We Got Us a Damn Cookie!

And it's about time, I was getting hungry.

In all seriousness, congratulations to the Crew! They put up a fourskie on the Crew Stadium board and made it stick, holding off a thuggish Chivas USA team 4-3 on a cold and rainy night in Columbus. And to top it all off, the Crew scored the winner smack in the middle of the Wild Bean Shootout, meaning we can all go get a free cookie at BP gas stations all across central Ohio. Oh, when will the splendid, boundless joys of corporate America's pointless promotions ever cease to rain upon my head?

And for the first time in a while, it's really a toss up as to who the man of the match actually was. Below we make the case for both.

Man of the Match

Robbie Rogers
Case for: He scored two goals, including the game-winner. He created the opportunity that Alejandro Moreno turned into a PK that Guillermo Barros Schelotto turned into a goal. Also, Robbie came into the game leading the league in shots with 9. To put that in perspective, he was tied with Luciano Emilio, Claudio Lopez, and Adam Cristman. Though 6 more shots tonight, I'll be guessing he stays at or near the top of that category. While some might rightly say his goal against Guzman was soft, you can't say he hasn't put in the work to have two goals after three games.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Case for: The Argentinian magician continued to mesmerize with beautiful passing that led to the 2nd and 3rd goals for the Crew. Also, note to Collin Samuel (who was released by T.F.C. this week) and Juan Pablo Angel: when you want to learn how a professional takes a PK, watch GBS. Finally, Guillermo was directly responsible for pulling the red card out of referee Ricardo Salazar's pocket that sent Sasha Kljestan to the showers. It was a rough foul to say the least, but GBS was pitch perfect in his portrayal of the injured soccer player who might be on the shelf for 4-6 weeks. I was even fooled, and the foul happened 20 feet in front of me. After the red came out, Guillermo took another sip from wherever he keeps his flask of "Fountain of Youth, vintage '74", and was back on the field in minutes. Brilliance to be sure.

Despite Guillermo's skill and toughness, Robbie Rogers gets the MOTM. Last year, Guillermo brought us exactly what he did in this game: Great set pieces, dangerous passing, and the ability to frustrate and card the opposing team. But Robbie Rogers realized the potential the Crew never seemed to grasp last season: Finishing. Without Robbie's two goals, the Crew lose 3-2 in gut-wrenching fashion to a depleted team at home. Instead, they get a bounce-back win against one of the best teams in the West.

On top of that, Robbie got us a cookie. And isn't that what it's really all about?