(Sports Network) - In 2008, the best team in the Major League Soccer regular season ended up proving it was the best team overall in the playoffs as well. The Columbus Crew, one of the league's original 10 franchises in 1996, won their first MLS Cup championship, 3-1, over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who was just named the league's most valuable player on Thursday after collecting seven goals and 19 assists during the regular season, collected an MLS Cup record three assists to lead his club to victory.

Alejandro Moreno, Chad Marshall and Frankie Hejduk all scored for the champions, who became the first Supporters' Shield winners since the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 to win the cup.

The Red Bulls actually carried the play to the Crew for the first 30 minutes of the game, but were unable to get any of their five shots on goal.

The best chance came in the 29th minute when winger Dane Richards powered through three Columbus defenders on the left side of the Crew penalty area and played a cross to Juan Pablo Angel on the right side. The Colombian striker's left-footed volley on the bouncing ball went well over the net, however.

The Crew made the Red Bulls pay for the missed opportunity minutes later when Moreno opened the scoring. After Schelotto stole the ball off Dave van den Bergh on the right sideline, the Argentine veteran played it up the wing to Moreno. The Venezuelan international drove into the New York penalty area past defender Diego Jimenez and fired a tough-angle shot off the fingertips of goalkeeper Danny Cepero and into the side netting for the 1-0 lead.

The goal was Moreno's first career playoff goal despite the fact that he now has been a member of three MLS Cup championship teams.

The Red Bulls tied the game just five minutes after the break on their only shot on goal in the entire game. Richards was once again the catalyst of the attack when he controlled the ball at the top of the Crew penalty area, cut inside past Brad Evans and played a pass to the top of the six-yard box. John Wolyniec scored his second goal of the playoffs after going scoreless in the regular season, poking the ball past Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer with his toe.

The Crew grabbed the lead right back in the 53rd minute, however, when Schelotto set up Marshall on a corner kick. The defending MLS Defender of the Year made a run into the box and headed home the perfect service for his second goal of the playoffs.

A brilliant service by Schelotto in the 82nd minute set up Hejduk for the insurance goal. After collecting the ball about 25 yards out, Schelotto chipped a ball over the defense to an onrushing Hejduk, who tapped the ball past Cepero with a header to make it 3-1.

The insurance goal came about five minutes after Schelotto narrowly missed scoring the goal himself. He collected the ball at the top of the box about 30 yards out and unleashed a shot that beat Cepero, but deflected off the crossbar and out of danger.



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