getting sent off for the first time, in the 68th minute, for a second yellow card.
• Yet Chicago doubled the lead 10 minutes later through a remarkable goal by Chad Barrett, who raced some 65 yards before slotting home. Chad Marshall scored from a goalmouth scramble in the 84th minute, but when Danny O'Rourke was sent off two minutes later it essentially ended the Columbus chances.
• On August 5, before an overflow crowd in Bridgeview, Cuauhtémoc Blanco started for the Men in Red in a playmaking role behind the front two. As the crowd cheered nearly every touch he made, he suffered 12 fouls on the night, an MLS single-game record, as the teams battled to a scoreless draw.
• The Crew's Argentinean playmaker, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, was most dangerous from set piece opportunities. Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens, who was called upon to make four saves of the night, stopped Andy Herron from close range with three minutes remaining to preserve his sixth clean sheet on the season.
• Here's Osorio's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Pickens - C.J. Brown, Diego Gutierrez (Bakary Soumare 84), Gonzalo Segares - Logan Pause, Dasan Robinson, Chris Armas, Ivan Guerrero - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Calen Carr (Chris Rolfe 71), Chad Barrett (Paulo Wanchope 58). Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Thiago, Bruno Menezes, Daniel Woolard
• Here's Schmid's team (4-2-3-1): Will Hesmer - Frankie Hejduk, Marcos Gonzalez, Chad Marshall, Stefani Miglioranzi - Danny Szetela, Danny O'Rourke - Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Ned Grabavoy (Duncan Oughton 88), Eddie Gaven (Andy Herron 68) - Alejandro Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Andy Gruenebaum, Ezra Hendrickson, Rusty Pierce, Robbie Rogers, Ricardo Virtuoso
COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew saw their winless streak reach five games, as the Colorado Rapids came back to snatch a late 1-1 draw Sunday afternoon at Crew Stadium. But the Crew are still tied for eighth place in the overall MLS standings and the final available place in the MLS Cup Playoffs, with 28 points from 23 matches, level with the Rapids and now two points ahead of the Chicago Fire.
LAST MATCH
• The two teams came in tied for the final available playoff spot, but going in different directions. The Rapids had won three games in a row -- all at home, and all by shutout -- while the Crew were winless in their last four games.
• The home side took a vital lead just before the end of the first half. In stoppage time, a perfectly weighted through ball from Stefani Miglioranzi hit Eddie Gaven in stride as he snuck in behind the pulled-up Colorado back line. Gaven strolled into the area before slotting home past Bouna Coundoul to give the Crew the lead.
• The Crew missed a glorious opportunity to seal the game in the 67th minute when Alejandro Moreno rattled the post when he got in alone behind the Rapids defense, and Jacob Thomas somehow couldn't turn the rebound into the unguarded goal.
• The Rapids took advantage six minutes from the end. Herculez Gomez looped a pass to Mehdi Ballouchy on the right side, and he put in a cross in front of Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer where Conor Casey knifed between defenders and snapped home a header for his second goal in as many games to secure a share of the points.
• Crew head coach Sigi Schmid made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 away draw with Houston Dynamo the weekend before. Marcos Gonzalez was suspended after being sent off in that game, so Stefani Miglioranzi came back into the back four. Ned Grabavoy also returned to the team, in place of Ricardo Virtuoso.
• Here's Schmid's team (4-4-2): Will Hesmer - Frankie Hejduk, Ezra Hendrickson, Rusty Pierce, Stefani Miglioranzi - Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Danny O'Rourke, Duncan Oughton, Ned Grabavoy (Jacob Thomas 65) - Eddie Gaven, Alejandro Moreno (Andy Herron 74). Substitutes Not Used: Jason Garey, Andy Gruenebaum, Robbie Rogers, Ricardo Virtuoso, Tim Ward
• "It is obviously disappointing when you give up a goal late like that, that we did. We were absorbing a lot of pressure which wasn't the right thing for us to do at that point in the game, either. We weren't relieving ourselves of that," Schmid said. "They ended up getting a point. There was one (opportunity) when you have the lead, you have to take it all the way and finish it off."
TEAM NEWS
• It was the second successive game where the Crew had taken a lead in the first half, only to see their opponents come back and get a second-half equalizer.
• "It is hard for us to absorb that much pressure at the end of the game. That is two games in a row now. It was the same way in Dallas. It was the same way in Houston," said Will Hesmer. "Even in Dallas we were up a man. Against Houston, it is understandable when we are down a man. We have to find a way to keep the ball. We can't absorb that much pressure down the stretch. Good teams are going to find a way to punish you for it."
• After recording shutouts in five of six games from June 30 to Aug. 4, the Crew have allowed seven goals in their last four games. But they have started to turn that around, allowing just a solitary goal in each of the last two games.
