Real begin road to redemption

SALT LAKE CITY -- Few MLS teams have seen their fortunes change as drastically in the span of a couple of games than Real Salt Lake.

Before leaving Utah on its most recent road trip, RSL stood on the cusp of seizing first place in the Western Conference. Now, following losses to Colorado and FC Dallas, the club returns to Salt Lake trying to avoid sinking into last place.

Recapturing some of the momentum against the San Jose Earthquakes at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday will be essential in more ways than one.

A victory against the expansion side would be the perfect way to start off a stretch of four home matches in the next five weeks. A loss or a tie could make it difficult for RSL to prevent its current downward spiral from escalating.

"If we get on a roll and get some momentum and string some points together, we're right back in it," said defender Tony Beltran. "The West is still very tight."

If nothing else, home turf offers a chance for the RSL side to find more of a winning groove. Victories have been tough to produce away from home this season. RSL is winless in five road games and each setback has looked rather ugly.

Against Dallas, the club let a 1-0 lead slip away after yielding two goals in the final 10 minutes of its 2-1 loss. RSL did a reasonable job of containing attacks from the Hoops for about 80 minutes. But it could not figure out how to contain Dominic Oduro in crunch time.

Oduro knotted the score in the 83rd minute when he flipped a nice cross from Drew Moor into the net, beating goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Then Oduro burned RSL with a game-winner in the 91st minute, eluding a sprawling Nat Borchers to set up a cool finish for the game-winner.

Continual late-game breakdowns such as the one at Dallas are becoming more and more frustrating to RSL coach Jason Kreis.

"We've got to learn how to finish games," Kreis said. "We've got to learn how to get a lead and just hold that lead and not concede anything."

For RSL, it boils down to a simple issue of gaining maturity and consistency. Even with the talent and depth it owns on paper, the club is still relatively young in terms of experience.

Being so close to first place a couple of weeks ago provided a temporary mask for the growing pains that lay ahead.

"We weren't ready to be in first place," Beltran said. "It didn't feel like we deserved it because we haven't played our best soccer yet. We haven't shown we're a dominant force like we know we can be."

San Jose might be just the right opponent to for RSL to show off its dominant side. It has been rocky at times for the Earthquakes. San Jose ended a four-game winless streak last week with a 2-1 home triumph against Houston -- its first such victory since returning to MLS action this year.

RSL handled the Earthquakes with ease in their last trip to Salt Lake a month ago, earning a 4-0 victory in a U.S. Open Cup qualifying match. San Jose looks vulnerable coming into the rematch.

Jay Ayres is still out after sustaining a broken cheekbone previously against RSL. Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero -- both scorers against the Dynamo -- are absent for World Cup qualifying matches this week. Ronnie O'Brien will likely sit out as well.

Aside from Ian Joy, who is serving a one-game suspension for his pair of yellow cards in Dallas, RSL expects to have many of its key players on the field Saturday evening.

For all of its troubles, RSL is only six points out of first place in the West and a win at home against the Earthquakes could change up everything dramatically.

"I think we'd be a lot more frustrated if the gap between us and first place were a lot more points," Rimando said.

Rimando said that RSL would close that gap as soon as it pieces together a strong 90-minute performance. But more inconsistency could be problematic for a club only one point removed from last place.


Jose wants big club or nothing
RSL won’t take play-in game lightly

Undermanned Dynamo look for mix

HOUSTON -- If the Houston Dynamo are going to end another multiple game winless streak, they are going to have to do it without some of their top players.

Long gone is the good feeling from back-to-back wins against Colorado and Chicago as the team lost a 2-1 match in San Jose before salvaging Wednesday's 2-2 tie at FC Dallas with another last-minute miracle.

Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad are with the Canadian national team in Seattle as the team prepares to take on Brazil, a side that De Rosario looks forward to playing because "they are among the best in the world, if not the best in the world."

Tony Caig, who played earlier this year when Onstad was out with a shoulder injury, will get the call as the Dynamo take on the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening in the team's only meeting in the Bayou City this season.

Kyle Brown, too, will get more playing time with De Rosario called up.

Eddie Robinson will miss another match due to suspension after receiving two yellow cards in the Dallas match -- the fourth game this year when Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear has lost one of his best defenders because of suspension.

Team captain and left back Wade Barrett practiced some this week, but is still doubtful for Saturday's match. He is listed as day-to-day with a left adductor strain.

