E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. - For 82 minutes, the story of the Eastern Conference survival game between the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium was referee Baldomero Toledo, who sent off three players and awarded a second-half penalty kick to the Red Bulls.
But that all changed with one swift strike of a 16-year-old's right foot as Josmer Altidore all but saved the Red Bulls' season with a 30-yard blast to the right of Columbus 'keeper Bill Gaudette.
Receiving the ball from Seth Stammler, Altidore, who had all of nine minutes of MLS experience coming into the match, ran into space and beat Gaudette with a wicked rising drive for his first MLS goal.
Before that, it was all Toledo, who first sent off Joseph Ngwenya, who started in place of an injured Sebastian Rozental, in the 20th minute for a high kick to Seth Stammler's side. Then it was Mike Magee who was red carded in the 63rd minute for an apparent left-handed punch to Kei Kamara just two minutes after both players entered the game.
Toledo wasn't done there, giving a straight red card to the Crew's Marcos Gonzalez in the 71st minute for a right elbow that bloodied John Wolyniec, who was replaced by Altidore in the 74th minute.
Jose Retiz was a late scratch for Columbus, suffering a right hamstring strain at training on Friday. He was replaced in the Crew starting lineup by veteran Ezra Hendrickson. The only other change from Sigi Schmid's starting XI against Chicago last week was Ngwenya starting in place of Rozental.
The Red Bulls were without captain Amado Guevara, serving a one-game suspension for his sending off at New England last weekend. Also out for New York was Todd Dunivant, who missed his second consecutive game with a left quad strain.
Youri Djorkaeff returned to the lineup after missing two games with back spasms and Chris Henderson replaced rookie Joe Vide.
New York's Carlos Mendes wore the captain's armband for the first time in his MLS career but he received a yellow card in the 38th minute for fouling Jason Garey, meaning he will miss Wednesday's match against the New England Revolution on suspension for an accumulation of cautions.
The Red Bulls had a pair of chances early in the second half, but Gaudette stepped up to stop both. First he pushed away Dema Kovalenko's shot from distance in the 54th minute and two minutes later he dived to his right to rob Djorkaeff on a penalty kick. Toledo called the spot kick after Chris Leitch was called for handling a Chris Henderson cross.
It was Djorkaeff's first attempt from the spot this year after going 2-for-2 on penalty kicks a year ago, including one that he pushed past Gaudette on June 18, 2005 at Giants Stadium.
But Gaudette couldn't stop Altidore in the 83rd minute. Then just before the regulation 90 minutes ticked over, Eddie Gaven had the ball on his foot from a deflection in the Red Bulls penalty area, with Conway at his mercy.
But he screwed the ball off the outside of his right foot just beyond the right-hand post. And because of that - and Altidore's blast - the Red Bulls are still alive.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