• "I thought we were really well organized today. I think that goes a long way in any game. Especially today, I thought the tempo was good for the most part, especially in the first half. There is a chance there of getting stretched and getting caught," Rusty Pierce said. "Like I said, I think as a back six we were really organized. I thought we kept every thing in front of us. I think that that was the main thing today, we didn't allow on ball to beat us. We covered for each other very well. If somebody got isolated, our center midfielders were quick to double if we needed to. The forwards checked back and we pushed them back into them. They were very quick."
• Now five points out of seventh place with seven games left to play, the battle for the final playoff spot seems destined to come down to a dogfight between Columbus, Colorado and the Chicago Fire. But after the game against the Fire, four of the Crew's final six games will be away from home.
• "You hesitate to call games 'must win' games but our time is running short," said Pierce. "If we don't get wins we are not going to be in the picture at the end. We cannot rely on other teams to sneak us in the backdoor, we need to start winning some games."
• Added Eddie Gaven: "We definitely should have had three points out of this game. This isn't the first time this year we have given up late goals and it cost us points. This time of year, it is definitely tough when you are giving up points late like that and giving up goals late, and dropping points because the games really matter so much more at this time of year. It is definitely something we are going to work on this week in training and make sure that it doesn't happen any more this year."
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire lost for the second successive match on the road, seeing the New York Red Bulls get the game's lone goal late in the match on Saturday evening at Giants Stadium. The Fire now have 26 points from 22 matches, sitting in 10th place overall in the MLS standings and just out of playoff contention, two points behind the eighth-place tie between Columbus and Colorado, though they have a game in hand over both of those clubs.
LAST MATCH
• The Red Bulls were returning home after a disheartening road trip that saw back-to-back losses to Eastern Conference foes at either end of I-95. The Fire were coming off a third win in five games, gaining a split of a home-and-home series with the Kansas City Wizards with a 2-0 home triumph.
• The Red Bulls had most of the run of play, but nothing to show for it, until they finally unlocked the Fire defense with 15 minutes to play. Dane Richards rode a couple of tackles in the center of the park before sliding a pass to Juan Pablo Angel on the left, and he sent a low shot past Chicago 'keeper Matt Pickens inside the far corner for the game-winner.
• For Angel, it was his 14th goal of the season, pulling him into a tie for the MLS Golden Boot with D.C. United's Emilio and Wizards striker Eddie Johnson by the end of the night.
• Fire head coach Juan Carlos Osorio made three changes to the team that defeated the Kansas City Wizards 2-0 the weekend before. Matt Pickens returned from a slight injury to come back in between the posts for Jon Busch, while Gonzalo Segares came back from suspension and Logan Pause also returned into a reconstituted back four, as Dasan Robinson returned to the substitutes' bench and Justin Mapp was out injured.
• Here's Osorio's team (4-4-1-1): Matt Pickens - Logan Pause, C.J. Brown, Gonzalo Segares, Diego Gutierrez (Chad Barrett 89) - Chris Rolfe (Calen Carr 60), Bakary Soumare, Chris Armas, Ivan Guerrero (Mike Banner 66) - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Paulo Wanchope,. Substitutes Not Used: Jon Busch, Bruno Menezes, Brian Plotkin, Dasan Robinson
• "It is extremely disappointing that at the end we limited Juan (Pablo Angel) to one chance and it was a goal and we also limited (Dane) Richards to one cross the whole game. They didn't have many goal scoring opportunities so it was disappointing," said Osorio. "We know that we can play better offensively and we need to create more chances and just keep working. Hopefully, when we play them back at our place, it will be a different game."
TEAM NEWS
• With Justin Mapp out, Osorio changed his tactics, playing Paulo Wanchope as a lone striker with Cuauhtémoc Blanco operating underneath and Chris Rolfe in a wide midfield role.
• "I think it was for difficult for [Blanco] today because he only had one (forward) in front of him," Osorio said. "In the other games he played with two strikers and he always had two options."
• It was not a change that worked out for the better for his club, the Fire boss said. He saw his side shut out for the first time in four games, after scoring two goals in each of the previous three.
• "Offensively, we need to produce more. It was hard for Paulo (Wanchope) to play basically by himself up front tonight," Osorio said. "We need more from the wide players. I think we will get that when Justin comes back."
• After allowing four goals in his game in charge, Osorio has paid special attention to tightening up the Fire's defense. They have allowed just four goals in the six games since - three of those in one game (v Kansas City on Aug. 22), and the one to the Red Bulls.
• "I thought for the most part we dealt with (New York) pretty well. We are pretty solid in the back. We didn't really create that many opportunities. We lacked a little bit of consistency up top and creating chances," Diego Gutierrez said. "I'm not saying just the forwards, but as a team we lacked in our attack and that made the difference."
• The Fire still have one game in hand against the teams just ahead of them in the playoff race - and with a win in Columbus, they will have nosed in front of the Crew still holding that extra game.
• "We just have to win games, keep progressing and keep believing in what we're doing," Osorio said. "We'll take one game at a time and hopefully the next two games, we can get some good results and get back in the race."
