Out of gas, and outclassed
Revolution routed by No. 1 Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The top teams in the Major League Soccer standings faced off last night, but only one looked like it belonged among the elite.
The Columbus Crew maintained their spot atop the Eastern Conference with their fourth straight win, a 4-0 victory over the Revolution in front of 16,918 at Columbus Crew Stadium. The Revolution dropped to 11-7-5 (38 points), while the Crew, who haven't reached the playoffs since 2004, improved their league-best record to 13-6-4 (43 points).
Chicago defeated New York last night to improve to 11-7-5 and tie the Revolution for second place, although the Fire own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Injuries and a busy schedule may have taken a toll on the Revolution, who have been outscored, 8-0, in their last two matches. The Revolution have won just one game since capturing the SuperLiga championship, going 1-6-2 in all competitions and 1-3-2 in MLS matches since Aug. 5.
Revolution coach Steve Nicol said he is not concerned about the confidence of his experienced players during this challenging stretch, but believes younger players may have to be encouraged to remain positive.
"It's tough on the young guys," Nicol said. "All the sudden things were going great and you always have a tough time at some stage of the season and we're getting it now, and they have to realize what it's all about. This is when they really learn."
Nicol said his team, which took part in three in-season tournaments, continues to be affected by the wear and tear of playing 33 matches already this season.
"The one thing we have to understand is where we are," Nicol said. "When you can't run, you can't compete, and at the present time we can't run."
The Crew dominated, putting 13 shots on goal. The Revolution put one shot on goal, by Taylor Twellman in the first half.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto made the Revolution's night miserable, scoring once and assisting on two goals. Before Jason Garey's second goal of the night in the 90th minute, Schelotto had scored or assisted on 10 consecutive goals scored by the Crew.
The scoring frenzy came without the services of Alejandro Moreno (Venezuela), one of four Crew players away on international duty. Moreno (eight goals) is the Crew's leading scorer.
Even without Moreno, the Crew played like the best team in the league, but coach Sigi Schmid wanted to keep the win in perspective. Schmid said the Revolution are "a tired team," but the Crew needed to take advantage and can begin to appreciate what it has achieved.
"I think we can start talking about or thinking [that] we want to win the league," Schmid said.
The Crew threatened from the opening minutes. The Revolution were left scrambling for possession and were unable to slow down the Crew. Eventually, the Crew found the back of the net.
In the 40th minute, a shot from the left side was deflected and the ball landed in the middle of the box untouched until Schelotto rushed in to convert the goal and give the Crew a 1-0 lead.
In the 45th, Schelotto delivered a free kick from the left side that found rookie Andy Iro, whose header gave the Crew a 2-0 lead at halftime. It was the first professional goal of the season for Iro.
The Revolution got a look at what Schelotto, MLS Player of the Month for August, can do with his precision. His assists last night kept him atop the league with 18.
Despite the disappointing performance, Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph said the team can't dwell on the result.
"Our confidence is still sky-high, we just have to look at ourselves in the mirror and take a gut check," Joseph said. 