Stoppage-time PK lifts Crew over Dynamo

Victory puts Columbus in lead of race for Supporters' Shield

Geoff Cameron was called for fouling Alejandro Moreno by referee Jorge Gonzalez as the Crew forward was about to receive a cross from Frankie Hejduk in the final minute of regulation time. Cameron had his hand on Moreno's left shoulder before he went down.

Gaven took the PK because Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who had taken all the penalties the past two seasons, had been substituted in the 88th minute. Gaven sent the ball into the lower right corner as Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad went the opposite way.

Earlier, Cam Weaver came off the Houston bench to score the tying goal in the 80th minute to give the Dynamo the equalizer, countering a 34th-minute goal by Frankie Hejduk. Weaver scored four minutes after entering by getting on the end of a Brian Ching flick seven yards from goal.

It was a feisty affair and shortly after the score was knotted the Crew's Adam Moffat and Ricardo Clark of Houston were sent off in the 82nd minute after jousting.

Columbus (11-4-9) won for the sixth time in seven games and extended its regular-season home unbeaten streak to an MLS record 21 games (15-0-6). Houston (11-4-9) dropped its second in a row.

The match paired the top two teams in the league and the winners of the past three MLS Cups. Houston, champions in 2006 and '07, entered with 40 points -- one ahead of the Crew for the Supporters' Shield, although the Dynamo had played two more matches.

Houston was also trying to hold off Los Angeles (38) and Seattle (37) in the Western Conference while the Crew moved three points ahead of Chicago with one game in hand.

In a possible championship game preview, Hejduk gave the Crew the lead in the 34th minute with his first goal since the 2008 MLS Cup. Although defender Gino Padula won't show up on the scoresheet, he was responsible on several counts for the goal.

First, his relentless hard work in pursuit of the ball at the end line forced a corner kick on the left side. Schelotto sent the ensuing short corner out to Padula, who then whipped the ball into the box. Houston's Andrew Hainault tried a clearing with his head but the ball went to the far post. As Crew defender Chad Marshall went for the service he was challenged by Bobby Boswell but Hejduk moved into position behind the two to knock the Hainault's volley into the net.

The Dynamo controlled the early tempo and midfielder Ricardo Clark, fresh off the winner Wednesday for the United States in a World Cup qualifier at Trinidad and Tobago, threaded a pass to recently acquired Mexican forward Luis Angel Landin on the right side of the box for an open strike that sailed over the goal.

Columbus did very little in the final third at the onset and relied on a Schelotto free kick from 35 yards that missed the upper left corner for its best chance through the quarter-hour mark.

Houston stifled the Crew by yielding allowing only three shots through the first hour, the same number taken by Clark. Brian Mullan nearly tied the match with Houston's ninth shot in the 62nd minute by sending a floater from the right sideline only to see goalkeeper William Hesmer parry it over the crossbar.

Houston made three changes since its last match at Colorado. Midfielder Brad Davis served a yellow-card accumulation suspension and was replaced by Corey Ashe. Mike Chabala went in for Wade Barrett and Landin made his first start in place of Kei Kamara (hamstring).

Crew coach Robert Warzycha returned to the starting forward combination of Schelotto and Moreno for the first time in an MLS match since July 4. Both suffered injuries the next week and Schelotto has been out of the first XI until Sunday while Moreno got a start on Aug. 15 vs. FC Dallas. The pair did start two CONCACAF Champions League matches last month.

Schelotto and Moreno started 11 of the first 16 games when Schelotto raced to the early lead in race for the Golden Boot as the top goal scorer. He had two on June 14 to give him 10 but has not scored since.

Each team was coming off a bye week after losing a match on the road Aug. 30. Houston is 1-3-2 in the past six games and 2-5-3 over 10.

Columbus was at full strength with all 23 players healthy as it started a stretch of four MLS and three CONCACAF Champions League matches in 21 days. The Crew travel to Costa Rica on Wednesday to face Saprissa in the Champions League before playing at Chicago on Sept. 20.

Houston is also active in the Champions League on Wednesday when it goes on the road to Mexican club Pachuca before playing host to Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Craig Merz is a contributor to MLSnet.com.

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