SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- In his first MLS season, Landon Donovan has taken the San Jose Earthquakes to previously unthinkable heights.

Donovan had a goal and an assist as the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 on Wednesday night to advance to the league semifinals.

Manny Lagos and Ronald Cerritos also scored as San Jose extended its best season by winning a playoff series for the first time in franchise history. The once-moribund Earthquakes, who beat the Crew 3-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of the quarterfinal series, will face the winner of Miami's series with Kansas City.

"I hope no one wants to play us. We're pretty confident," Donovan said. "It's almost too bad we have a (10-day) layoff. We're on fire right now."

Both matches in the series were dominated by the Earthquakes, with Donovan generating multiple scoring chances that kept the Crew on their heels.

Donovan, the 19-year-old U.S. national team star and MLS All-Star game MVP who joined the Earthquakes last spring after two frustrating seasons with German club Bayer Leverkusen, scored two goals in the opener and easily was the most active player in the second game.

"If we get after a team, there's no room to play," Donovan said. "We pressed them right away. I think they got a little frustrated. We embarrassed them at their place, and luckily we were able to get ahead early in this one."

After Lagos scored early, Cerritos got the Spartan Stadium crowd on its feet with a 68th-minute goal that put San Jose up 2-0. Donovan put it away with a remarkable quick-strike goal in the 76th minute, and goalie Joe Cannon earned his first playoff shutout.

"You saw the game. We just controlled it," Cannon said. "There was no doubt who was the better team."

San Jose was the worst team in MLS history entering the season, with just one playoff series in its five-year history. San Jose, which began its existence as the Clash before switching to Earthquakes in late 1999, had more nicknames than playoff wins until Wednesday night.

All that changed this year with the arrival of several talented newcomers: Donovan, captain Jeff Agoos, Lagos, All-Star defender Troy Dayak and coach Frank Yallop, who led the Earthquakes to fifth place overall in the regular season -- the club's highest finish ever.

Lagos got the game's first goal just 8:02 in. Wade Barrett, left all alone on the left corner of the penalty area, took a crossing pass from Donovan and put it expertly into the middle, where Lagos hit a sharp-angled header that bounced once, then caromed off the right post.

Columbus, in the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, managed just one shot in the first half while playing without injured starters Brian McBride and Dante Washington. The Crew's remarkable midseason turnaround under new coach Greg Andrulis didn't carry them far in the postseason.

"There's no question they were the better team," Andrulis said. "They did a great job tearing us apart."

The Earthquakes also controlled play in the second half. Cerritos, who substituted for Junior Agogo in the 67th minute, scored just seconds after entering the game. Once again, Barrett controlled the ball on a rush and found Cerritos, who beat Tom Presthus with a header.

Cerritos, the franchise's career scoring leader, ripped off his jersey and then removed a T-shirt bearing the American flag. The El Salvador native ran to midfield and held aloft the T-shirt as San Jose's fans gave him a standing ovation.

The final games of the regular season were canceled because of the terrorist attacks. Wednesday's game was the Earthquakes' first home match since the attacks.

Eight minutes later, Donovan got a pass from Agoos, turned and rocketed a 17-yard strike past Presthus. He ripped off his jersey and took a victory lap as the crowd of 10,419 roared.