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Crew extend MLS-record home unbeaten streak to 24

Sep 27, 2009 - 2:24 AM By BOB STEIN STATS MLS Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio (STATS) - A wet pitch following heavy rains and a visit from the league's best road teams did nothing to change the comforts of Crew Stadium, where the Columbus Crew extended their MLS-record home unbeaten streak to 24 matches with a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.

Eddie Gaven and Steven Lenhart scored goals for Columbus (12-4-10), which leads the Eastern Conference and MLS with 46 points. Its unbeaten run at Crew Stadium includes 22 regular-season matches and two in the postseason.

The top two teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, while the teams with the next four highest point totals gain berths as wild cards.

Los Angeles (10-6-11), which squandered a chance to overtake Houston for the Western Conference lead, has 41 points and lost for just the second time in 14 road matches (5-2-7).

The Galaxy played without David Beckham, who did not travel to Columbus with the teammates and was scratched from the game roster by coach Bruce Arena on Thursday because of an injured ankle.

In the 33rd minute, Crew midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo sent a curling 20-yard cross into the penalty area to Gaven. Gaven headed the ball back across the goal mouth and in off the left post for his sixth goal.

Lenhart pounced on a rebound surrendered by Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts inside a muddy 6-yard box to net his third goal in the 59th minute.

"To be honest with you, I enjoyed the game," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "I think it was one of the best performances this year by us, playing against a team that is playing well."

Warzycha typically has little to say about his team's run of home games without a loss, but offered one certain prediction.

"One day, this streak is going to come to an end," Warzycha said. "But when? We don't know. After good performances like this, it could take a little while."

Los Angeles midfielder Chris Birchall barely missed pulling the Galaxy to within a goal when his free kick pinged off the goalpost in the 67th minute.

"The game had no rhythm," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "A lot of fouls were called, a lot of yellows. Sloppy game, but I think Columbus for 90 minutes was first to most of the plays tonight.... They basically won most of the matchups all over the field."

Referee Terry Vaughn issued four of the game's eight yellow cards in a six-minute span of the second half. The first was shown to the Crew's Alejandro Moreno, who had been on the pitch less than two minutes after entering as a substitute for Emilio Renteria.

Moreno's yellow came for a late challenge in the 69th minute. Birchall was carded two minutes later for a foul against Adam Moffat. The Galaxy's Gregg Berhalter was booked in the 73rd minute and Lenhart in the 75th.

The Crew rested 2008 league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto and played without 2008 defender of the year Chad Marshall, who was out with a left knee sprain.