It is now in the history books. The Columbus Crew have won their first ever Major League Soccer Championship 3-1 against the New York Red Bulls.
Your Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player Barros Schelotto recorded three assists to help deliver a championship in his second season in MLS. Rightfully so he also claimed MVP honors for the MLS Cup as well. What a surprise considering he had a league leading 19 assists during the regular season, which five of those were game winners.
Columbus easily dominated during the regular season but did not have much success against the Red Bulls, who won two of three meetings one of which was a 3-1 win. Sorry New York, but I guess that's karma.
Alejandro Moreno, who was the leading goal scorer on the team with nine goals, opened the scoring in the 31st minute. He hit a shot from the right side of the 18 yard box with virtually no angle, but still managed to fit it just barely inside the left goal post.
After New York forward John Wolyniec tied the match in the 51st minute, The Crew immediately answered and reclaimed the lead, dominating the rest of the game. Just a minute later Chad Marshall snapped the 1-1 tie. Schelotto delivered a perfect corner kick right in front of the goal to Marshall, who powered home what proved to be the game winning goal.
But the Crew were not done yet, they still searched for the goal that would seal the deal for them. In the 82nd minute Schelotto lofted a pass over the Red Bulls defense to Hejduk, who scored on a header to ensure that the Cup would be rightfully theirs.
It was a perfect ending to what was a dominant regular season for the Crew, who had 17 victories and 57 points during the season. That included a nine-game unbeaten streak that lasted more than two months. Strangely enough it was the New York Red Bulls that ended that winning streak during the regular season.
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