COLUMBUS CREW (4-2-3-1): Andy Gruenebaum - Sebastian Miranda, Carlos Mendes, Chad Marshall, Josh Williams - Cole Grossman (Emilio Renteria 70), Chris Birchall (Danny O'Rourke 86) - Eddie Gaven, Milovan Mirosevic, Dilly Duka (Justin Meram 74) - Jairo Arrieta. TEAM NEWS The game was the first following the death of Crew midfielder Kirk Urso, who was honored in a prematch ceremony. Following the match, his parents visiting the team in the locker room. “For them to watch the team their son played for made me want to win the game that much more for him,” midfielder Eddie Gaven. “If we work with that kind of spirit, if we fight like that throughout the year, not only are we going to win more games than we lose but we’re going to be honoring Kirk’s memory pretty well.” Said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha: “We talked about focusing on the game and that it will be something we won’t forget. Obviously, the three points were not the most important thing today. I think there was a bigger thing we were playing for.” After the trip to Houston, the Crew will return home for games vs. Toronto and New England next week, their last back-to-back home games this season. They do not have any back-to-back road games remaining. “I was happy with the overlapping, with the commitment and the tackles and with the passing. That was good,” said Warzycha. “In the second half it was a little bit different. We scored a goal early and then they pushed us very hard and to be honest, before we figured out how to act, it was 1-1. They pushed us to the end of the game.” Jairo Arrieta scored his third goal in the last three games, after netting twice in the July 28 win vs. Sporting KC. He’s scored each of the last three goals the Crew have hit for. “I feel more comfortable. Scoring goals gives more confidence. As a forward, you want to be able to help the team and score more goals,” said Arrieta. With the exception of the return of Cole Grossman from suspension, the remainder of the team remained the same from the D.C. United victory – meaning Chris Birchall faced his former club for the first time. “It was always going to be an emotional game because of Kirk (Urso), but personally, for me, it was one that I was looking forward to. I was just trying to do myself and the team justice by playing well,” said Birchall. On Thursday, newly signed Designated Player Federico Higuain was introduced to the media in Columbus. He could be available for this weekend’s match, though might not play until the Aug. 22 rescheduled game with Toronto FC. “[Federico] does a lot of things Guillermo [Barros Schelotto] did in his prime when he was in his late 20s,” Columbus technical director Brian Bliss said. “Scoring goals is a bonus in terms of what he does. That’s why we used the terms, ‘He’s going to chip a few in,’ or, ‘He’s going to contribute.’ He’s not going to be a prolific goalscorer. That’s not who he is.”
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