained somewhat predictable for the past couple of years and this game would be no different if it weren’t for a few recent and unfortunate injuries combined with the existence of a rule that can only be described as ridiculous.  Expect the lineup tonight to look more like the team that took three points from The Monsters Cave rather than the team that took the MLS Cup in 2008.

The Massive Bananas will go into battle without two of the teams most influential players, Frankie Hejduk and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.  Both men accumulated two yellow cards during group play and thus are suspended for the first match of this series. At first this was thought to be a misunderstanding considering that most competitions erase yellow cards at the end of each stage.  However the CONCACAF Champions League Regulations clearly state…

6.29   Any player to accumulate two single yellow cards in two different matches in
the CCL is suspended for the following game. Thereafter, each time a player
accumulates two single yellow cards in two different matches, he will be
suspended for the following game with the exception that single cautions will
be eliminated at the end of the Group Stage and at the end of the
Championship Round.

As if losing Frankie and Guillermo wasn’t bad enough, the Crew’s defense was decimated even further when it was announced that Jed Zayner and Chad Marshall would both be out for extended time due to injuries.  Marshall suffered a severe hamstring strain while participating in preseason training with the team in Arizona. Just days before that Zayner played a total of 8 minutes in an exhibition againsth the Arizona Sahuaros before coming out due to a sprained MCL. They will miss both games against Toluca and probably the regular season opener against Toronto FC on March 27.

Now for the good news: Danny O’Rourke and Brian Carroll have both made great recoveries from their off season surgeries so expect them to maintain their starting positions. While its almost guaranteed that Carroll will tend the middle of the park odds are he won’t be paired with his usual partner, O’Rourke.  With both Zayner and Hejduk out, O’Rourke will most likely slide into the right back position.

Look for the lineup to resemble something similar to this…

——————Hesmer—————
O’Rourke—-Brunner—-Iro—-Padula
——————Carroll—————-
Gaven———-Moffat———-Rogers
—Herrera——Renteria/Lenhart—

Based on preseason form, the scale is tipped in Renteria’s favor to get the nod over Lenhart, but regardless of which one starts both will probably see field time in some capacity.  Also expect Emmanuel Ekpo to come in for either Robbie Rogers or Eddie Gaven to provide some late game speed.  Warzycha will probably want to earn a W at home so don’t be surprised to see Jason Garey come on at some point as a possible third forward if the Crew is behind or the game is tied.  Alternatively, Duncan Oughton could come in to provide some extra defense and stability should the Crew take a lead into the later portions of the match.

Without a doubt the weakest part of this lineup is the center back pairing of Brunner and Iro.  While neither is as reliable as Marshall or O’Rourke, both are still reliable players who would easily challenge for starting roles on most MLS teams. Brunner manned the middle with Marshall for a majority of last season and Iro played the full 90 minutes of the win against Saprissa in Costa Rica.

The Crew will be looking for nothing less than a win tonight.  Anything else will likely seal their fate considering the record for MLS teams in Mexico.  Despite the absence of free kick/corner kick master, GBS, and the number one aerial threat, Marshall, the Crew still holds the advantage on set pieces. Brunner, Iro, Renteria and Lenhart all bring height that will be difficult for Toluca to match.  Keep your eyes on the wings during this match-up.  If Rogers and Gaven are able to maintain their composure and provide decent service into Renteria and Herrera, Columbus should be able to eke out the win they need to stay alive for the return leg.