In four all-time meetings, the Red Bulls and Dynamo have split the series. Each team has won in its own stadium, but the Dynamo have outscored the Red Bulls 6-3, with five of the goals coming at Robertson.

With so many players missing, Kinnear is going to have to rely on guys like Brown and his ability to play a little differently, to get the team on the scoreboard.

"I think we really need him in there, his pace of the games, are really needed," Kinnear said. "I think he has played really well, for the most part, he gets behind the defense.

"He's got good energy, the athleticism is there. Sometimes you just need a little bit of energy off the bench and he really provides that for us."

In three games this year, Brown has two starts and three shots on goal. The Dynamo picked him up during a series of trades from Real Salt Lake. Brown, who scored one of his two goals last year against Houston, is looking forward to getting more playing time as the schedule starts to pick up starting Saturday against New York.

"I have been waiting to get some playing time all year and now I am ready to get more," Brown said. "We've got a few guys called up, and with injuries and with the two games this week, everyone is going to have to be ready to contribute and do what they can to help us get as many points as possible."

The Dynamo can only hope the series of injuries, call-ups and suspensions do not cost them in what will be only their third home match of the season so far. If players like Brown, Caig and Craig Waibel find their respective games Saturday, things will look a lot better going forward for the two-time defending champions.


Rio Praises Colleague Brown
Clemente Unhappy With Draw
Dynamo settle for draw with Chivas
Dynamo pressure results in victory

Five-a-side: What's hot around the league

MLS Five-a-side:The skinny on five things that matter this week in Major League Soccer:

1. Dynamo looking to repeat 2007 doings: It's a about this time last year that Houston got it together. Dominic Kinnear's team found offensive life, began to regularly put four or so past hapless opponents and all was swell in Dynamo-ville as the championship defense was steaming forward.

Is it going to happen in 2008? And can it happen without personnel moves?

Kinnear is still a bit coy about it all. On the one hand, he says the Dynamo can turn it around with the players on hand. He says he's "seeing signs," that things are moving in the right direction.

"But we can always improve," he says, referring to possible roster additions.

So, take that however you will.

There are sure signs that Brian Ching, as streaky a striker as you'll find in MLS, is gathering momentum for one of his big rolls. He scored in Week 9 at San Jose, and then launched Week 10 with a sweet, athletic set-up for a Corey Ashe tap-in. He was also critical in Dwayne De Rosario's added-time equalizer, crashing a header off the cross bar, which "De Ro" efficiently cleaned up to post the 2-2 tie.

On the other hand, the Dynamo are still struggling to get production from a second forward, and Kinnear would surely love to gather a little more attacking might as the Dynamo moves into a busy summer, one that includes MLS, U.S. Open Cup and SuperLiga matches.

2. Tipping is encouraged for good service: Part of the Dynamo's offensive struggles this year comes down to a lack of service. Clearly, Ching depends a steady diet of crosses, and it's not happening with the regularity of 2006 and 2007.

Brad Davis's health and fitness has been an issue. He hasn't been 100 percent fit all year, so he can't supply the goods from the left.

Brian Mullan is working hard on the right, doing some of what he usually offers: support the right back and help keep things tidy on the defensive end. But he's not beating defenders at the moment, so he's not curling in those balls that force defenders and goalkeepers into tough choices.

Kinnear and assistant John Spencer both offered the same explanation: that injuries kept the long-time right-sided incumbent away from preseason, which is still affecting his confidence and ability to gain an edge in quickness when attempting to scoot past defenders.

Plus, Mullan has been sick off and on for about three weeks, unable to finally get past the little illnesses that most of us fight through at the office. For a soccer player who needs his body in tip-top shape -- especially one such as Mullan, whose entire game depends on fitness, grit and industry -- little illnesses produce a greater point of stress.

Corey Ashe replaced a tired Mullan at halftime Wednesday. Kinnear said his veteran midfielder not only offered little resistance to the halftime change, he said Mullan all but suggested the move.

"And he never does that," Kinnear said.

On the other hand, Ashe is developing, slowly but surely. Don't think for a second that the rest of the league didn't notice something unusual about Ashe's critical cross on the late equalizer: it came off his right boot. Ashe is one of those guys whose right foot is usually just for driving.

