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Red Bulls-Crew Preview

Jun 26, 2009 - 6:10 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

New York (2-11-4) at Columbus (4-3-7), 7:30 p.m. EDT

Just six months ago, the New York Red Bulls used a pair of stunning road victories to reach their first MLS Cup final. They haven't posted a win as the visitor since.

The Red Bulls seek to end the longest regular-season road winless streak in MLS history Saturday night when they meet the Columbus Crew for the first time since losing the championship to them.

New York (2-11-4) finished the 2008 regular season 10-11-9, just good enough to qualify for the final wild-card playoff spot. The club capitalized by eliminating two-time reigning MLS champion Houston 4-1 on aggregate due to a surprising 3-0 road win in the second leg on Nov. 9.

The Red Bulls' success continued six days later with a 1-0 win at Salt Lake in the West final, before seeing their improbable run halted in a 3-1 loss to Columbus (4-3-7) in the Cup final on Nov. 23.

Despite those two key playoff victories, New York is enduring a league-record 21-game road winless streak during the regular season, dating back to a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles on May 10, 2008.

Since then, the Bulls are 0-15-6 away from Giants Stadium, getting outscored 40-10. They've been outscored 16-1 in nine road games (0-8-1) this season.

Their dismal streak continued Wednesday, when they lost 2-0 at Toronto to remain at a league-low 10 points.

"The stats tell you that we have not won on the road. But in the playoffs we beat Real Salt Lake away from home and probably most importantly Houston away from home. So I disagree," said Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who has a 1-16-7 road record in two seasons with New York.

"I tell my players we are capable of winning away from home and hopefully we will change it soon."

Overall, the Red Bulls have gone eight games without a victory (0-6-2) since beating San Jose 4-1 on May 8. It's their longest winless stretch since an MLS-record 12-game losing streak July 4-Sept. 5, 1999, en route to the worst finish in league history at 15 points.

New York may be without forward Juan Pablo Angel, who is listed as questionable with a right quadriceps contusion. The forward has a team-high five goals, but has only found the back of the net once in the last five games. He has four goals in five meetings with Columbus.

The Red Bulls went 2-1-0 against the Crew in last year's regular season, with the lone defeat coming at Columbus, a 3-1 loss Sept. 18. They're 0-3-1 in their last four visits.

The Crew had a nine-game unbeaten streak snapped last Saturday, losing 2-1 at Dallas after giving up a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes. They conceded the eventual game-winner on a penalty kick by Kenny Cooper with three minutes to play.

"At some point we have to lose a game," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "I think in the second half we dropped too much. Obviously, we don't want to lose on a penalty kick."

Columbus is expected to have defender and captain Frankie Hejduk back in the lineup after he missed five games with a groin injury suffered in a 1-all tie at Los Angeles on May 17.

"I'm ready to go. I've had a good week of training. I'm ready to get that game feeling back and get off the sideline," Hejduk told the Crew's official Web site.