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Crew 2, Wizards 0

Jun 7, 2009 - 3:48 AM By STEVE BRISENDINE STATS MLS Correspondent

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (STATS) - The Columbus Crew came to Kansas City hoping to extend one streak and break another.

Despite the absence of three players to national team commitments and the 51st-minute ejection of defender Chad Marshall, the Crew broke an eight-match winless streak on the road and ran their unbeaten string to eight with a 2-0 victory over the Wizards on Saturday night.

"If you'd have told me that before the game, I'd have said, 'I'm buying the champagne after the game,'" coach Robert Warzycha said.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored both of Columbus' goals, one in each half - and both with the help of defensive mistakes by the Wizards. His eight goals this season tie him with Colorado's Conor Casey, who was on U.S. national team duty Saturday, for the league scoring lead.

It was also the Crew's first shutout of the year - and it came with Andy Gruenebaum, filling in while William Hesmer recovers from a back injury, in goal.

"It feels great to come in and get a shutout," said Gruenebaum, who grew up in nearby Overland Park. "Any time you get it against your hometown side, it's just that much better."

Columbus (3-2-7), unbeaten in its last eight matches, had not won away from home since beating New England 2-1 on Sept. 27, 2008. The defending MLS Cup champions moved into a three-way tie with Kansas City (4-5-4) and Toronto FC for third place in the Eastern Conference - despite playing much of the second half with only 10 men.

"I don't know what their quite going to be, but we gave them the game tonight," said Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad, who was part of a pileup that led to Schelotto's first goal. "It's frustrating because they've caught us. This was a great game for us to keep them below us, and we didn't take advantage."

Marshall was given a straight red card in the 51st minute for kneeing Kansas City's Aaron Hohlbein in the groin. Despite the advantage, the Wizards - who had a three-match unbeaten streak snapped - couldn't overcome Schelotto's goals.

He put the Crew up 1-0 in the 14th minute, after goalkeeper Kevin Hartman collided with defenders Hohlbein and Conrad while trying to make a play in the penalty area. The three Kansas City players landed in a heap, and Schelotto flicked the ball into an empty goal with the outside of his right foot.

"I have to watch the play. It still has me shaking my head," Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo said. "Three guys there to make the play, and somehow we ran into each other and didn't."

The problem, Conrad said, was that too many players tried to make the play.

"The ball was spinning, kind of a weird spin," he said. "I had a bead on it, but then Aaron had a bead on it, too. I was about to attack it, when Hartman said 'Goalkeeper,' so I tried to back off and get out of the way. We all made a decision, then indecision, then Bad News Bears and they get an easy goal."

Schelotto added the penalty kick in the 64th minute, after Matt Besler was called for a foul on Columbus' Eddie Gaven just inside the area. Schelotto stepped to the spot, got Hartman to dive right, and put the ball in the left center of the goal for a 2-0 lead.