3. Beckham's bright performance is good and bad for MLS: David Beckham looked good in Wednesday's Wembley friendly, if only for his ability to serve dead balls. His slowing pace might be a fat target for critics abroad, but most admit that his proficiency at free kicks and corner kicks leaves him a step ahead of other England candidates for the spot.

All of which helps make MLS look good. On the other hand, it's may mean more time away from MLS for England's ball striker extraordinaire.

Beckham's service into John Terry created England's first goal. And until he gets a rival on the England side for delivering precision dead balls, he'll be tough to ignore once Fabio Capello gets down to the serious business of selections for critical, upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

England's first qualifier is Sept. 6 in Andorra, followed four days later by a big match in Croatia. (It was a Croatian victory at Wembley that bounced England from the Euro 2008 field, remember.) Beckham's selection would mean missing a Sept. 6 MLS match in L.A. against Real Salt Lake. And he might be hard-pressed to be fresh on Sept. 13 in Kansas City. Galaxy manager Ruud Gullit will surely be cautious against the overuse that bit Beckham in his debut MLS season.

England has another pair of qualifiers on Oct. 11 and 15, which could eliminate his chances of MLS participation at home against Colorado and perhaps for a match at Houston.

4. Fortifying matters at RFK: D.C. United have a win at home and a draw on the road in their last two matches. If Tom Soehn's team can do that, at least most of the time, the rest of the year, all will be swell in the nation's capital.

But something may have been lost in the fog of the tough times so far this year at D.C.: Bryan Namoff has been as solid as any right back in MLS.

The Bradley University man, 29, has held down his side game in, game out. And he's getting forward with regularity, even on the road, as in Thursday's 2-2 draw in New England.

Steve Cherundolo has a stranglehold on the U.S. right side of defense. And Columbus standout Frankie Hejduk still has something to offer internationally. But Namoff will certainly be a name that Bob Bradley continues to watch.

5. The little five:

• Yes, the Sunday and Thursday stand-alone MLS matches can be tough on the gate count. On the other hand, having the matches on TV sure can be a good thing, especially lately, when most of the matches have been quite entertaining. The last three weeks of matches on Telefutura and ESPN2 have produced 24 goals, or four a game on average.

• Matt Reis has been typically heroic for New England, and if anybody sees a player working harder right now than Shalrie Joseph, they will have to point 'em out for me. On the other hand, communication in the back just doesn't look the same right now and Michael Parkhurst isn't having his best season.

• In case you're wondering, Toronto holds Brian McBride's allocation rights.

• There's a red card issue in Texas, where the Hoops have had a player tossed out in three consecutive matches. And if it's Dallas-Houston meeting up, an ejection must be lurking nearby: three of the last five matches have included a red card. Eddie Robinson, by the way, has been issued six cautions in his last six matches in the I-45 series.

• The mean season is here for international absences: Players leaving club for country this weekend include: TFC's Carl Robinson, Greg Sutton and Amado Guevara, Houston's Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad, San Jose's Ivan Guerrero, Colorado's Bouna Coundoul and Dallas' Adrian Serioux.


Additional UEFA Cup berth for Bundesliga
Jose could return to England
Dynamo on unlucky side of draw
Steady Onstad doesn’t mind inactivity

Galaxy eye revenge vs. Reds

CARSON, Calif. -- On April 13, Jeff Cunningham nicked a late goal for Toronto FC at The Home Depot Center to steal a share of the points from the Los Angeles Galaxy. On Saturday, the Galaxy head to Canada to try and return the favor.

A trip to BMO Field is far from an easy one and the fact that Toronto has had a complete reversal of fortunes this season when compared to last -- all of which began with that victory in Los Angeles -- makes the Galaxy's task at hand a tall order.

Los Angeles is coming off a disappointing loss in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday and will be looking to bounce back. In that game against Colorado, LA created several first-half chances, but lacked the finishing touch. They allowed the Rapids to stick around and lost 1-0 on a late goal.

"We wipe the slate clean and move on and get ready for the weekend," said Steve Cronin, who has started every game in goal for the Galaxy this season. "We're doing well in the league, so hopefully we'll continue to do the right things in those games and get a win on the road."

Part of the Galaxy's finishing woes were directed towards the fact that Landon Donovan and David Beckham were absent from Tuesday's game while on international duty. Head coach Ruud Gullit wasn't so quick to write off his team.

"Of course we gave the journalists ammunition to say that we cannot play without these two [Beckham and Donovan]," said Gullit. "We did not want it, but I do not think it's true."

