Real Salt Lake: Depleted RSL falls to Crew

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a match where both teams were missing key players, the Columbus Crew showed less effect and surged past Real Salt Lake 3-1 Saturday in front of 12,922 in Crew Stadium.

Five players — three for RSL and two for the Crew — were unavailable because of national team commitments at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

No matter for the Crew (6-3-9). They tied the Major League Soccer record for a home undefeated run, having not lost at home since June 2008, a stretch spanning 18 games.

RSL (5-7-5), with only 14 field players available, saw its five-game unbeaten streak snapped. The streak was a bit misleading, though. Real Salt Lake's most recent match was a 1-1 draw at home against San Jose, the last-place team in the Western Conference.

"Our depth was tested for sure in the midfield," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "Putting a couple of guys in there, playing a lot of minutes who don't typically inside the middle of the field. But I don't think it comes down to that for me. It comes down to some other things."

Two defensive mistakes caused RSL to fall behind 2-0 before halftime.

Steven Lenhart and Jason Garey, paired together for the first time at the forward position for the Crew, provided all three goals.

Lenhart scored unassisted in the 23rd minute when RSL defender Jamison Olave deflected a cross from Frankie Hejduk inside the goal box. The ball found Lenhart, who drove it past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

In the 31st minute, Garey scored unassisted after 6-foot-1 Lenhart headed a cross straight into the air. Rimando failed to punch the header out and Garey finished.

"The next thing you know we're down 2-0, and it's hard to come back from," RSL defender Chris Wingert said. "Even in the second half, we're like, 'We're all right, We're all right.' We had a breakaway the first 30 seconds, and that changes the match maybe. But it was just one of those days, I guess."

The breakaway Wingert referred to came from the feet of newly acquired forward Pablo Campos. The Brazilian forward started the second half for Tony Beltran and almost scored in the opening seconds. He found space and got past the defense, but his shot slid just past an open net.

"I should have taken one more touch and finished it because the goalie was coming out," Campos said, "so I tried to surprise him."

Campos, at 6-foot-4, helped RSL midfielder Raphael Cox score his first career goal in the 76th minute. Cox replaced forward Robbie Findley in the second half.

Wingert sent a cross that found Campos. The ball bounced backwards off a leaping Campos to Cox, who sent a low, line-drive shot past Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer.

The goal was bittersweet for Cox.