Sat May 3 22:01:01 2008

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Crew stay on top of MLS with win over K.C.

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Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - With a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night, the Columbus Crew won their fourth straight Major League Soccer fixture to improve to a league best 5-1-0.

First half goals by Adam Moffat and Robbie Rogers were enough to counter a Claudio Lopez second half goal as the Crew hung on to keep a two point lead on second-place Chicago in the Eastern Conference table after week six.

The Crew jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the game when Argentine veteran Guillermo Barros Schelotto took a free kick in the fourth minute. His kick swung into the left side of the Wizards' penalty area to Chad Marshall, who headed back across the box to Adam Moffat, who headed home for his second goal of the season.

Half an hour later the Crew doubled their lead when Wizards veteran goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and defender Chance Myers looked confused in their end. After Columbus forward Alejandro Moreno played a ball to space behind Myers in the box, the '08 top overall draft pick let up, expecting Hartman to come out and grab it. Instead, Rogers sped between them and played the ball past Hartman and over the goaline for his third goal of the season.

With the frustration of giving up two goals mounting, another Kansas City player made a rookie mistake just two minutes later. The visitors other first round draft pick, Roger Espinoza, received a red card after elbowing Crew captain Frankie Hejduk in the face, forcing the Wizards to play a man down the rest of the way.

Kansas City came out refocused in the second half, with Lopez getting his team's first shot on goal just after the break. He took a pass behind the defense but Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer came out to challenge and knocked the ball away for one of his four saves on the day.

Hesmer made another strong save off a corner kick, this time by Myers to keep the two goal advantage just after the hour mark.

The Wizards finally pulled a goal back in the 79th minute after second half substitute Scott Sealy was pulled down in the penalty area. Lopez took the chance and fired right down the middle and in for his second goal of the season.

The Crew hung on, however, handing Kansas City (3-3-1) its second straight loss.

The Wizards will have some time to correct their problems with their next league fixture being on May 17 at New York. The Crew will be back in action at San Jose next Saturday.

GAME NOTES: Espinoza's ejection came in front of his friends and family in Columbus after being drafted from Ohio State. ... The Crew brought in 20-year- old Nigerian Emmanuel Ekpo in the 54th minute for his first ever MLS action. ... The win served as an early birthday gift for Schelotto, who turns 35 on Sunday.