Beckham remained with the England national team following Wednesday's friendly against the United States, as it has a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday in Port of Spain. Donovan has rejoined the club after missing Wednesday's game with a groin injury. His status for Saturday's game is still uncertain, but even without him, the Galaxy are confident that they can find the back of the net.

"Obviously a player of Landon or David's caliber changes things in the final third," said Pete Vagenas, who made his first start of the season on Tuesday. "With that being said, there's guys in those positions that are confident and feel they can get the job done."

Los Angeles won't be the only team missing star players this weekend, though. Toronto will have to cope with a multitude of absences of their own. Carl Robinson, Greg Sutton and Amado Guevara are all away on international duty, while Laurent Robert is serving a suspension. That's nearly half of Toronto's regular starting 11.

At least one star player can be expected to make an appearance. The Galaxy's Carlos Ruiz will be looking to exploit the TFC backline and score his first goal of the season. The Guatemalan is coming off a knee injury and made his return to the field in Tuesday night's game.

Coming away with even a share of the points from BMO would be a positive result for any team in MLS this season. But the Galaxy have something to prove after being eliminated from the Open Cup, so it's likely they'll be gunning for more than that.

"We have to keep working. We have a very important game this weekend," said Ruiz. "We have to play in Toronto, so we'll see if we can be better in that game (than we were against Colorado)."


Reds close on Dossena
Reds jubilant after first win
Galaxy looking for scoring balance

FCD's 'Bird Man' starts to take flight

FRISCO, Texas -- Known as the "Bird Man," FC Dallas forward Dominic Oduro is flying high at the moment. The 22-year-old native of Ghana comes off the first two-goal performance of his MLS career on Saturday night against Real Salt Lake that led to a 2-1 win at Pizza Hut Park, FCD's first triumph in the month of May.

Oduro's brace last weekend came after he scored the Hoops' lone goal in the 5-1 loss to the L.A. Galaxy the Sunday before. In just those two games, Oduro has already equaled his season high for goals, which he set last year in 29 games, 10 of those as a starter.

A second-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2006 SuperDraft, the former Virginia Commonwealth standout has made big strides since his rookie campaign.

"I think I've really developed and come very far," Oduro said. "I think that I continue to work on it but won't stop because there's always room for improvement. Hopefully, I will keep getting better and better."

Oduro's second tally in the 91st minute against RSL, that proved to be the game winner, was nominated for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week. But he didn't enter the match until the 65th minute as a substitute, something he has done in all six matches he has played so far in the 2008 season.

Oduro, however, is not content just to play the role of "super-sub."

"That's a good thing, for me to be able to come in and run at defenses when they're tired," he said. "But as a player, that's not a dream for me because I don't want to be coming off the bench the whole time. If I'm given more time, which hopefully I will, then I think I can get some more out of it. It's great to come off the bench to score goals but it's my dream to be in the starting 11. I'm looking forward to it."

He scored his first goal in the 83rd minute, a tally which drew the match level after RSL's Fabian Espindola put the visitors ahead 1-0 in the 69th minute. Oduro did a somewhat subdued version of his Bird Man goal celebration after that goa, but after the second, he ripped his shirt off in jubilation.

"I didn't do it (the celebration) in the L.A. game because we were down 4-0 and I didn't think that was a good time to do it," Oduro said. "In the Salt Lake game, I did it after the first goal but didn't do it after the second goal because it was just a great relief. After what happened when Steve Morrow left, I think the group was down a little bit. After that second goal, I wasn't even thinking about the Bird Man, I was focused on us winning. It's still here and hopefully, I will score more goals and we will see it more."

Oduro's performance might have earned him a spot in the starting 11 for Wednesday's match against two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston, where he could start up top alongside Kenny Cooper, who leads FCD with five goals. His teammates have clearly noticed how well the Bird Man is playing.

"He's been playing great," FCD defender Drew Moor said. "He's just so dangerous. I hate training against him and as a defender of an opposing team, I would hate playing against him because he's so fast, is a threat and his feet are getting better."

Moor has definitely seen a different Oduro than what he saw in 2006, when he was an MLS rookie.

"I think when he first came here, people would criticize him when he was on the ball," he said. "But he's cleaned that up and is an extremely dangerous forward right now. The way that he's playing right now, we need to ride stuff like that. He's getting us goals and points. We want him to keep that up."


