Week in Review: Crew clinch berth
MLS points-leader Columbus becomes first team to qualify for playoffs
The Crew started the weekend off with a 2-0 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Crew Stadium -- then watched as all the teams with slim playoff hopes kept them alive with results against teams ahead of them in the standings. FC Dallas got two goals from Jeff Cunningham -- who pulled into a tie for the MLS Golden Boot -- in a 3-0 win against Real Salt Lake. The San Jose Earthquakes won on the road for the first time in more than a year, defeating D.C. United 2-1. And the Kansas City Wizards held out for a scoreless draw against the Colorado Rapids.
The New England Revolution gave their postseason aspirations a big jolt, coming from behind for a 2-1 win against Seattle Sounders FC. The Chicago Fire lost ground at the top of the Eastern Conference, though twice coming from behind before settling for a 2-2 draw with Toronto FC. And Chivas USA were held to a 1-1 draw at home by the New York Red Bulls, the only team currently out of playoff contention.
At Crew Stadium, the Crew were coming off a late 2-2 draw at Chicago that maintained their advantage atop the Eastern Conference, while the Galaxy rebounded from a remarkable 6-3 loss to FC Dallas for a 2-0 win against Toronto FC.
With both teams fielding a number of reserves -- David Beckman remained in Los Angeles through injury, while reigning MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto was rested in advance of the Crew's midweek CONCACAF Champions League game -- the Crew scored right at each half-hour of the game.
In the 33rd minute, Emmanuel Ekpo flighted a cross from the left corner of the penalty area toward the back post, and Eddie Gaven was able to redirect it back off the inside of the left post with a looping header for his sixth on the campaign.
Then the Crew doubled their lead in the 59th minute. Emilio Renteria ran onto a long ball down the left side before firing on goal from inside the area. Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts spilled the rebound and Steven Lenhart raced in to tap it into an empty goal, his third of the season.
At Pizza Hut Park, FC Dallas were coming off a 3-2 in loss in Kansas City that left their playoff hopes in a perilous state, while Real Salt Lake had seen a three-game unbeaten run come to an end in a 3-2 loss at the Houston Dynamo the week before.
The home side led by two goals before the game was 10 minutes old. In the fifth minute, David Ferreira put in a cross from the right flank and it was knocked down by Dave van den Bergh, right at the feet of Jeff Cunningham. The veteran striker, with his back to goal, turned and fired a low strike inside the right post.
Then van den Bergh again played provider for FCD's second, in the 10th minute. Filtering a through ball into the left side of the area for Ferreira, the Colombian flicked a neat touch with the outside of right boot inside the far post for his seventh goal.
FCD put the game away in the 87th minute. Given time and space at the top of the area, Cunningham let fly with a searing low shot that sailed inside the left-hand post for his second goal of the game, the 119th of his league career and his 15th of the season, pulling him into a tie with Colorado's Conor Casey for the MLS Golden Boot.
At RFK Stadium, D.C. United came into the game narrowly hanging on to the last wild card spot in the playoff chase, despite losing for the first time at home in their last match, a 2-1 loss to Seattle. The Earthquakes were coming off a pair of 1-1 draws in a home-and-home series with Colorado.
United dominated proceedings from the outset, yet were only a goal to the good by halftime. Chris Pontius turned Ben Olsen down the left flank, and his cross found a cutting Jaime Moreno, who turned home a left-footed shot for his eighth goal on the year and the 130th of his league career.
Twice seeing goals disallowed, the Quakes pulled level in the 58th minute. After a foul some 25 yards straight out from goal, Ramon Sanchez whipped the resulting free kick over the wall and inside Milos Kocic's left-hand post -- the United goalkeeper having come on as a substitute just seconds earlier.
San Jose then hit for the winner in the 73rd minute. Substitute Arturo Alvarez cut in from the right and saw his shot deflected onto the crossbar. But Ryan Johnson -- who saw those two earlier goals waved off -- came in to send a diving header from the rebound into the goal for his ninth of the season.
At Gillette Stadium, the Revolution had followed three consecutive wins with two losses and a draw, last a 1-1 tie at New York. Sounders FC were unbeaten in their last four games, despite not having scored at home in more than two months following a scoreless draw with Chivas USA last time out.
In their first visit to Foxborough, the visitors pulled ahead in the sixth minute through a stunning goal. Collecting the ball on the right, Fredy Montero cantered forward before letting fly with a rasping drive from all of 35 yards that hammered off the underside of the bar, down onto the line and up into the goal, his 12th on the campaign.
The Revolution's Steve Ralston had suffered an injury that forced him off in the first half, meaning Shalrie Joseph was again pressed into service as an attacker. And the Grenada international came through with two goals after the break.
After Seattle left back Leo Gonzalez was adjudged to have handled a cross, Joseph converted a 51st-minute penalty for the equalizer. Then in the 87th minute, Jeff Larentowicz flighted a high ball into the box, and Joseph was completely unmarked to nod home the game-winner inside the right post, his eighth goal of the year.
At Toyota Park, the Fire were coming off back-to-back draws, last a 2-2 home result with the Columbus Crew, while Toronto FC was trying to stop a six-game road winless skid, lengthened in a 2-0 loss at the LA Galaxy the weekend before.
The visitors though took the lead after six minutes. A long ball out of the back was misplayed by two Chicago defenders, allowing Dwayne De Rosario to collect it and run unmolested into the area, and he beat goalkeeper Jon Busch for his 11th of the season.
But Chicago pulled level just eight minutes later. Brian McBride sent in a low cross from the right corner and trying to shepherd it away, TFC defender Nick Garcia saw it go off his chest and into his own goal.
Yet the Reds were back in front before a minute had elapsed after the break. De Rosario received the ball on the left flank and whipped in a bouncing cross that Chad Barrett got on the end of, the former Fire striker sliding in to knock home a first-time effort for his fifth goal.
But the home side had one more comeback. Justin Mapp curled in a cross from the left in the 78th minute and McBride snuck in behind the last defender, heading home inside the back post for his seventh on the season.
At CommunityAmerica Ballpark, the Wizards had followed up a six-point road trip with a 3-2 win against FC Dallas at home in their last game, while the Rapids were coming off back-to-back 1-1 draws against San Jose -- both games decided by stoppage-time penalty kick equalizers from Conor Casey.
The Wizards narrowly missed hitting for the game-winner in the 77th minute, but Jimmy Conrad -- who went from goat to hero in the win against FCD -- saw his header from a corner kick come back off the post. Both goalkeepers, K.C.'s Kevin Hartman and Colorado's Preston Burpo, each made three saves.
At The Home Depot Center, Chivas USA were coming off a scoreless draw at Seattle, their sixth attacking shutout in nine games -- and 10th defensive shutout of the season. The Red Bulls were 2-1-1 under interim coach Richie Williams after a 1-1 home draw with New England the previous Friday.
Chivas finally broke through of a dour match in the 64th minute. Sacha Kljestan strode forward out of the midfield and let fly from nearly 30 yards, his shot taking a deflection off Red Bulls midfielder Seth Stammler and fooling goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul for his fourth on the season.
But with six minutes left, the Red Bulls evened terms. Sinisa Ubiparipovic flighted in a cross from the left flank and Juan Pablo Angel was left all alone in the heart of the area, heading home for his 10th goal on the season.
There was one final twist in the tale. Andrew Boyens was adjudged to have handled a ball in a goalmouth melee, and Kljestan stepped to the spot for a stoppage-time penalty kick. But he pulled his effort just outside the left-hand post.
