The Columbus Crew continued their hot start to the 2008 season, getting first-half goals from Adam Moffat and Robbie Rogers on their way to a 2-1 victory against the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night at Crew Stadium.
The Wizards, who played a man down for the final 54 minutes after Roger Espinoza was sent off in a sort of homecoming for him, got a late goal back when Claudio Lopez converted a penalty.
The Crew, who came into the game in sole possession of first place in Major League Soccer's overall table, continued to build on the team's best start since the 1998 season.
It took just four minutes for the Crew to open a lead. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, always dangerous when taking set pieces for the Black & Gold, lofted a pass to lanky defender Chad Marshall near the back post. Marshall nodded the ball back across the goal into the path of Adam Moffat, who was racing into the goalmouth. Moffat jumped over Alejandro Moreno, who was tangled with Wizards 'keeper Kevin Hartman and a K.C. defender, but got enough of his head to the ball to knock it over the line.
Only minutes later Moreno looked to continue his hot start on the season. Wizards defender Tyson Wahl attempted to head the ball back to Hartman but failed to notice Moreno lurking in the area. Moreno slid in between Wahl and Hartman, getting a foot to the ball, but his one-touch effort just fell on the top of the crossbar.
The first good chance for the Wizards came when forward Ivan Trujillo was brought down only inches outside of the penalty box. Referee Mark Geiger ruled the foul happened outside the area, and the Crew wall deflected Eloy Colombano's subsequent free kick harmlessly out of danger.
The Crew doubled their lead in the 34th minute. Frankie Hejduk picked off a Wizard throw-in near midfield and knocked it forward, where Moreno jumped in the air and flicked a pass over his shoulder toward Rogers on the left wing. The quick winger, who turns 21 next week, outraced rookie fullback Chance Myers and poked the ball past the outreached hands of Hartman as he raced off his line to collect the ball.
Only two minutes later, the Wizards saw their hole deepened. Hejduk fouled Wizards midfielder Roger Espinoza while the two jostled for a loose ball, but after the whistle was blown for the foul, Espinosa struck Hejduk above the shoulders with a raised elbow. Hejduk earned a yellow for his part in the scuffle but Espinosa, who played college soccer at Ohio State University, was shown red by referee Geiger.
The second half opened with both sides displaying good attacking soccer. The Crew looked to push the issue, showing good build-up in the attacking end with a series of nice passes, but Rogers was unable to net an opportunity on the left flank when he misfired from 14 yards.
The Wizards countered soon after when halftime substitute Scott Sealy found forward Claudio Lopez with a through ball, hitting the Argentinean in stride right in front of Crew 'keeper William Hesmer. Hesmer charged out of goal and made his first save of the day.
Emmanuel Ekpo made his MLS when he came on in the 54th minute. His new teammates looked to get him involved when Moreno was holding the ball in the box. He drew two defenders before finding Ekpo striding towards the net, but Ekpo's shot was deflected on its way to goal and Hartman easily snagged it.
Ekpo again looked to get his name on the scoresheet in the 78th minute when he found space at the top of the penalty box. With few options running with him Ekpo opted for the shot and narrowly missed, nicking the crossbar with his left-footed effort.
From the restart, the Kansas City counter-attack caught the Crew napping. Sealy received a ball in front of Crew defender Danny O'Rourke at the top of the penalty area and for the third time this year O'Rourke pulled down an opposing player in the box, conceding the penalty as Sealy tried to turn toward goal. Unlike the previous two occasions, Hesmer was unable to bail out his roommate when Lopez stepped to the spot and drew the Wizards to within a goal.
Kansas City threw all their efforts forward for the remaining minutes in the match but the home side packed the back and continued to keep Crew Stadium as a "fortress", moving to 4-0 at home on the year.
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
