• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Crew-United Preview

Oct 16, 2009 - 5:27 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Columbus (13-5-10) at D.C. (8-8-12), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Columbus Crew have a chance to become the second team to win two straight Supporters' Shields. D.C. United are hardly playing up to the standards of the last club to accomplish that feat.

A week after clinching first place in the Eastern Conference, the Crew look to finish with the top record in MLS for the second straight season as they visit struggling United on Saturday night.

Columbus (13-5-10) can secure the Supporters' Shield with a win over D.C. (8-8-12) and a Chivas USA loss or tie against San Jose later that night.

The Crew have two games remaining to become the first team to top the league standings in consecutive seasons since United did it from 2006-07.

"We have to try to win the Supporters' Shield," said defender Gino Padula, who scored his first goal of the season in a 1-0 win over New England last Saturday night. "To win it two years in row is not very easy."

The victory over the Revolution secured first place in the East for the Crew, who won their first MLS Cup last season.

D.C., meanwhile, has lost three straight, all at home, and would be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or tie against Columbus and a New England win over Chicago.

"Well, our playoff hopes are slim now. We've dug ourselves a major hole," coach Tom Soehn said. "Now we're looking at everybody else, but in the end we still have to look at ourselves and find a way to pick ourselves out again. But it's slim chances now. That's the reality."

D.C. hasn't played since a 2-0 loss to Chivas on Oct. 3.

Santino Quaranta will miss the last two games after undergoing foot surgery Wednesday, leaving D.C. without one of its top midfielders. He is expected to miss four to six months.

Quaranta, who had a similar injury in his right foot in 2006 while playing for New York, had two goals and six assists in 22 games.

United continue to explore their options in goal after Josh Wicks (dislocated shoulder, sprained knee) was hurt in a 2-1 loss to San Jose on Sept. 27. After Milos Kocic struggled against Chivas, D.C. acquired Steve Cronin on loan from the lower-division Portland Timbers this past week.

Columbus has been strong at that position all season. William Hesmer is coming off his seventh shutout and ranks third in MLS in goals-against average at 0.94.

Hesmer had another successful game even though defender Chad Marshall sat out with a knee injury. Marshall is expected to miss this match, but fellow defender Frankie Hejduk and forwards Robbie Rogers and Alejandro Moreno will be back after missing time due to World Cup qualifier commitments.

Moreno and Rogers have a combined five goals and six assists.

Moreno scored in the 59th minute as Columbus came back to tie D.C. 1-all July 4. Christian Gomez scored for United.