The Crew had a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal by Emmanuel Ekpo, but each team scored twice in the final 45 minutes. Guillermo Barros Schelotto had the other Crew goal while Claudio Lopez and Josh Wolff tallied for the Wizards.

Columbus appeared to have a safe 3-1 advantage on Gaven's first goal of the season, but Wolff countered a minute later with his fourth.

Gaven took a cross from the left corner by Robbie Rogers at the right side of the penalty area and side-footed a shot back toward the left side of the goal past goalkeeper Kevin Hartman to mark the first time the Crew had scored three goals this season.

The euphoria from the crowd celebrating the 10th anniversary of the opening of Crew Stadium was short-lived as Herculez Gomez sent Jack Jewsbury down the right flank. Jewsbury sent a perfect ball to Wolff for the header that went underneath the crossbar.

Schelotto usually sets up goals, but he was the recipient of a service from Frankie Hejduk for a diving header at the left post in the 55th minute to make it 2-1 Columbus.

It was his fourth goal of the season and third from the run of play to match his 2008 total when he also added four penalty kicks en route to being named the league's MVP.

Hejduk, in his first match since the opener at Houston, knocked a cross into the box that Hartman punched back to him. Hejduk tried a second time and the ball skipped past Hartman toward Schelotto, who hit the post with his left shoulder after heading the ball in.

The goal came four minutes after Claudio Lopez tied the match with a bending free kick from 22 yards for his third score of the year.

Lopez, a substitute at the start of the second half, lined up right of goal. His left-footed strike bounced over goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and went untouched into the side netting after Columbus had taken the lead.

For the fourth consecutive home game the Crew scored first and as in the previous three lost the lead. The Crew tied all three prior home games under similar circumstances by allowing the tying goal in the final eight minutes. Still, the Crew are 10-5 at home since June 28.

A cool, windy evening produced ideal conditions for a fast-paced game and neither side was reluctant to push the play. Watson forced Gruenebaum into the game's first save with a 45-yard strike on goal in the fifth minute and the Crew had several counters in the first 10 minutes that resulted in two shots and a save by Hartman on Rogers' ball from 18 yards.

In the 24th, Rogers sent Gaven through at the top of the penalty area. Hartman came out and made a sliding stop of Gaven 15 yards off the goalline. Roger Espinoza gave the Wizards their second shot on goal in the 27th with a boot from 22 yards that Gruenebaum had no trouble corralling.

The Crew were pressing, mainly on the right flank with the speedy Ekpo, but could not convert so they took a sequence on the opposite side for the opener in the 38th minute.

The finish by Ekpo for his second goal in as many games wasn't clinical, but the buildup, which included three backheels, was.

Gino Padula backheeled a ball to Rogers. The midfielder took several dribbles then fed Alejandro Moreno near the penalty spot. Moreno backheeled the ball left to Schelotto, who one-touched a pass off the back of his boot to a charging Rogers. Rogers got inside the goal area but Hartman knocked the ball away before a shot could be taken.

Unfortunately for Kansas City, the ball fell between three of its players and Ekpo rushed in from the right side to poke the ball into the goal.

After Ekpo's goal, each team had one more opportunity before the half. Harrington attempt for the Wizards' from 15 yards was handled by Gruenebaum in the 41st. Eddie Gaven gave KC a scare with his low strike at the top of the box in the first minute of stoppage time. Hartman went to the ground for the save but lost control. He was able to grab the ball before Moreno could get a foot on it.

The Crew had the psychological advantage of being home on a special night as well as the physical edge by not having a midweek league match, unlike Kansas City -- which drew 1-1 at home with D.C. United on Wednesday.

Wizards coach Curt Onalfo made two lineup changes Saturday. Forwards Lopez and Gomez went to the bench in favor of defender Michael Harrington and midfielder Roger Espinoza, the one-time Ohio State player. The Crew welcomed the return of their captain Hejduk at right back from injury and left back Padula from a red-card suspension. Hejduk missed the last six games because of U.S. national team duty and a tight hamstring.

Columbus celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of the country's largest and most expensive soccer-specific stadium at the time. The first match in the $28.5 million facility privately financed by Lamar Hunt and Hunt Sports Group was actually May 15, 1999, but the stadium will be occupied by a concert next weekend.