The Columbus Crew (8-12-5, 29 points) saw its modest two-match winning streak snapped on Saturday night, as the Black & Gold fell 4-0 to Western Conference-leading Real Salt Lake (13-8-6, 45 points) at Rio Tinto Stadium.
“I think that they proved tonight why they are in first place,” Crew defender Josh Williams stated. “They are really good on the ball possession-wise, and we just couldn’t keep track of them. It seemed like their guys were running all over the place. They are a very offensive team, and I don’t think that we matched their intensity, and we just totally got out-played.”
After giving-up a stoppage time goal at the end of the first half during a deflected Kyle Beckerman free kick, the Crew went on to concede three unanswered goals in the second half. Beckerman scored the fourth and final goal of the contest in the 89th minute following strikes from Devon Sandoval and Luis Gil. One bright spot for the Crew on the evening was the inclusion of four Homegrown Players in Robert Warzycha’s first team – a club record for Academy products starting a Major League Soccer regular-season contest.
Following the loss, The Black & Gold return home next weekend to host former Crew Head Coach Sigi Schmid and his Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, August 31 (7:30 p.m. ET / FOX Sports Ohio) in the lone meeting between the two clubs in 2013.
