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Schelotto scores twice as Crew blank Toronto

Jul 23, 2007 - 12:45 AM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored two goals six minutes apart in the second half to lift the Columbus Crew to a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC.

The Crew (6-5-7) snapped a four-game unbeaten streak by Toronto (5-8-4), which remains five points behind the New York Red Bulls for the eighth and final playoff spot.

"Three points is three points and three points at home is great," Crew coach Sigi Schmid. "We will take all the points we can get. We want to continue to separate ourselves from and put ourselves in a position where we are solidly in a position for the playoffs and slowly we are getting there."

Columbus did not take long to take control in the second half. Schelotto scored his first goal in the 50th minute with a left-footed strike inside the box that beat Toronto goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic to his right.

"(Ned) Grabavoy opened the wing to Frankie (Hejduk) and he crossed it," Schelotto said. "I was at the second post and I saw the ball coming and just put it in."

The second goal came in the 56th minute off a free kick from about 30 yards out. With the wall formed, Schelotto kicked a ball that went over the wall and just hooked inside the right post for a 2-0 lead.

"I always think about taking the shot in that situation," Schelotto said. "We practice that and I felt confident in that so I just went for it and it went in."

Toronto never was able to mount an effective attack in the second half, getting outshot, 8-1, after holding a 5-4 edge in the opening 45 minutes.

"We are disappointed, we felt we could come here and get something," Toronto midfielder Jim Brennan said. "After the first half, they had two chances and they finished them. Obviously we are disappointed with the results today because it was a long road trip and we wanted to get something today but it just didnt go our way."

The two goals were Schelotto's third and fourth of the season and doubled his goal total for the year.

Schelotto, who was signed by the Crew on April 19 from the Argentine Club Boca Juniors, also has seven assists in 12 games - 11 starts.

"Watching him score two goals, I was very happy with that," Schmid said. "I thought on the first goal was a well-played and well-created goal. The play kind of opened up for him and he put it in. On the free kick I think Mo (Toronto coach Johnston) feels that their goalkeeper could have played better on that free kick.

"We were sitting on the bench and he hit a great free kick and it went in."

In a scoreless first half, there were precious few scoring chances for either team.

Columbus had the best chance of the half in the 19th minute when Alejandro Moreno appeared to be offside but headed a shot over Djekanovic but the ball was cleared off the goal line by defender Tyrone Marshall.

"We have been on the road for a while and we just did not perform today" Johnston said. "There is still hope, I do not feel this game had playoff implications. There are still 14 or so games left and now we have a lot of games at home and that is a tough place anybody to play.

"I like our chances and I like were we are now."