Quakes fade after half against Crew

San Jose unable to solve Columbus defense in 3-0 loss

The result all but mathematically eliminates the Quakes from the playoffs, as they now sit six points behind seventh-place Dallas with 10 games to play.

As for the Crew, they extended their lead atop the Eastern Conference to four points, pending Sunday's match between second-place Chicago and Houston. Goalkeeper William Hesmer delivered his fourth clean sheet of the season and second in a row.

Quakes manager Frank Yallop, for one of the few times this season, named an unchanged side from the one that thrashed Seattle 4-0. The Crew's Robert Warzycha also kept the same lineup, although that meant reigning MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto missed his fourth consecutive game with a left hamstring injury.

The Quakes settled quickly, with Ryan Johnson springing Darren Huckerby on a breakaway in the third minute, but Crew goalkeeper Hesmer was off his line to spoil the Englishman's effort.

Columbus responded with two chances in a four minute span. A short chip from Rogers nearly put Steven Lenhart through, but Quakes defender Brandon McDonald was able to muscle the Crew forward off the ball. In the eighth minute, a free kick from Chad Marshall was then saved comfortably by San Jose 'keeper Joe Cannon.

Columbus began to find some success with their aerial game, as both Lenhart and Jason Garey were winning their share of headers. But it was with his feet that Lenhart released Rogers two minutes later, only to see the ensuing shot hit well wide of goal.

While neither team could gain a stranglehold on possession, San Jose began carving out the better chances. In the 30th minute Cornell Glen evaded the attentions of Marshall with a quick turn, but his blast was turned superbly around the far post by Hesmer.

Marshall was much sharper four minutes later, breaking up a quick combination between Huckerby and Glen that nearly threatened the Crew goal.

Yet with the home side threatening to put their stamp on the game, Columbus finished the half looking stronger. Garey headed an Eddie Gaven cross just wide of goal in the 41st minute, and he looked set to receive a pass in the box from Lenhart four minutes later, but Chris Leitch spoiled the effort with a strong tackle.

Both offenses initially found it harder to get going in the second half. A ball over the top by Bobby Convey found Ryan Johnson in space in the 56th minute, but the Jamaican could only drag his shot wide.

In a bid to generate more offense, Warzycha brought on Emmanuel Ekpo and Moreno for Gaven and Garey, respectively, and it took less than 10 minutes for both players to help put the Crew ahead. Ekpo's cross from the right wing was headed back across goal by Rogers to Moreno, who nodded home his fourth goal of the season from close range.

Earlier the Quakes had brought on Arturo Alvarez for the tiring Johnson, but Rogers doubled the Crew's advantage just four minutes after Moreno's tally. Rogers received the ball near the left hand corner of the box, and a hard tackle by Leitch looked to have killed the threat. But the ball fell fortuitously right back to the Crew midfielder, and he made no mistake with an authoritative finish into the upper corner.

The double blow seemed to take the life out of the Quakes, and Moffat then capped off the night in the 87th minute, heading home Gino Padula's corner kick with the help of a deflection by the Quakes' McDonald.

Yallop did bring on Chris Wondolowski for midfielder Ramon Sanchez, but San Jose did little to threaten the Columbus goal the rest of the way, and the reigning MLS champions walked off with a deserved victory.

San Jose now has a week off before playing host to Kansas City on August 22, while the Crew return home to face FC Dallas next Saturday.

Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com.

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