The Columbus Crew began the second half of their season the way they finished the first, getting a pair of goals from usual assist maestro Guillermo Barros Schelotto in a 2-0 victory against Toronto FC on Sunday afternoon at Columbus Crew Stadium.
Schelotto knocked home a Frankie Hejduk cross in the 50th minute then scored from a free kick six minutes later to give the Crew all they would need. The Crew have only lost one game in their last eight, and sit only two points behind New York for the lead in the Eastern Conference.
The last time Columbus took the field they lost 2-1 to Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center, with the decisive goal coming from an own goal in the 69th minute, ending a six-game unbeaten run.
Toronto has also been getting better results lately, riding into Crew Stadium on a four-game unbeaten run after a scoreless draw with MLS leaders Houston Dynamo in their previous match, the fifth game on a road trip that finally ended with Sunday's contest in Columbus.
In the first few minutes of the contest former Crew and current TFC forward Jeff Cunningham and Crew defender Chad Marshall collided 20 yards from the goal and Cunningham appeared to receive the worst of the impact. He left the game in the seventh minute with what was called an abdominal strain as Andrea Lombardo came on as his replacement.
In the 19th minute Columbus almost capitalized on a fortunate bouncing ball that both forward Alejandro Moreno and TFC goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic raced toward. Moreno got there first and managed to head the ball over the reach of Djekanovic but defender Trone Marshall was able to hustle back and clear the ball away before it bounced in the goal.
The Crew continued their trend of looking very dangerous on set pieces in the 38th minute as they almost capitalized on a dead ball just inside midfield. Schelotto struck an out-swinging ball that found the head of Chad Marshall, who redirected the ball to the back post and the head of Moreno. But Moreno was unable to get enough steam on his effort and it fell into the hands of Djekanovic.
Just before halftime Toronto barely missed its best opportunity of the half as Lombardo beat the offside trap and attempted to control a bouncing ball in the box. Crew midfielder Danny O'Rourke hurried back and cleared the ball from danger. Lombardo and O'Rourke went down on the play but referee Michael Kennedy kept his whistle in his pocket and the teams went into the half level.
TFC opened the second half with another opportunity for Lombardo, who went streaking down the left wing two minutes into the half. Already behind the Crew defender, Lombardo cut into the box and tried to lay off a centering pass but Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer cut off the angle and deflected the ball out of harm's way.
Columbus opened the scoring in the 50th minute by stringing together a nice passing sequence in the attacking third of the field.
Ned Grabavoy found himself at the top of the penalty area and sent the ball wide right to a streaking Hejduk. Hejduk crossed the ball into the middle of the box, and as it sailed over Moreno's head, it fell to the Argentinean veteran. He picked the ball out of the air with his right foot and knocked it home for his third goal since joining the Crew.
Schelotto would need only six minutes to find the back of the net again. TFC midfielder Carl Robinson fouled Grabavoy 22 yards from goal, and again Schelotto stood over the ball for the Crew. Instead of serving up one of his pinpoint crosses, Schelotto called his own number and bent the ball over the top of the wall and just inside of the left post as Djekanovic was unable to keep it out despite getting a hand to it.
Both coaches came into the match saying the game was a real six-pointer as each team is chasing a potential playoff spot, and the Crew clamped down the game as TFC weren't able to make any really great attempts at goal in the last 25 minutes. As a result, they now return to BMO Field after losing only two games of their six-game road trip.
Nathan Linton is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
