CARSON, Calif. -- Words didn't need to be spoken. A player and coach both exiled from Los Angeles had reunited in Columbus last season, and Sunday made a triumphant return to their site of past glory.
The player, Alejandro Moreno, scored the game's first goal and was his usual workhorse for 90 minutes. When the final whistle blew and the Columbus Crew had defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 to win the MLS Cup, he found coach Sigi Schmid and the two hugged on the field at The Home Depot Center.
"This was very emotional to me. When me and Sigi embraced I started to lose it a little bit," Moreno said. "He stuck his neck out for me and I've been able to respond and I'm very happy to be able to do this with Sigi and not only with Sigi but doing it here in L.A.
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SIGHTS & SOUNDS
"There's a lot good friends I know and a lot of people supported me when I was here. It was pretty special for both of us to come back here and win the title. It sends a pretty loud message."
The pair were linked in 2002 -- Moreno's second season with Los Angeles and Schmid's third full year -- when the Galaxy won the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup.
No team had done it since until the Crew pulled the feat this season.
"The chemistry was right," Crew technical director Brian Bliss said. "We had good quality players in key positions and they were willing to buy into it. We didn't particularly have the best game today but we worked hard and did what we needed. That's been the mantra all year."
Moreno played two more seasons for the Galaxy, including 2004 when Schmid was let go despite having LA in first place.
Moreno was traded to San Jose in 2005 and moved with the club to Houston in 2006, when he won a second championship. Meanwhile, Schmid took control of the Crew in 2006 and traded for Moreno in May 2007.
Although the Crew missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season that year, the foundation had been laid and the team responded with a 17-7-6 regular-season record and its first trip to the MLS Cup Final.
That it was back where Moreno and Schmid had first become acquainted was momentous. "I know this meant a lot to Ale being here as it did for me," Schmid said. "I'm numb with all the emotion right now. It's great. It's special because it's Columbus' first championship. It's special because it's in L.A. It's special because it happened in front of friends and family."
While the Galaxy have struggled in recent years without Schmid, the Crew are basking in their triumph.
"We're very proud of what we were able to accomplish," Moreno said. "Where we were last year and where we were this year, this team has grown a lot. We're very proud of the Columbus Crew organization, the Columbus Crew fans and certainly all of the players here."
Moreno's arrival in 2007 coincided with the signing of 2008 MLS Volkswagen MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The pair were in sync all season and again Sunday on Moreno's goal.
Schelotto stole the ball from Dave van den Bergh in front of the Crew bench just before midfield and got the ball ahead to Moreno.
"When he got the ball along the sideline I tried to give him an option making the diagonal run," Moreno said. "When the defender turned around and allowed me to go I felt I could beat him with my speed to the end line."
Moreno's shot beat goalkeeper Danny Cepero and hit just inside the far post as it went in.
"My first idea was to cross the ball. I looked up and he was at the near post, almost past the near post, and I thought I would be able to get it past him," Moreno said. "When it hit the post I thought, 'Come on, guys. It's the wrong post. It's got to go in.' It did.
"It was important for us to get the lead in the sense it would force them to come out and play and leave us more space in the final third of the field."
It was the first goal of the playoffs for Moreno but he had contributed in other ways. He had the assist on a stoppage-time goal by Steven Lenhart that tied Game 1 at Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.
In the second leg, his service to Robbie Rogers made it 2-0 and sealed the Crew's advancement into the Eastern Conference Championship against Chicago.
There, his nifty through ball allowed Eddie Gaven to score the winner.
"I was never worried about Ale's scoring," Schmid said. "He does so many other things that lead to goals that are just as important but I will say it's nice that he was able to score today and score here."
Moreno might have been the team's playoff MVP if not for the brilliance of Schelotto, who had three assists Sunday to give him six in four postseason games.
"When we get Guillermo involved you can see what happened," Moreno said. "He's done it all year. It should not be a surprise to anyone. It's not a surprise to us."
And neither is the MLS Cup title, according to Moreno.
"I don't think there was added pressure within this team," he said. "Within this team there were things we wanted to accomplish. We would have been very disappointed if we didn't finish the way we did."
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