A Robbie Findley hat trick led to Real Salt Lake's 4-1 defeat of the Columbus Crew on Thursday night at Rio Tinto Stadium, extending the defending MLS Cup champions' winless streak to three games to begin the season.
Findley scored two goals before the game was a half-hour old, and added a third midway through the second half. Kyle Beckerman also scored for RSL; the lone Crew goal came from Jason Garey and gave the Crew a short-lived equalizer.
Real Salt Lake wasted no time taking control of the match. RSL's Will Johnson suffered a hard foul in the second minute. On the ensuing free kick, Johnson put a hard, curling shot on frame. Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer parried Johnson's shot away, but it fell right to the feet of Findley, who was able to knock home the rebound.
In the sixth minute Findley had a chance to add to the total, but his attempt to chip Hesmer went high.
Over the next 15 minutes, Columbus showed more attacking prowess, combining to work the ball up the wings several times, but they were not able to find anyone in the RSL penalty area.
In the 22nd minute, the Crew's patience paid off as a cross by Gino Padula fell inside the Salt Lake area. Clint Mathis attempted to clear the ball from danger, but his clearance wound up at the feet of Garey. RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando scrambled to cover, but Garey calmly slotted the ball inside the near post to level the match.
However, the Crew lead was short-lived. In the 29th minute, a poor clearance by Hesmer went right to the feet of Findley, who was alone at the top of the 18-yard box. Findley dribbled around Hesmer and made him pay for his mistake with an easy tap-in goal to give Real -- and Findley -- their second goal of the night.
Findley almost made it a first-half hat trick when he received a through ball from Javier Morales in the 33rd minute. But Danny O'Rourke made a well-timed tackle 12 yards from goal before Findley could get a shot off.
In the 35th minute, a Findley header found a cutting Yura Movsisyan, who was in one-on-one with Hesmer. Hesmer came quickly off his line to smother Movsisyan's low try and keep the Salt Lake lead at one.
Columbus came out of the locker room intent on pressing the matter and intent on getting playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto more involved. The Crew opted to take a more direct approach to their attack and it yielded more opportunities. In the 50th minute Garey got his head on the end of a Schelotto corner, but his header toward the far post was high and wide.
RSL used Columbus' aggressive position to counterattack. In the 52nd minute, Real attacked with numbers, culminating in a cheeky back heel from Morales to Findley, who pushed his shot just wide. Movsisyan made another long-range effort in the 56th minute, but Hesmer was there to make the easy save.
Both teams battled in the midfield until the 62nd minute when Findley completed his first career hat trick. A head flick from Mathis found Movsisyan in the left corner. Movsisyan's cross found Findley unmarked in the box, and Findley finished smartly to the far post with his head. In addition to being Findley's first hat trick, it was the first league hat trick in Real Salt Lake history (current RSL head coach Jason Kreis scored a hat trick in a U.S. Open Cup match).
Down two goals, Columbus played with urgency going forward. They were nearly caught for a fourth goal on a counterattack in the 66th minute. Findley won a challenge with O'Rourke, then put a cross in to Movsisyan. Movsisyan's effort was saved masterfully by Hesmer.
But on the ensuing corner kick, Kyle Beckerman escape his marker on a near-post run and nodded home Mathis' corner to give Salt Lake a 4-1 advantage in the 67th.
Columbus continued to press for goals despite the surge from RSL. New substitute Steven Lenhart put a header on frame, but his effort went right into Rimando's hands. Moments later, Schelotto took a hard shot from mid-range that was deflected just wide. On the corner kick, a header from six yards was tipped just over the bar by Beckerman. Then from the ensuing corner kick, another Columbus effort went just wide of the near post.
Salt Lake had several other chances in the dying minutes. Movsisyan had two close-range opportunities and Johnson had one, but Hesmer did well to knock them away.
Columbus almost pulled a goal back in the 88th minute as Garey chased a low bouncing cross into the box, but the ball accelerated out of his reach on the rain-soaked pitch.
The Crew now continue their Western road swing when they travel to The Home Depot Center to take on Chivas USA on Sunday afternoon, still searching for a first win on the season.
Jeremy Horton is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
