Pair of quick goals extinguishes Fire's playoff run

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Chicago Fire knew Columbus was capable of the quick strike, and still it couldn't stop the Crew.

Columbus came from behind in a six-minute period of the second half to win the Eastern Conference championship game 2-1 Thursday night and advance to the MLS Cup.

The loss ended the Fire's season, one game too soon for the players.

"We did miss an opportunity," goalkeeper Jon Busch said in a somber locker room. "We're one game away from going to the MLS Cup, regardless of how that would have ended up in the Cup. You play this game to win championships. So yeah, we're disappointed. Yeah, it (stinks) to be so close, yet so far away."

The Fire struck first, in the 29th minute, with Justin Mapp crossing to Brian McBride for a header that caught Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer unsure of whether to come off his line or stay back.

It was reminiscent of the teams' meeting a month ago at Toyota Park, when the Fire took a lead, fell behind, then earned a 2-2 tie. Only this time there was no Fire comeback.

The Crew got the first goal back just after halftime Thursday when MLS defender of the year Chad Marshall got his head to a Guillermo Barros Schelotto free kick after Fire defender Gonzalo Segares was yellow-carded for a takedown.

"The first goal for them was my man, so that was my fault," said McBride, who spent his first eight years as a professional in Columbus and took a lot of verbal abuse from Crew fans. "We talked about it at halftime, making sure that we didn't have that little period. We tried to settle down, we tried to move the ball. ... It's disappointing."

Said Fire coach Denis Hamlett: "We said all along they're very dangerous on set pieces, and to their credit they get that goal right at the beginning of the second half, and that gave them the life that they were looking for. Then they got one right after that again."

Six minutes later, in the 55th, Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno used their heads to send Eddie Gaven behind the Fire defense, where he settled the ball to his feet and blasted a shot past Busch for the game-winning goal.

The Fire pressed forward in the closing minutes, but no magic was forthcoming.

"We had a good run," Hamlett said, "and our guys went out and fought to the end."