Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.
Real Salt Lake rattled off three unanswered goals including a Robbie Findley penalty kick and Andy Williams insurance goal to give RSL a 3-2 victory at Crew Stadium and a 4-2 aggregate series victory over the Crew in their Eastern Conference playoff showdown.
Veteran defender Frankie Hejduk had a nightmare evening for the Crew, deflecting a shot to set up RSL's first goal, then committing the penalty that set up Findley's penalty kick, which gave RSL the series lead for good.
Now Real Salt Lake will now face the winner of the Chicago Fire-New England Revolution series, which concludes at Toyota Park on Saturday. The Revs won the first leg, 2-1. The winner of the Fire-Revs series will host the Eastern Conference final.
The season is over for the Crew, which struggled to find consistent form late in the season and ultimately paid for it. Columbus head coach Robert Warzycha is sure to face plenty of criticism, and deservedly so, for benching league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the first leg of the series, especially after the way Schelotto responded in game two.
Waryzcha's other moves, such as starting Emmanuel Ekpo ahead of Robbie Rogers, are sure to be dissected during an off-season that as arrived much earlier than most expected. The reality is that Waryzcha's constant lineup tinkering late in the season kept his team from developing any real chemistry or momentum heading into the playoffs.
What did you think of RSL's series victory? Could you see it coming after Game One? Think Warzycha cost his team the series? Do you see RSL duplicating the 2008 New York Red Bulls' feat of reaching an MLS Cup final as a No. 4 seed in the opposite conference?
Share your thoughts below.
Was Bob Warzycha’s ego bigger than Schelotto and Rogers talent?
Moreno is a flopper!
Anybody who watched the game can agree how dominate our midfield was.
Who cares about attendance! RSL outplayed Columbus. They won fair and square.
Enough of the attendance bashing. Crew have the smallest market in MLS and rank 9th out of 15 in attendance. It is not great. It is not poor….about average. And really, is attacking attendance numbers really interesting or is it just annoying. Now go to your team’s next game, if they are still alive, and enjoy the game. End.
I don’t know how you can complain about RSL’s first or 3rd goal not being pretty. The first goal was beautifully timed, executed and finished. The third goal was a perfectly placed cross into the box that was dangerous as a shot or as a pass. In addition, RSL had several other beautiful sequences that they didn’t finish (Williams and Espindola’s runs that they didn’t soore on).
Yep. Hurtado was the second best player to Cameron.
Columbus desereved to lose, but as a neutral observer, I’m not really sure RSL was the better team. It seemed like they got some lucky breaks and the calls went there way a bit.
To those fans who know clearly that the PK call and non-call were 100% correct, I say “Bullsh*t!”. In MLS nothing is consistent about refereeing. Hejduk grabbed Espindola, he through up his hands and flopped – PK called. Olave, who’d been smashing into people all game, makes and ill advised tackle in the box and nicks Moreno. He flops and gets yellow carded. Those calls weren’t all that different. And the non-call handball in the box seemed like a blown call to me. There was a Crew player waiting to pounce on the ball when Williams changed the ball trajectory and knocked it down with his outstretched arm. I’m pretty sure there’s a reason defenders don’t run around in the box arms outstretched waiting to block shots “ball to hand”.
Deutch said…
Not to take anything away from RSL for winning, but two of those goals, and 3 if you count the penalty, are not how I would perfer my team to win…
It must be very frustrating to be you and be so picky. I win isn’t good enough? Your team has to win in a particular fashion?
Screw it! Just get the win!
I doubt too many RSL fans are saying today, “I wish we would have lost because we didn’t play a style or use tactics that I approve of.”
I thought only Seattle fans complain about playing style and tactics of their opponents when they lose.
If the #1 seed is so good they should be able to play away from home. If they can’t, they are not as good as you thought.
As for a reward…isn’t it called the Supporters Shield?
For all you whining people, just think of the playoffs as a new season. Everything that happened during the regular season is over and in the books. For the playoffs everything starts over.
Go RSL!!!
Thats right leo, sounders are next to be eliminated. Dale Dynamo!!!
We are planning on going to watch them play up there in a few weeks.
We’ll see what happens in Houston. Just pray RSL doesn’t have to play at Qwest in these playoffs.
I’m not saying it doesn’t work, it clearly does. I’m just saying it’s nice to see some exciting goals as well, when someone says, #$%&, that was a goal. Some players like to try and draw pk’s to score for example, and if it works, great, but I don’t like that tactic, even if it works. That’s all.
The Crew played last night, they were trying, and they still lost! Soccer is a TEAM sport! Not just one player, and Schelotto is good, but not a god! I’m tried of everyone jumping on the coaching. JK treats RSL with the same mentallity that Rob said about sitting GS. If your not playing well there’s the bench. That’s the way it should be! Moreno has always been a diver. I personnaly am happy to see cards for that. The league needs to do that more often. But that still does not change the fact that RSL outplayed the Crew thru the series. RSL is a good team! All the analyists I saw ( Alexi Lalas, MLS ExtraTime, Eric Wynalda, etc.) were watching this series closely, and stating that it could be the upset of the year. Why would they say that unless they knew how RSL can step up and be a dominate force? It’s because they know that RSL IS good!!! And for the last time- everyone stop bagging on other teams for attendence! It’s bad I know, but WE as fans should be converting people out to these games. The MLS needs to step up promotion also. With the exception of Seattle, attendence sucks everywhere on a consisent basis. And don’t say that Toronto’s attendence is good, because I watched several games with holes in their crowd this year. Seattle will probably be the same next year. I REALLY hope I’m wrong about that, and that every team has big crowds every game next year. America (in general) needs to treat this league like a “Major” and not a “Minor” league. I’m proud to be a ReAL fan, and proud of the team for showing who they are thru this series. Let’s keep it up boys, and go get the cup! GO RSL!!!!