“I always wanted to win at any price”
Galaxy attack explodes in rout of FCD

Chivas getting surprise contributions

CARSON, Calif. -- The way Chivas USA figured it, some of the key players in the 2008 Major League Soccer campaign would have included a former World Cup and European Championship veteran, an MLS Cup Most Valuable Player and Mexico's all-time caps leader.

Instead, two players who made the leap from amateur to professional in mere months as well as a collegiate forward turned defender are among those who have helped the club out in the early going.

Injuries have depleted Chivas USA since the preseason but young players have filled in. The club's sudden and forced youth movement has finally started paying off as the club has two consecutive wins entering Saturday's home game against the Columbus Crew.

"They're doing a great job. They've been huge, and that's what it's all about. It's about being able to go 20-something deep. In times like this, this is when it pays off," Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan said. "We expect nothing but a solid effort from them because at this point of the year we need them to step up."

Sueno MLS 2007 winner Jorge Flores is among the young players who have helped turn the results around. Flores scored an insurance goal against D.C. United and bagged the match-winner against Colorado on Saturday as both games finished in the Red-and-White's favor.

Justin Braun, meanwhile, has played eight games this season after joining the club from an amateur side in January. Bobby Burling, who played forward with Loyola Marymount University, has played 90 minutes in each of the last three games -- in the back.

In the offseason, Chivas USA added some depth at midfield and forward in former Swiss international Raphael Wicky and former D.C. United standout Alecko Eskandarian. Instead of contributing on the field, though, the duo has combined for 61 minutes of playing time this season. Central defense has also been hit hard by injuries as Claudio Suarez and Shavar Thomas have been limited to a combined 11 games.

Along with injuries to Maykel Galindo, Ante Razov, Jonathan Bornstein, Lawson Vaughn and Alex Zotinca, veterans such as Jim Curtin and Atiba Harris have been around to help as well. But the Red-and-White has also turned to young players for help.

"Unfortunately we haven't gotten off to the start that we would have liked. We took some injuries early and last year we took some injuries late so we'll be healthy at the end of the season. That's what we're hoping for," Burling said.

The only spot on the field that has not been affected by injury is the goalkeeper's position, where Guzan has played every minute of every game this year. In the last three games, though, Guzan has seen the defense in front of him change rapidly as the entire four first-choice defenders have given way to injury.

Burling said he is happy just to have the opportunity to play and lend a hand.

"I'm here just stepping in and trying to help the team any way I can," he said. "Anything to just get a result and help the team, I'll be happy to do that."

Others who have played key roles at times for the club include Daniel Paladini, a former Cal State Northridge standout, and Eric Ebert, who has played in five games this season.

"You've got to take it for what it is. A lot of guys are hurt. There were seven starters out (against D.C.) and I'm just going to take the opportunity and make of it the best I can," Paladini said. "I'm not being selfish. I'm just going to do what I can to help my team, do the best I can and learn from these guys."

Paladini played 58 minutes against United and helped Chivas USA out on a night the club missed nine players. Paladini said his teammates helped him adjust to the pace of the game and handling a starter's role.

"I just go out and play my own game. These guys have been great with me. I'm learning a lot from (Paulo Nagamura and Jesse Marsch)," Paladini said. "I just take what they give me, take what's gotten me here and put it on the field."

Whenever the young players feel overwhelmed, though, they have a teammate who may know what they're going through. In 2005, Guzan was thrust into the mix as a green 20-year-old. Injuries forced Guzan to step in from the start of the club's first season, but Guzan eventually improved.

"Having gone through kind of what they're going through -- it's not as extreme this year, obviously -- but I know what it's like to be kind of thrown into the mix," Guzan said. "I just tell them to continue to have fun and enjoy the moment and do what they can do. They're here for a reason."


Karlsruher SC: the surprise team
Deco: I’m Leaving
Guzan hopes to seize opportunity
Retooled Chivas off to slow start

Guzan hopes to seize opportunity

CARSON, Calif. -- When the United States national team takes the field against England at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, Chivas USA might have a presence.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan is with the United States national team with the hope of playing in his second U.S. match of the year.

"It's an awesome opportunity and an awesome honor to be involved with the national team," Guzan said. "Anytime you are involved with the national team it's a big deal and to be able to be part of the team and being able to play England at Wembley, it should be exciting and it should be fun and hopefully we'll get over there and get it going."

