The good news for the Crew is that they located their offensive intensity that had gone missing recently. The bad news is that it wasn't enough to make the difference against a short-handed Los Angeles side.
The Crew fell 1-0 to the league-leading Galaxy, who found a stoppage-time strike from the foot of Chad Barrett despite fielding a reserve-heavy side. Weary from a thick slate of midweek CONCACAF Champions League matches, the Galaxy rested stars David Beckham and Robbie Keane, as well as defending MLS Goalkeeper of the year Donovan Ricketts. However, it wasn't enough for the Crew to take advantage of, as backup goalie Josh Saunders put up an astounding clean sheet with four saves.
It was Saunders who proved to be the biggest roadblock to the Columbus attack, as he made impressive stops in the final ten minutes as the Crew pressed for a late winner. Andres Mendoza and Robbie Rogers both had one-on-one chances foiled by the Puerto Rico international, while Mendoza and Emilio Renteria had tight-angle shots turned away as well.
The Crew's closest chance, however, was saved not by Saunders but by Michael Stephens, as Chad Marshall's early second-half header was barely cleared off the line by the young midfielder. While the captain has tallied 13 career goals for the Crew, it would have been his first of the season.
Despite their shorthanded lineup, the Galaxy kept a reasonable amount of pressure on the Crew backline during the game. Striker Adam Cristman was active early on, testing William Hesmer with a pair of powerful shots in the first half. Hesmer proved equal to the Galaxy offense until second-half stoppage time, when fresh substitute Barrett volleyed home the rebound from Hesmer's parry of a Landon Donovan blast. The preliminary strike was the first contribution of Donovan's night, as his clogged schedule limited him to a cameo appearance off the bench in the second half.
The loss extended the Crew's winless streak to 5 games, and Columbus has now lost 4 of the last 5. With the loss and Houston's road triumph against FC Dallas, the Crew are now tied for second place in the Eastern Conference behind the Dynamo.
The Crew's next match comes on Wednesday with the other team tied for second place, Sporting Kansas City, as Columbus makes their first trip to the brand-new Livestrong Sporting Park. With the two sides battling for top position, the midweek match could shape the rest of the season in the Eastern Conference and heavily impact the MLS Cup playoff picture.
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