[MLS] Teal Bunbury scored his first professional goal and keeper Jimmy Nielsen thwarted Columbus several times with sharp saves in a 1-0 Kansas City win at Crew Stadium Wednesday.

The goal by Bunbury in the 14th minute and Nielsen’s seven saves enabled Kansas City to snap a three-game winless streak overall and a six-game skid without a win against the Crew, which outshot the Wizards, 19-8, but couldn’t get anything past the Danish goalie.

Bunbury converted a feed from Ryan Smith on a counterattack triggered by Roger Espinoza’s ball out of the back. Smith played in Bunbury behind the defense on the right flank, and he fired a low shot that cleanly beat keeper Will Hesmer right between the ankles.

Six of Nielsen’s saves came in the second half as the Crew pressured. The goalie turned away a shot from Guillermo Barros Schelotto with his right toe, blocked an Emilio Renteria blast with his left arm, and snagged a Steven Lenhart header in stoppage time. In the first half, Nielsen leaped acrobatically to turn a rising rip from Adam Moffat over the crossbar.

The loss keeps first-place Columbus (8-3-4) just two points in front of runner-up New York heading into their meeting Saturday at Crew Stadium. On the same day Kansas City (4-8-3) plays at Colorado.

July 14 in Columbus
Columbus 0, Kansas City 1. Goal: Bunbury (Smith, Espinoza) 14.
Columbus -- Hesmer; Hejduk (Ekpo, 75), Iro, Marshall, Padula, Gaven, Carroll, Moffat, Rogers (Renteria, 65), Barros Schelotto, Garey (Lenhart, 66).
Kansas City – Nielsen; Harrington, Conrad, Thomas, Espinoza, Smith (Diop, 88), Auvray (Aiyegbusi, 83), Rocastle (Zusi, 64), Arnaud, Kamara, Bunbury.
Referee: Steven DePiero.
Att.: 11,304.