Following Saturday's match in Colorado, Guzan left the club to join up with his country. Guzan joined former Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley and former club goalkeeper coach Zak Abdel in London. While his familiarity with the two former Chivas USA coaches likely helps, whether Guzan's opportunity to play arrives on Wednesday or future matches likely depends on his league form and what he shows in training more than anything else.

Guzan is also in the mix for U.S. games against Spain (June 4) and Argentina (June 8). If and when his number is called, Guzan said he would be prepared. And really, he said there was only one thing he could do to ensure his inclusion on the squad.

"Continue to work hard. If the opportunity is given, you've got to be able to get a hold of it and prove you belong there," Guzan said. "Whether it's this game or a later game, a game in two years if that's my next call up or whenever, anytime you are with the national team you continue to try and prove yourself to the coaching staff and prove you belong there."

Guzan has proved he belongs on the international level while starring for Chivas USA. A year ago, Guzan capped off a brilliant individual campaign by winning the 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. He also played in Copa America for the United States. This year, he shut out Sweden on Jan. 19 as the U.S. won 2-0.

However, his form in league had been shaky at the start of the season. Guzan yielded four goals at Columbus and five goals to the Los Angeles Galaxy as the club sputtered out to a 1-4-2 start. But Guzan and Chivas USA have recovered as the Red-and-White has won consecutive matches with the fourth-year goalkeeper having played a key role in each game.

During the season's low points, though, Guzan did not doubt his ability or his stance on the national team.

"During those tough times you try and get back to what you're good at, try to get back into that groove," Guzan said. "There was never a point there where I was doubting myself or doubting my abilities. That was just a point that all professionals go through, some low times. Once you kind of get through those times -- low times are always followed by high times -- being able to get through that period and stay confident and being able to help the team, that's important."

Whether he is there as the starter or stays on the bench during the entire match, Guzan said he will remain focused on the task at hand.

"When you go, you've got to be able to focus on the match. It's not about going on vacation or getting away from Chivas or anyone else getting away from their club team. It's about going and representing your country and putting your best foot forward," he said. "And that means staying focused not only during the 90 minutes in the game but also during the days leading up to the game. You have to make sure you stay focused on the task at hand. If you start thinking about all that other stuff -- a 'vacation' and all that -- then you can get in big trouble."


Jonás Confirms Mallorca Exit
Ibagaza: Güiza Must Grasp Opportunity
Guzan takes step in right direction

Boswell making presence felt with Dynamo

HOUSTON -- The Houston Dynamo knew what they were getting when they acquired defender Bobby Boswell from D.C. United for backup goalkeeper Zach Wells during the offseason.

The team had an opening when Ryan Cochrane was lost in the expansion draft to the San Jose Earthquakes. The team also knew Cochrane had a desire to return to northern California, so the Dynamo left him unprotected.

Talent lost, the team turned to Boswell who had career year in 2006 when he was an All-Star, named the league's best defender and was named to the MLS Best XI at the end of the year.

The Dynamo are a game under .500 ahead of this week's games against FC Dallas and New York, and a slow start is to blame for a 2-3-4 record that still has the team on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Generally, Boswell has played well and has started all nine matches, playing 810 minutes. His goal against Chicago last week gave the team its second consecutive win at the time before Thursday's disappointing 2-1 loss at San Jose.

After heading the ball into the back of the net at Toyota Park, Boswell celebrated by sliding head first across a wet field, drenched by a drive rain that night.

The display was not unsportsmanlike, and Boswell said it just felt so good to get the go-ahead goal against such a talented team.

"It felt so good and we wanted to win the game so bad," said Boswell. "They are a tough team. We've been playing well, we just haven't been getting the breaks and results we needed, so to get a win on the road is always great."

The 25-year-old Boswell is mobile and quick for a big player (6 foot-2). He used his height to his advantage to head a free kick by Richard Mulrooney past Fire goalie Jon Busch.

Of the trade to Houston, Boswell said he was glad to end up with a team with a good work ethic and one that expects to be good every time it takes the field.

"When you are getting traded, you never know where you could end up," Boswell said. "I was really happy to end up in such a great club. The guys are great. It's a hard-working team. The staff is wonderful. It's been a real nice move for me. I'm happy with it.

 "They had a spot open up, and they needed a guy who could come in and play right away. I was looking to get somewhere I could contribute. What I bring to the table, it's just a lot of hard work and a good work ethic, and that's what this team is all about."