How many games did seattle drop points at home, 2 loses and 6 ties = 18 points. RSL only 1 lose and 5 ties = 13 points. We, RSL were and always are “hot” at home, thats why we have the best home record in the league.
You and all the other fools who don’t think RSL should have made the playoffs are just upset because RSL is a really good team when they play together. What other team should have been in? Colorado, you can’t be think that, after we slapped them around for 90 mins a few weeks ago. Maybe DC? You could say that but then you would have to remember that we beat them 2-1 at home in April and then tied them 0-0 at DC in May.
I should really just let you think this all through, you should have plenty of time to think about it after this weekend, sorry but Houston is going to take it to you guys hard…
that first goal by Javi set up by Kyle is not my definition of a ball “skipping” by. And let’s not forget the GBS free kick that bounced into the net…
I’m still unsure about the Moreno foul/dive. I think if he hadn’t been diving and falling down like a rag doll with every little bit of contact throughout the game, maybe he gets that call. As it was, and with his reputation, the referee decided he was diving once again. Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?
I wonderhow much longer before the Crew gets moved? 10k for a playoff game as the defending champs. Pathetic.
Frankie bear hugs Espindola preventing him from making a break to the ball because he got beat – again. Look at his reaction – he knows he fouled Espy. He looks like my son when I catch him hitting his sister. Guilt and despondency.
I agree, when that first goal went in I was laughing, the second was a beautiful finish off a screw up. The same thing happened with Padula against New England. The parity shows with this game, I would say that RSL isn’t much less talented than Columbus or any other team in the playoffs. Consistency in this league is hard to come by month to month, let alone multiple years.
I wish we would have got a weekend home game so I could have gone. Great season by the Crew, better game by RSL. No one crushed us as bad as RSL in the first game, or at home in the playoffs, so congrats.
Winning all games would be 1.000, right? That’s 90 points in a 30-game season. So .500 would be 45 points. Therefore, Columbus was BARELY over .500 with 49 points. In fact, only 4 of the 8 playoff teams were above .500, with two at .500 and 2 slightly below .500. Ridiculous statement.
Interesting that Kreis has now coached up his team two yrs in a row to win a final game of the regular season, and then win their first round via upset. His coaching during the regular season seems to be suspect at times, but he sure knows how to rally the troops it seems. I think RSL has the talent to be in the playoffs despite their sub par record, so good for them for playing the system MLS has created. As a neutral fan, I would rather watch them in the Cup then NE or Chi who both play fairly un-entertaining soccer. Seattle v RSL would be nice to see two teams that have never been to the finals, instead of the old guard. Just my opinion.
Deutch, your comment is either sour grapes or you don’t know soccer.
And Schelloto’s long goal bouncing in the box was a shot???? If you understand soccer, you understand that you put balls and players in dangerous positions and that creates chances that score. Schelloto’s kick, like William’s was a penetrating cross with runners coming to goal that are the MOST difficult for a keeper to stop and score a lot because the keeper has to make a decision on whether to play the potential kick off the runner or play the shot/cross directly. It happens ALL the time, good players use that tactic a lot and it is effective.
RSL controlled the midfield and had as good on the run of play as the Crew. They converted their chances and they won the aggregate by 2 goals.
Not to take anything away from RSL for winning, but two of those goals, and 3 if you count the penalty, are not how I would perfer my team to win… balls skipping by that weren’t really even shots. Nonetheless, they are goals, so they move on.
By the way, I’m not a Crew supporter. I live in Seattle.
RSL was never a “hot” team. They’ve been nothing but inconsistent, and they finished the regular season with more loses than wins. That shouldn’t get you into the playoffs.
Oh man, what a game to watch! Seeing an all-west finale would be amazing. Especially if the Sounders find some way to beat the Houston thugs and advance as well. Seeing RSL get some redemption at Qwest in front of a sold out venue would be pretty sweet
In the end it didn’t make a difference.
On RSL’s first goal, Frankie was really trying to give them a penalty and himself a card. Those studs were flying high. Lucky for him he completely missed.
Moreno was robbed. Even Harkesey said so and he rarely sees a contact that he considers a foul.
It was a dive. That’s the only trick in Moreno’s extremely limited book. The yellow card was the correct decision.
Now you know how RSL, Houston, and Chivas fans felt last year!
.500? It’s not baseball! They deserve to be there. Go back and read the MLS rules to qualify for the playoffs. If your team got in the same way as RSL you would say the same thing. Rules are rules, other teams just stunk it up at the end.
I could’nt agree more! There are A LOT of us in Salt Lake that have been wanting him to step up and earn his money for months now!
Kudos to you Brian for I would say the same thing if the teams were reversed, and the Crapids were there.
Well said. Without a doubt, RSL has been the most underachieving and inconsistent team in the league this year. However, they have provided glimpses all year that they are capable of beating anyone in this league. If their current run of form continues, they are more than capable of taking the cup. I couldn’t have been happier for Andy last night…
Go RSL!