Red-letter night

Bulls clout Crew for share of first place in East

It barely had started before the Red Bulls grabbed all the momentum Saturday — the result of a gruesome injury to a Columbus Crew star — and took a share of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Crew midfielder Artur broke his wrist after he blocked a blistering cross by Red Bulls wingback Kemar Lawrence seconds into the match at Red Bull Arena. That allowed the Red Bulls to breathe easier and storm to a 2-0 victory, their second in a row.

RED BULLS 2 COLUMBUS CREW 0

“We feel like there’s momentum,” said coach Jesse Marsch, whose Red Bulls (4-1-1, 13 points)are tied with the Crew for first in the East. “We feel like we’re moving this thing forward.”

Artur’s injury left Columbus disorganized and shaken — and the Red Bulls pounced in the 11th minute. Lawrence delivered another low cross, this time unblocked, and midfielder Alex Muyl pounced to smack an easy shot past Columbus goalkeeper Zach Steffen for his second goal of the season.

“[Muyl’s] always worked his butt off,” captain Sacha Kljestan said. “Now I think it’s gotten to a point where his confidence is rising.”

“[Muyl] emptied his tank tonight,” Marsch said.

Though Columbus held 60 percent possession, the majority of it was to no avail, while the Red Bulls made the most of their opportunities.

In the 35th minute, Red Bulls

forward Bradley Wright-Phillips was brought down in the box by Columbus defender Alex Crognale. Surprisingly, Kljestan, who normally takes penalty kicks, wasn’t the one called upon. Instead, winger Daniel Royer brushed one past Steffen’s fingertips for the game’s final tally.

Marsch relieved Kljestan of his duties after the Champions League, admitting struggles from the spot needed to be fixed. But Kljestan is all for the change.

“[Royer is] the designated penalty taker right now,” he said, “so I’m glad he stepped up and buried it.”

Despite outshooting Columbus 15-10, the Red Bulls seemed woozy early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles was forced into action and made an acrobatic save on a near-post

ROY’ OH, BOY! The Red Bulls’ Daniel Royer celebrates his penalty-kick goal in a 2-0 win over Columbus in which Crew star Artur (inset) broke his wrist. AP (2)