Crew clinch East with new lineup

Without six regular starters, Columbus rolls past New England

"I think what we've been doing all season is just taking it one game at a time, and it's nice to clinch the East today," Crew defender Eric Brunner said. "We've made the playoffs, we've clinched the East, so we've accomplished two of our goals. If we take it one game at a time, we should be able to (accomplish) more."

Columbus accomplished this particular goal despite playing without six regular starters. Guillermo Barros Schelotto watched from the bench to ward off any potential complications caused by playing on an artificial surface, while five others were unavailable due to injury, suspension or international duty.

Considering the way the Crew have consistently obtained results this season no matter who takes the field, the match proved a fitting way to seal the top seed in the East.

"It's obviously risky to rotate the players, but I took that chance and (now) we have everybody ready for any game," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "We can choose from 23 players, like we did today. Compared to some of the games, we didn't have seven starters. We played well. We have a deep squad, so giving those guys some games in the beginning of the season allowed them to contribute right now. It pays off."

One regular contributor stepped up unexpectedly to provide the match-winner. Crew fullback Gino Padula regularly turns in a determined shift on the left side, but he hadn't scored a goal in MLS prior to the one Saturday that handed Columbus all three points.

It wasn't a highlight reel strike -- Padula's well-taken free kick bounced in when New England goalkeeper Matt Reis and defender Emmanuel Osei couldn't decide who should deal with it -- but it was everything the Crew needed and more on the evening.

"That's a good run by the guys, a good ball by Gino and it was misjudged a little bit by the goalie," Warzycha said. "It was a lucky goal, but it gave us three points."

Those three points weren't easy to claim once Emmanuel Ekpo earned his walking papers for a forearm to the bridge of Kevin Alston's nose in the 65th minute. For the final 25 minutes, the Crew had to hold the Revolution at bay with the carrot of clinching the East as their motivation.

The retooled Columbus back line -- deprived of regulars Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall and Danny O'Rourke -- managed the task with nary a problem by keeping its shape and forcing a Revolution side deprived of key playmaker Steve Ralston to try to break them down in the wide areas.

Without the proper service, New England resorted to a more direct style that the Crew defense handled easily by crowding the penalty area.

"It was kind of fortunate that they were a little desperate and they were dumping it in before the red card," Brunner said. "It was basically just the same thing. Me and Andy [Iro] are big guys, so we can go up for the balls. That's one of the strong parts of our game."

Both Warzycha and Brunner said the match turned into a tense battle with New England scrapping for a playoff spot and Columbus fighting for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Brunner said the determined effort paid off in spades when the final whistle blew and guaranteed the Crew the best record in the East with two matches remaining.

"It's fun when you win games like this," Brunner said.

Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com

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