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Kamara, strong defense help Crew down Red Bulls

Jul 1, 2007 - 4:46 AM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- New York Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena may need to take the same steps to improve his team's offense as he did their defense.

Kei Kamara scored in the 69th minute as the Columbus Crew posted a 1-0 victory over the Red Bulls on Saturday.

After New York allowed 11 goals in its last four games, Arena - also the team's sporting director - released defensemen Hugh MacDonald, Taylor Graham and Tim Regan this past week. He also swapped defenders with expansion Toronto FC, acquiring Kevin Goldthwaite in exchange for Todd Dunivant. However, his offense let him down in this contest, as they could only muster one shot on goal.

"I thought they had a better energy level tonight," Arena said. "We settled in and played better the last 20-25 minutes of the first half. In the second half we played OK. We coughed up a ball at our end of the field and they convert into a goal, (so) give them credit. "It is what it is," Arena said about his defensive group. "We were caught without a reserve defender tonight but we will have that organized (for) the next series of games.

Kamara benefited from a nice service from forward Andy Herron, who entered the contest just two minutes before, on the left side and headed the ball past Red Bull goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus for the game's lone score.

"I think this was the best game Kei Kamara has played all year," Columbus coach Sigi Schmid said. "I thought today overall when you look at the whole game we were the better team. All we talked about at halftime was don't get impatient and the goal will come. Just continue to do what you are doing which was creating chances and we were able to do that and come away with the win tonight."

"Andy is really good with the ball," Kamara said. "I just threw it forward and went to the box. Right when he came in, I crossed him the ball and he chipped it in the back post so I kind of thought he would do the same thing again. I was just trying to get up there and hit the ball down and that's what I did."

The shutout also ended a streak of New York 11-point scorer Juan Pablo Angel, who had scored in six straight contests, collecting nine goals over that stretch. The Red Bull forward's scoring explosion had helped New York scored 24 goals in 12 games, tied with the New England Revolution for the best mark in the MLS.

"I think they (played) better," Angel said. "I think it was a very tight game the first 45 minutes. In the second half, I think we played a little bit better than the first. Overall, I think they were the better team. The streak was bound to end sometime."

New York's best scoring opportunity of the first half came in the 38th minute when midfielder Dave van den Bergh hit the side netting of the goal from just outside the 6-yard box.