Columbus (2-2-6) has two wins and four ties in its past six matches while the Earthquakes (1-7-2) have lost five in a row.

The Crew needed only 28 seconds of the second half to break a 1-1 tie with Schelotto netting his sixth of the season to move into a five-way tie for the league lead.

Alejandro Moreno kept the play alive by preventing a clearance from going out-of-bounds on the right side with a header to Emmanuel Ekpo. Ekpo then dribbled into the penalty area and slipped a pass on the ground to Schelotto, who slid between two defenders and slotted a shot with his left foot from 8 yards.

Schelotto has one fewer goal than last season when he was named MLS MVP but four of his scores then were penalty kicks. He has only one from the spot this season.

The teams traded goals over a 5-minute span in the first half with the Earthquakes breaking on top via a controversial goal by Ryan Johnson in the 23rd minute. Eric Denton plopped a service into the middle of the box that Quincy Amarikwa laid off to the right side with his left shoulder or upper arm that Johnson ran onto and tapped into the goal as the Crew pleaded for a handball call.

Johnson's fifth goal was answered by the second for Eddie Gaven from a setup started by defender Gino Padula. Collecting a corner kick driven over everything in the penalty area, he sent a long ball back to the right post where rookie defender Eric Brunner had moved to head the ball back toward the opposite stick for Gaven's header.

It was a disappointing play for San Jose in its third consecutive away match. In the prior two the Quakes had allowed three goals to New York in the first 22 minutes and a pair of scores in the opening 12 to Houston.

Columbus is working on a 16-game (11-0-5) unbeaten streak at home since losing 2-0 to the Earthquakes last June 7. Ironically, that was San Jose's last road win. They are 0-9-5 since, including losses in all five matches this season.

Each side had a defender who grew up in the Columbus area serving a red-card suspension. The Crew were without Danny O'Rourke, who spent his rookie year with the Earthquakes, and ex-Crew member Chris Leitch had to sit for the Earthquakes.

Another former Crew player now with the Earthquakes is new forward Cornell Glen, who was signed Tuesday. Glen entered for Eric Denton -- another who once played for Columbus -- in the 69th minute.

Kevin Burns made his MLS debut in the 69th minute for Brian Carroll, who appeared to injure his shoulder after being taken down by Elliott away from the ball. Carroll, the defensive midfielder, played all but eight minutes last season and every minute this year.

Besides the two shots that scored goals, the Crew did not have an attempt on target and Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon was not credited with a save. The Earthquakes forced Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum into two saves.

Yet, the Crew was able to hold the lead after giving up the tying goal in the final 10 minutes of five matches this season.

San Jose's last best chance came a minute into stoppage time when reserve midfielder Arturo Alvarez sent a 30-yard free kick over the crossbar.

The Earthquakes are home Saturday to Real Salt Lake. Columbus is at Seattle the same day for its first meeting with former coach Sigi Schmid after he guided the Crew to the 2008 MLS championship.