3/21/09: Gameday Articles

Who wins the tactical battle on Opening Day? (Pic By: Stephen Dunn/Allsport & Columbus Dispatch)

**Mitchell Article "Ekpo In Spotlight for Crew":

Quoteable from Dominic Kinnear on Columbus:
"With Columbus, there are so many guys that have been in the league for such a long time that I don't think they're thinking about the pressure (of defending a title)," Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said. "I just think they're going to be focused on going out and winning another title."

Quoteable On Ekpo:
"He has big goals for his career," Marshall said. "He wants to learn. He wants to get better. He's always asking questions and he's willing to listen to the older guys or anyone who can provide him with good information."

Warzycha has given Ekpo some creative leeway and said playing alongside his championship teammates is the best way for him to develop a complete game.

"The best thing to do is just have him play the position a bit and have the players around him talk to him and direct him," Warzycha said. "He's a smart player."

**ESPN Soccernet Crew vs. Dynamo Preview:

Brian Ching Not So Humble:
"We think we're the best team in the league and we think we can win every game," Dynamo forward Brian Ching told the team's official Web site. "They did win it last year. We felt we underperformed last year.

"We don't look at it like we are hunting them. We feel like we are the better team (really?). They are coming to our home stadium and it's a place we don't lose very often and we want to start the season out right."

Maybe Ching should hit some open net headers in CONCACAF before being so confident.

Rogers A Little More Humble:
"We have real humble players," Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers said. "Everyone is still working really hard. It feels kind of the same as last year. It will be interesting to see how teams come out against us compared to last year."

"Bobby's done a good job at bringing in guys and keeping guys together that will work hard for each other," Rogers said. "(The team) is not content just with that trophy last year, so I think we have a great group of core players."

**Goal Oriented by Bernando Fallas, Houston Thin At Forward, Focus On Contributions of Midfielders Holden and Clark:
The Dynamo do remain thin at the forward spot, as the team has been unable to find a replacement for Nate Jaqua, who's now with expansion Seattle. Attempts to land the services of Mexican forwards Luis Angel Landin and Omar Bravo were unsuccessful.

**Pat over at the Crew blog "An American Game" Talks About His Season Preview and FSC's Bobby McMahon's ridicoulous sixth place expected finish in the East for the Crew.