Crew Deposes Real Salt Lake 3-0

Matt Bernhardt
August 23, 2008

Read selected post-game quotes here

Last week, the Crew gifted Dallas a one-goal lead at halftime and stormed back to victory. This week, the Crew skipped the duldrums and roared at Salt Lake from the start, establishing a two-goal lead at half time. The team added a third after the break before taking their foot off the gas and giving Salt Lake a bit of hope.

The game started on a physical note, as Alejandro Moreno was chopped down in the left offensive channel in the fourth minute. Jamison Olave was cautioned on the play, which was already the Crew's third offensive chance of the game.

Sigi Schmid commented after the game, "I thought that tackle early in the game, where Jamison got the yellow, that's a pretty bad tackle. There's a lot of guys who wouldn't get up from that one."

It was another foul, in the fifteenth minute, which allowed the Crew to net the first goal. Guillermo Barros Schelotto was pulled down, also in the left channel. He lofted the ensuing free kick towards the far post, where Chad Marshall eluded Nat Borchers. Marshall's poweful header to the ground slipped past Nick Rimando, and the Crew was in front.

A handful of partial chances followed, but the clearest opportunity to double their advantage came the Crew's way in the 22nd minute. Robbie Rogers and Schelotto combined on a short corner, which Rogers sent to the far post. Eddie Gaven neatly avoided the offside trap and met the ball 2 yards off the back post, but his header flashed back across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

Three minutes later, Gaven atoned for that missed opportunity. Gaven received the ball to the right of goal inside the penalty area, and tried to cut back to his left. Nat Borchers was again victimized, this time taking out Gaven's legs. The penalty duly awarded, Schelotto stepped to the spot and converted, earning his fifth goal of the season and the 10th of his career.

William Hesmer's first notable play came in the 27th minute, when he hesitantly came out for a ball at the top of his penalty area. After bobbling the ball, he was able to play it forward and out of danger.

The balance of the first half was spent with the Crew enjoying the better of possession and scoring chances, although occasionally Real Salt Lake would show signs of being interested in scoring.

The second half largely repeated the pattern of the first, at least for the first fifteen minutes. The first play of consequence was the goal that put the result beyond doubt, in the 55th minute. Schelotto played the ball into the right corner for Eddie Gaven, who launched an inch-perfect crosss into the area to Brad Evans. Evans did not miss, burying his fourth goal of the season.

Schmid commented in that "I thought the third goal was as well-played a goal as you can get."

The substitutions started in the 62nd minute, as Schelotto made way for Pat Noonan. "After the 3-0, we took Guillermo off because he's taken the knock" said Schmid, referring to a first-half injury that dropped him to the turf for several minutes. "I felt it was an opportunity, and I didn't want him to get another whack because of the way they were playing."

For just over an hour of action, then, Schelotto netted one goal and two assists, pushing his season total to five goals and 14 assists. As impressive as those figures are, he will still probably not break the MLS single season record - 26 - set by Carlos Valderrama in 2000.

With Noonan on the field, the Crew's intensity dropped noticeably, and Salt Lake started maintaining more possession closer to the Crew goal. Even so, however, they only forced two saves from Will Hesmer. The most dramatic was a diving stretch in the 76th minute to deny Robbie Russell's shot from outside the penalty area.

"We made Hesmer earn the shutout there in the second half," commented Schmid afterwards.

Tonight's victory, coupled with New England's draw at Toronto, pushes the Crew into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference. They sit two points ahead of Chicago, with all three teams having played 21 games. Columbus' record is 11 wins, 6 losses and 4 draws (37 points). Real Salt Lake falls to 7-8-6, remaining on 27 points.

The Crew next takes the field this coming Saturday, away to FC Dallas. Real Salt Lake now returns home to face the Colorado Rapids on Friday.

Read selected post-game quotes here

Match Data

Key Events

7' Caution, Jamison Olave
15' 1-0 Chad Marshall (Guillermo Barros Schelotto)
25' 2-0 Guillermo Barros Schelotto (penalty kick)
26' Caution, Frankie Hejduk
55' 3-0 Brad Evans (Eddie Gaven, Guillermo Barros Schelotto)
65' Caution, Danny O'Rourke

Lineups

Real Salt Lake:
Nick Rimando, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Robbie Russell, Chris Wingert, Kyle Beckerman, Kenny Cutler (Clint Mathis 72'), Robbie Findley, Javier Morales, Yura Movsisyan (Fabian Espindola 64'), Kenny Deuchar (Andy Williams 45')

Unused Subs:
Chris Seitz, David Horst, Dustin Kirby, Tino Nunez

Columbus Crew:
William Hesmer, Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Gino Padula, Brian Carroll, Brad Evans (Stefani Miglioranzi 83'), Eddie Gaven, Robbie Rogers, Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Pat Noonan 63'), Alejandro Moreno (Jason Garey 89')

Unused Subs:
Andy Gruenebaum, Andy Iro, Duncan Oughton, Jed Zayner