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Barros Schelotto helps Crew top Earthquakes

May 28, 2009 - 3:18 AM By BOB STEIN STATS MLS Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio (STATS) - Guillermo Barros Schelotto made sure the Columbus Crew's home unbeaten streak would be extended.

Barros Schelotto scored 28 seconds into the second half to help the Crew beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Wednesday night.

The defending MLS Cup champions are 10-0-6 in their last 16 home games, including a 2-0-3 mark this year. Columbus' last loss at Crew Stadium was 2-0 defeat to the Earthquakes on June 7.

San Jose forward Ryan Johnson opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, but the Earthquakes (1-7-2) held the lead only six minutes before Eddie Gaven headed the ball past goalkeeper Joe Cannon for Columbus (2-2-6).

Schelotto's goal, his sixth of the year, came just before a steady rain began to fall at Crew Stadium, and was and uncharacteristically scrappy tally for the normally smooth Argentine.

"He surprises everybody every time he steps on the field," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "So that's good."

Johnson barreled over a Columbus defender and poked the ball past goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum for his fifth goal of the year.

"Ryan's done well," said San Jose coach Frank Yallop. "He leads the line well, he's tough, aggressive, good in the air.... I wish all the players had his heart, because we'd be fine."

Referee Abiodun Okulaja ignored calls from Columbus players for a handball against Quincy Amarikwa on the play, who was shown in replays to have used his arm to redirect Eric Denton's long pass toward Johnson.

Six minutes later, Gaven capitalized on a long ball into the box from Gino Padula that Eric Brunner headed into Gaven's path. The goal was Gaven's second of the season.

San Jose played better in a chippy first half with several hard tackles and yellow cards for Amarikwa and Bobby Convey. Earthquakes captain Ramiro Corrales was booked in the second half.

Denton drove a close-range shot off Gruenebaum's chest after receiving a pass from Shea Salinas in the 15th minute. Three minutes later, Salinas barely missed a goal, sending a low, rolling shot just to the right of the net.

"I thought in the first half, at least we were pretty organized, had some good breaks," Yallop said. "It's tough right now."

San Jose has lost five in a row, dropped to 0-6-2 in its last eight MLS matches and have been outscored 21-10 this season. The Earthquakes' five points also are the fewest in MLS, one behind FC Dallas.

Crew midfielder Brian Carroll left the game in the second half after suffering a dislocated shoulder during a tackle by Simon Elliott that did not draw a foul call. Warzycha said Carroll may undergo surgery as early as Thursday.

Carroll's injury was the low point of an unusually rough game for both teams, but one that had only 23 fouls called.

"If things aren't working right, you gotta play a little bit harder," Brunner said. "Harder means, you know, getting a little nicky in there and playing 50-50s a little harder, and that's kind of what (San Jose) came in here to do tonight."