Brian McBride spent years as the hero for the Columbus Crew. No one expected him to return the favor wearing a Chicago Fire jersey. But Thursday night, that's what he did. McBride tallied a 29th-minute goal to give his club a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Championship.
And then Columbus doused the Fire with two quick goals in the second half. The Crew went on to a 2-1 win, winning the team's first-ever trip to the MLS Cup Final.
Goals from Chad Marshall in the 49th minute and Guillermo Barros Schelotto six minutes later gave the Crew the lead for good and their ticket to MLS Cup 2008, where they will play the winner between Saturday's Western Conference Championship between Real Salt Lake and the New York Red Bulls.
In the eighth minute, Justin Mapp almost put the Fire on the board. He blasted the ball at goal, forcing William Hesmer to make the save.
But Columbus made the next push. The Crew took five shots in a seven-minute span, keeping the Fire defenders on their toes.
Chad Marshall started things off in the 19th minute, sending the ball high. Two minutes later, Brad Evans shot the ball wide right. Then Schelotto forced Jon Busch to make a save just seconds later. Marshall and Schelotto added one more attempt each. In the 26th, Schelotto had the best attempt of the half for the Crew. He ricocheted the ball off the top of the left crossbar.
Three minutes later, McBride heated things up. Justin Mapp tracked down a Cuauhtemoc Blanco on the left flank and floated a perfect ball into the box. A leaping McBride looped a header over Hesmer and into the right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
It didn't take long for the Crew to retaliate in the second half. In a six-minute span, they jumped ahead 2-1.
Marshall struck in the 49th minute. After Gaven was taken down on the right flank by Gonzalo Segares, earning the Fire fullback a yellow card, Schelotto swung in the free kick. Marshall headed the ball toward goal. It bounced off the crossbar and down into the goal, tying the game at 1-1.
In the 55th minute, Alejandro Moreno headed a long clearance to Schelotto, who headed it back forward to Moreno. Moreno then headed the ball forward into the box where Gaven ran onto the ball behind the Fire defense, settled it and sent a low shot into the left corner past a diving Busch.
Four minutes later Robbie Rogers blasted the ball toward goal. Busch pushed it over the net for a corner kick.
In the 62nd minute, John Thorrington almost snuck one in for the Fire. He sent a bouncing ball toward the right post, but Hesmer got down well to stop it. Thorrington then blasted a ball high two minutes later, skimming the top of the net.
The Fire had another good opportunity in the 73rd minute. Blanco played the ball into the box and a running McBride got onto the end of it, but sent it into Hesmer's arms.
Blanco soared the ball over the net in the 88th minute and another ball into the box in the 89th minute.
Chicago brought on the fresh legs of Nyarko, Pappa and Mike Banner late in the second half. Despite a late offensive push, no one player could provide the spark Chicago needed.
Pappa came on in the final minute of regulation, and almost immediately after coming on, blasted a shot wide of goal. Nyarko headed the ball wide right in stoppage time, then Pappa blasted another ball wide left two minutes into stoppage time.
That was the last chance for the Fire, as the Crew maintained their home-field advantage all the way to MLS Cup 2008.
Kathryn L. Knapp is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
