November 5, 2009
MLS PLAYOFF ROUNDUP
A Real-ly big upset

REAL SALT LAKE 3, COLUMBUS CREW 2
COLUMBUS—The first team in to the MLS Cup playoffs was the first team to be knocked out, as the defending champion Columbus Crew blew a two-goal lead and fell 3-2 to underdogs Real Salt Lake in the return leg of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday at Columbus Crew Stadium.

RSL, who squeaked into the postseason in the eighth and last spot, and were seeded fourth in the East, won the aggregate-goals series 4-2 and will face the winner of the Chicago-New England semifinal set in the Conference Final on Saturday, November 14.

The top-seeded Crew, who lost the series opener 1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium, got off to an assertive start, and seized the lead on goals by Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the 19th and 35th minutes. RSL, who won only two regular-season road games, kept their heads up and took only two minutes to cut the Crew’s lead in half. Kyle Beckerman chipped the ball over four defenders to wide-open Javier Morales, who buried a shot under ‘keeper Will Hesmer from close range.

Robbie Findley, the hero of last weekend’s series-opening victory, knotted the score in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, after a soft penalty call on Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, who tangled legs with Fabian Espindola in front of the goal. Hesmer dove to his left, and Findley buried the spot kick to the opposite corner.

Andy Williams put the match, and the series, away in the 74th minute, taking a short corner kick from Morales and threading a low shot though a crowd into the right side of the goal.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando did the rest for Salt Lake, fending off the Crew’s increasingly desperate attacks. His eight saves included back-to-back punches on point-blank headers by Eddie Gaven and Chad Marshall in the 65th minute, and a close-range reaction save on late substitute Jason Garey in the 85th.