COLUMBUS -- Quick goals from Chad Marshall and Eddie Gaven early in the second half overcame a goal by Brian McBride and carried the Columbus Crew to a 2-1 Eastern Conference Championship victory Thursday against the Chicago Fire and the first MLS Cup berth in club history.
Marshall scored off a header in the 49th minute and Gaven scored six minutes later. Guillermo Barros Schelotto assisted on both. The Crew will play in MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23 at The Home Depot Center against the winner of Saturday's New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake match.
McBride, a former member of the Crew, scored on a header in the 29th minute for the Fire lead, but he was beaten on the tying goal by defender Marshall 20 minutes later.
The Crew have never been afraid of falling behind. No other team had as many points after giving up the first goal. Columbus has forged at least a tie 11 of 18 times after trailing 1-0.
A hard tone was set 15 seconds in when Marshall tackled Cuauhtemoc Blanco along the right touchline without a foul being called. Chicago produced the first chance in the eighth minute when Mapp dribbled through several Crew defenders and fired from 25 yards. Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer had no trouble making the save.
Fire defender Bakary Soumare was issued a yellow card in the 22nd minute for tackling Gaven to stop his run down the left flank in the final third. The ensuing free kick nearly put the Crew ahead but Marshall's glancing header went just left of the goal. Schelotto followed three minutes later with a strike from 28 yards that pinged the crossbar at the left corner.
McBride then stunned the Crew in the 29th minute with a patented header that Columbus fans had seen so many times throughout his career.
A quick throw-in by Blanco in front of the Crew bench allowed Justin Mapp to go unabated toward the left flag. He sent a floater into the box where McBride got behind defender Danny O'Rourke for a looping header that left Hesmer grasping for a ball that was already by him.
McBride left the Crew before the 2004 season for Fulham of the English Premier League. His 62 goals for the Black and Gold are tied for the team career high with Jeff Cunningham. McBride returned from England in August to play for his hometown Fire.
This was McBride's first game in Columbus as an MLS opponent although he played for Fulham in the 2005 MLS All-Star Game. He scored twice for the Fire on Oct. 12 in the home tie against the Crew.
Any thoughts of a warm homecoming were quickly dispelled when he was greeted by a banner that read "Wanted. McBride. Treason" and chants of "Traitor' when he was introduced. He was booed every time he touched the ball.
Frustration continued after the goal for the Crew. Schelotto went along the left goal line and feathered the ball in front of goal but Alejandro Moreno made was unable to make anything of it.
But the Crew pulled level just four minutes after the second half kickoff. The tying sequence started with a free kick on the right wing after Gaven had drawn a foul and a yellow card on Gonzalo Segares.
Schelotto then whipped the free kick to the 6-4 Marshall, who had position on McBride at the top of the goal area. Marshall headed in his fifth restart goal this season, his first in the postseason.
Momentum was with the Crew and so was the lead in the 55th minute, thanks to some aerial work. Moreno headed the ball to Schelotto 25 yards away from goal. He headed it back to Moreno and Gaven sprung free and received Moreno's header in full stride inside the right side of the penalty area.
Gaven slotted the ball past a charging Jon Busch and it rolled into the left netting for his first career playoff goal, in his sixth season in the league.
Busch preserved a one-goal game with a chest save on Robbie Rogers in the 59th minute.
It was Hesmer's turn to shine in the 73rd when McBride redirected a Blanco service from four yards but the 'keeper was in the right spot. Chicago substitute Marco Pappa had two chances after entering in the 90th minute but Hesmer stopped the first and the second was off target.
Chicago had more success in the league semifinals with three wins in 10 previous appearances. It won MLS Cup in its inaugural 1998 season and lost to Kansas City in 2000 and San Jose on '03. Columbus reached the three-game Eastern Conference finals from 1997-99 but lost to D.C. United each time. It also lost a semifinal series to New England in 2002.
The teams played to a pair of 2-2 draws in the regular season and each team boasted postseason award winners befitting their defensive play. Busch won the Goalkeeper of the Year award while Hesmer of Columbus was a finalist. Busch played in Columbus from 2002-06 before an acrimonious parting with coach Sigi Schmid. As well, Marshall was MLS Defender of the Year with Chicago's Bakary Soumare a finalist.
After going 11-2-2 at home during the regular season, the Crew won both playoff games, giving them eight in a row at home, outscoring the visitors 18-3 with five shutouts.
It was a boisterous thunder stick-bashing crowd. Several hundred Fire supporters were put in the south bleachers. The Crew's massive Nordecke in the northeast strong was more than 2,500 strong. Weather was not a factor after a morning of chilling rain. The skies cleared and it was 52 degrees at kickoff.
In the end it didn't matter to Columbus.
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