The Tampa, Fla. native has stepped it up during the month of May, save for what many would call an average game in the loss to San Jose. He saved at least two goals with his hard-nosed defense in a win over Colorado on May 10, scored the winner against Chicago.

Fortune, work ethic and perhaps a little luck all changed for the worse in the loss to San Jose. The defenders, mainly Boswell and Eddie Robinson, held their own in the first half. Boswell slipped and was nearly responsible for a Ryan Johnson goal in the first half.

Later, after Robinson left with an abdominal injury after taking an apparent elbow, the Dynamo defense was reeling. Pat Ianni replaced Robinson, but lost was that critical element of communication that has grown between Boswell and Robinson on the back line.

"I think the injury to Eddie was an important part of that game," Boswell said. "Actually I was kind of hurt on the play right before that. I was leaning toward coming out, but his injury was a little more serious.

"It is always really tough when you switch defenders in the middle of the game, especially when the other team was big, strong fast guys up front. Plus, overall, we just didn't have a good game last week."

Despite the one-game regression, Boswell still gives the Dynamo quite a lift in what is becoming the club's most challenging season since arriving in the Bayou City.

When asked about his overall play to date. Boswell politely shies away from taking too much credit. He comes to work, plays hard and does what he can to keep the Dynamo competitive in a Western Conference that has yet to uncover a front-runner.

"I wouldn't say I'm on a roll; it's not about me here," Boswell said. "It's about the team. We've been playing really well, and finally, the results are starting to turn. The goal (against the Fire) was just from watching video with (coach) Dom (Kinnear).

"We knew we could get them on a quick one, and that's what happened there at the end. It's all about the team, though. The team is such a great team and group of guys."


Jose wants big club or nothing
Dynamo earn first victory of 2008

Return to first overdue for Galaxy

CARSON, Calif. -- When the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-1 over the weekend, it was more than just a rare win for the Western Conference against an Eastern Conference foe. It also pushed the Galaxy into first place in the conference -- a place where they haven't been since early in the 2005 campaign.

For a team that has missed the MLS Cup Playoffs the past two seasons and has finished below .500 in each of those years, it's certainly nice to be back on top. But complacency isn't about to set in down amongst the Galaxy. While it's nice to be playing well right now, there are still a lot of games left to be played.

"(First place) means nothing right. We don't look at the table so much," said Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit. "It feels good for the players. There are a lot of games left. We know this is going to be a long season."

If history is any lesson, it's been proven that how a team is playing in the first few months of the season has very little to do with who wins the MLS Cup in November. Still, being on top early has its advantages in the long run.

"It's means we're playing well lately, but (being in first place) means very little to be quite honest. We want to keep playing well. We want to keep gaining points," said Chris Klein. "What this team showed last year is that you can't give away points early because you get to the last game of the season and you may need them."

While it is still very early in the season, this year's Galaxy team is looking much better than the past two seasons. The team's relative health can be attributed to the good start, especially when it comes to David Beckham, who is enjoying his first full season with the Galaxy.

"The biggest thing is David's healthy. That just gives us another soccer player with a good mind and good brain that can play," said Landon Donovan. "Obviously other people need to play, but the more soccer players you have on the field that know how to play, the easier it is."

It's not just Beckham's health either. Barring any injuries this week, when the Galaxy travel to Toronto this weekend for their next league game, the only player unavailable due to injury will be reserve goalie Charles Alamo. That's a far cry from last season, when the Galaxy locker room looked more like a triage unit than a soccer team.

As good as they are playing right now, there is the potential for them to come crashing down to earth in a hurry. Several of the Galaxy's regulars, including Donovan, Beckham and a recently healthy Carlos Ruiz, will miss time with international duty this summer. How that affects the team remains to be seen, yet even there is a dip in form, it seems unlikely that this club will get knocked off of its even keel.

"A few years back Columbus went like 20 games without losing and then lost in the first round of the playoffs. That's the way this league is," said Donovan. "The key is to get into the playoffs and hopefully be playing well at the end of the year."


WOODS OPTS FOR OPEN RETURN
Galaxy looking for scoring balance

Davis: Single-striker attacks catch on

It's the year of the lone forward in MLS.

How's that working out for everybody? Depends on which team you ask.

