Union shut out Columbus

After playing arguably their worst game of the season in a 4-1 loss at Columbus on April 25, the Union put together their most impressive performance against the same team Wednesday night and continued to show signs that this disappointing season could be turning around.

Goals by C.J. Sapong, Vincent Nogueira, and Sebastien Le Toux powered the Union to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew before 15,374 fans at PPL Park.

The Union (4-8-3) are 3-1 in their last four games and look like a far different team from the one that floundered five weeks ago in Columbus.

"We're in a good place right now," Union coach Jim Curtin said.

Sapong, who replaced the injured Fernando Aristeguieta in the 37th minute, scored in the 41st.

"People were still feeling out the game, and [it was a] good situation for me to come in and inject any energy I had," Sapong said.

Defender Maurice Edu started the play by making a steal at midfield. Then it was a sequence of crisp passes, from Edu to Cristian Maidana to Le Toux, who found Sapong alone at the far post. Sapong tipped the ball in for his third goal.

Earlier, in the 27th minute, Union keeper Brian Sylvestre had kept the game scoreless with an outstanding diving save on an Aaron Schoenfeld header.

The Union made it 2-0 by scoring on a major blunder by Columbus keeper Steve Clark in the 52d minute.

Attempting to roll the ball to a teammate, Clark had it slip out of his hand. The Union's Maidana stole it and passed it back to Nogueira, who chipped it into an empty net for his third goal.

In the 58th minute, Union defender Sheanon Williams set up Le Toux for the Union's third goal. Williams dribbled down the right flank, made a great move to slip by Emanuel Pogatetz, and then fed Le Toux, who scored his second goal in two games.

Columbus (4-5-4) rested some players, including MLS leading scorer Kei Kamara, who didn't enter the game until the 65th minute, when the outcome had long been decided.

@sjnard