Crew ready to exorcise demons

COLUMBUS -- After another second-half, point-producing rally on the road, the Columbus Crew might be ready to exorcise the demons of past failures.

During the past few years while the Crew missed the MLS Cup Playoffs, the team's hallmark had been snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by allowing late goals. Last season, for example, the Crew gave up four winning goals and a tying goal from the 80th minute on. Those lost points were a major factor in missing the postseason by three points.

What a difference a season and an attitude adjustment make. The Crew's latest comeback was Saturday at The Home Depot Center. Los Angeles led 2-0 until the 67th minute when Brad Evans scored and four minutes Guillermo Barros Schelotto knocked in a penalty. The Galaxy regained the advantage in the 83rd minute on a penalty kick call in favor of David Beckham that Landon Donovan converted, but reserve rookie forward Steven Lenhart got the equalizer in the 88th with his first MLS goal.

The second half was reminiscent of the match in San Jose on May 10 when the Crew went from one down to a 3-1 lead in a span of 12 minutes after the break.

"We know we are a good team," veteran defender Frankie Hejduk said. "Last year we didn't believe we were going to survive the game, as a team, so we didn't get it done the last 10 minutes of the game. In the preseason we made it a big issue that we've got to stop taking goals the last 10 minutes. If we do give some up, we've got to score some.

"We've taken that mentality this year. We've had some goals scored on us still in the last minutes this year but we've also scored a couple in the last minutes. We've come back in games, unlike last year. We're buying into each other and believing in each other and have a group of guys willing to work hard for each other and never giving up."

Another difference is the goals given up in the final 10 minutes haven't been as costly as last season with one exception. New England scored in the 89th minute on a rebound after Will Hesmer made a penalty kick save to give the Revolution a 1-0 victory.

It appeared for a while Saturday that another goal from the spot would mean defeat when Donovan beat Hesmer from the spot but Lenhart, who attended nearby Azusa Pacific University and had dozens of family members and friends in attendance, put away a loose ball after a strike by Hejduk.

"It had to feel pretty good for him to come back to his hometown," midfielder Brian Carroll said of Lenhart. "He gave us a spark off the bench. He really helped us. To get a point on the road was really huge. Honestly, even though it's not a win, if you said going into the game we'd be down two-zip in a really tough place to play we'd be happy with that point."

Hejduk, no stranger to discussions about hair length, put the frizzy-haired Lenhart's goal in a unique perspective. "We always make fun of him because he has a big mop of hair on his head," Hejduk said. "That mop head just got a little bit bigger. That's how you want your forwards to be. You want your forwards to be confident."

The Crew had reasons to smile afterward save for the penalty call that went against defender Danny O'Rourke while marking -- or, as the replay seemed to show, not guarding -- Beckham. If O'Rourke did touch the Galaxy superstar it might have been with the big toe of his boot yet Beckham went down hard.

"I don't like talking about referees and PKs in general," Carroll said diplomatically. "I have a feeling that's one where the ref should have let it go."

Hejduk was more succinct, noting the discrepancy in penalty calls this season. Opponents have taken five (not including one in a recent Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Chicago that was made in the final moments of overtime that led to the Crew's elimination) while the Crew have been awarded two.

"We've had a lot of calls go against us this year. It's been awful," he said. "We've had maybe seven against us?" Maybe three have been legitimate. It's just a bunch of (garbage) to tell you the truth. The penalty Beckham got (Saturday) epitomized everything. The guys are joking -- we're getting calls against us at home, too."

Somehow, though, maybe the nebulous soccer gods were watching. In the waning moments Beckham had an open shot to win the game from eight yards out and missed it well high.

"Justice was served on that play," Hejduk said. "Nine of 10 times he would have buried it. Someone or somebody, some other power said he deserved that one."

And with that the Crew returns home from a two-game trip with four points after also downing Kansas City 3-0 on June 14. The last match in Crew Stadium on June 7 was a 2-0 loss to San Jose that marked the Crew's fourth consecutive match without a goal. With six in the past two matches, that dubious mark is a distant memory.

"It will be nice to be home again," Carroll said. "We've gained a lot of confidence in how we've played these last two games on the road."