Real Salt Lake stuns Columbus, eliminates Crew with 3-2 victory

 
Guillermo Barros Schelotto was being counted on to help his Columbus Crew climb out of the one-goal deficit it faced after a Game One defeat to Real Salt Lake, and he did just that with two first-half goals in Thursday night's Game Two. Unfortunately for the Crew, the normally stout defense it was counting on to pitch a shutout delivered a mistake-filled performance that has helped put an end to Columbus' quest for a repeat.

Real Salt Lake rattled off three unanswered goals including a Robbie Findley penalty kick and Andy Williams insurance goal to give RSL a 3-2 victory at Crew Stadium and a 4-2 aggregate series victory over the Crew in their Eastern Conference playoff showdown.

Veteran defender Frankie Hejduk had a nightmare evening for the Crew, deflecting a shot to set up RSL's first goal, then committing the penalty that set up Findley's penalty kick, which gave RSL the series lead for good.

Now Real Salt Lake will now face the winner of the Chicago Fire-New England Revolution series, which concludes at Toyota Park on Saturday. The Revs won the first leg, 2-1. The winner of the Fire-Revs series will host the Eastern Conference final.

The season is over for the Crew, which struggled to find consistent form late in the season and ultimately paid for it. Columbus head coach Robert Warzycha is sure to face plenty of criticism, and deservedly so, for benching league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the first leg of the series, especially after the way Schelotto responded in game two.

Waryzcha's other moves, such as starting Emmanuel Ekpo ahead of Robbie Rogers, are sure to be dissected during an off-season that as arrived much earlier than most expected. The reality is that Waryzcha's constant lineup tinkering late in the season kept his team from developing any real chemistry or momentum heading into the playoffs.

What did you think of RSL's series victory? Could you see it coming after Game One? Think Warzycha cost his team the series? Do you see RSL duplicating the 2008 New York Red Bulls' feat of reaching an MLS Cup final as a No. 4 seed in the opposite conference?

Share your thoughts below.