Columbus, Ohio » Real Salt Lake discovered that Crew Stadium is a very tough place to play even if the home team is missing its best player.

Jason Garey scored twice and Steven Lenhart had a goal and an assist to lead the defending MLS champions to a 3-1 victory Saturday, ending RSL's five-game unbeaten streak.

Raphael Cox scored his first MLS goal, coming in his fifth career game, in the 76th minute, but the Crew (6-3-9) already had a three-goal advantage despite being outshot for the game 16-10.

"We created the right number of chances, no doubt about it," Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said. "We had some pretty clear chances that we felt pretty bad about not scoring early on. If we had taken some of those early chances it might have been a different game."

Lenhart scored in the 23rd minute and Garey followed eight minutes later for the halftime lead. The goal-scorers started at forward for 2008 MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto (hamstring) and Alejandro Moreno (groin). Schelotto leads MLS with 10 goals while Moreno entered the game second on the team with three.

"It was a very difficult game for us," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "Salt Lake has a very good team but we managed to survive the first 15 minutes because I would have to say we were a little bit disorganized."

Both goals before the break resulted from poor defending.

On the first, Crew defender Frankie Hejduk made a service into the box that defender Jamison Olave mishandled. The clearing went straight to Lenhart for a right-footed strike from 10 yards.

Garey netted his second of the season in the 31st minute and Lenhart was part of it even though he did not get an assist. Lenhart headed a cross from the left corner by Eddie Gaven that goalkeeper Nick Rimando tried to punch out of the way before colliding with Lenhart.

The ball instead hit Garey in the chest and settled at Garey's right foot for the easy tap-in from 2 yards.

"The first one Jamison Olave had a chance to clear it but it dropped right down to one of their forwards. That was very unfortunate. In the end, Jamison can make a better play on it," Kreis said. "On the second one, I'd better watch the tape before I comment. When the goalkeeper stands up and has a bloody nose you question why that's not a foul."

Brazilian striker Pablo Campos made his first appearance for Real Salt Lake (5-7-5) after being acquired from San Jose, coming in as a sub in the second half. Campos assisted on RSL's goal, but it wasn't enough to derail the Crew, who tied the MLS record set by San Jose in 2004-05 of 18 straight home games without a loss in the regular season.

"We came out and put them on their heels right away," RSL defender Chris Wingert said. "We were knocking the ball around and getting chances then we gave up two unfortunate goals."