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Crew-Real Salt Lake Preview

Oct 30, 2009 - 7:16 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Columbus (13-7-10) at Real Salt Lake (11-12-7), 6:00 p.m. EDT

The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew earned a second straight Supporters' Shield for the highest point total in the league.

Their reward is an Eastern Conference semifinal opener on the road against the team with the best home record in the league.

The Crew and Real Salt Lake will play the first leg of their series Saturday in Utah, where the home team has lost once all season.

Columbus (13-7-10) finished with 49 points - eight shy of its total last season but still enough to earn another Supporters' Shield. The Crew beat Kansas City, Chicago and New York to earn their first MLS Cup in 2008.

"It was still special to celebrate the Supporters' Shield with the fans and accept that trophy for two years in a row, but now that's over and every team's on an even playing field and we need to prepare for the playoffs accordingly," midfielder Brian Carroll said.

Columbus earned a 1-all draw with Kansas City last year in the first leg of the conference semifinals, and is looking for a similar or better result to take home this time. It won't be easy since Real Salt Lake (11-12-7) went 9-1-5 at Rio Tinto Stadium and this will be its last game at home, where it has scored a league-high 34 goals.

Real Salt Lake won 3-0 over Colorado behind two first-half goals from Robbie Findley last Saturday and gained a playoff berth when other results went its way. Last year, RSL reached the playoffs for the first time and upset Chivas USA in the Western Conference semis before falling to New York.

"Our guys have to truly believe right now," coach Jason Kreis said. "I feel like it has been such an effort to make it to the playoffs, what I'm wary of is kind of everybody taking a breath and going, 'Ahh, we're here.'

"For me, that's not good enough, because honestly, in my mind - and I'm not just saying this to say it - I feel like we have a team that can beat anybody on a given day. So we have to believe."

This matchup features two of the best forwards in the league in Findley and Columbus star Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the reigning league MVP. Both were part of a five-way tie for third place in MLS with 12 goals.

The Crew are very familiar with Findley after he notched the first hat trick in RSL history in a 4-1 victory April 2. Jason Garey scored twice when Columbus evened the season series with a 3-1 victory July 18.

Columbus isn't entering with a lot of momentum, scoring one goal in losing three of its last four. The Crew fell 1-0 to New England on Sunday.

"It's not panic mode or anything," forward Steven Lenhart said. "We have a ton of experienced guys. It's good to get it out of our system now."

There have been two repeat champions in league history. D.C. United won the first two MLS Cups in 1996-97 and Houston won two straight from 2006-07.

The second leg will be in Columbus on Nov. 5.