Lots of teams have tried it, with varying degrees of success. The single-striker setup has mostly worked like a charm for Columbus, Chicago, Toronto and a couple of other clubs. The New York Red Bulls have gone with one up front, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

In a few other cases (hello, Houston), it looks like maybe they could use a little more single-striker action.

Through the years, teams have deployed a single-forward lineup occasionally, usually as a defensive tactic, often in deference to injury or long odds. But the scheme is all the rage in 2008, and it's no longer just a defensive ploy. A majority of teams have tried it at least once this year, most truly judging it the best way to attack. Why such a sudden and major adjustment?

It's really not about some wave of alternative thinking or some tactical revelation. It's about the natural cycles of personnel and simple concepts of math. Midfielders and "tweeners" are carrying the day. The MLS talent collective is heavier in influential midfielders and deep-lying playmakers like Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The rosters are a bit lighter, on the other hand, in effective strikers. Or, in some cases, the most talented frontrunners have been whacked by the injury stick (such as Carlos Ruiz and Juan Pablo Angel). In other cases, forwards just aren't on top of their games at the moment (such as Brian Ching).

If you saw Sunday's big win by Juan Carlos Osorio's old team, the Fire, against Osorio's new team, the Red Bulls, then you saw the two extremes. (What is the deal with Sunday afternoon TeleFutura matches? Before last Sunday there had been just 25 instances of four-goal wins by road teams through MLS history. That's about two a season. Now we've seen four-goal road wins on consecutive weekends, and by the exact same score, no less. Weird.)

The Fire deployed Chad Barrett as a lone striker, supported by outside midfielders Chris Rolfe and Justin Mapp, and by Cuauhtemoc Blanco at attacking midfielder. It worked to blistering perfection. Generally, the Fire needed to attack with only those four players, with holding midfielders Diego Gutierrez and Logan Pause in support from behind. Rare was the run forward from outside fullbacks Brandon Prideaux or Gonzalo Segares.

With Blanco pulling the midfield strings and with yeoman work from Rolfe and Mapp, Denis Hamlett's side could go at the Red Bulsl with ample attacking firepower from just four fellows, therefore maintaining plenty of defensive shape in the rear.

On the other side, Angel didn't get any service to speak of in his solitary role. Dane Richards lined up along the right but he was completely shut down by Segares. The result was very few opportunities and a very bad afternoon. By the second half, New York had gone from one forward to three.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that the other team using a single forward so effectively in 2008 is one of East co-leaders along with Chicago. Sigi Schmid has deployed Alejandro Moreno as a lone striker for Columbus almost all year, and the plan's success is a big reason for the Ohioans' 6-2-1 record.

Livewire flank attacker Robbie Rogers is aligned on the left in midfield, with Eddie Gaven on the right in what is essentially a 4-4-1-1. Schelotto is clearly the fulcrum here. He sets up behind Moreno and then probes for soft spots in a defense. He scans ingeniously to find spaces available on that day, sometimes in deeper spots, sometimes in more advanced positions, the better to serve Moreno or split defenses for find Rogers running through.

Who can argue the results? The wily Argentinean has five assists in nine games, tied for second in MLS. (FYI: Schelotto has 16 assists overall in 31 league matches over two seasons. That's roughly one assist every two matches. It's not Carlos Valderrama territory in terms of ratio; El Pibe assisted 114 times in 175 matches. Still, Schelotto's rate of assists is better than pretty much anybody else who ever to wear an MLS jersey.)

In Los Angeles, Ruud Gullit has usually aligned his surging side into a 4-4-2. But the setup includes only one true striker, which lately has been a highly effective Edson Buddle. Behind Buddle sits Landon Donovan, who is really a midfielder in disguise. Donovan drops into the midfield frequently, either working in tandem with David Beckham from deeper spots or luring defenders out of position, aware that he can race past them and latch onto those telling, pinpoint efforts off Beckham's right foot.

At 2.44 goals a game, easily tops in MLS, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that it's not L.A.'s best plan of attack. Even as Carlos Ruiz returns to health, Gullit seems sure to retain the formation that has his team perched atop the West. (The cerebral Dutch manager may alter course temporarily, however, when Donovan departs for national team service.)

Colorado has toggled a bit tactically, moving in and out of the single-striker setup. But the Rapids' best performances have seemed to come with playmaker Christian Gomez sitting behind a lone striker.

Toronto FC changed its season dramatically with three personnel additions -- Amado Guevara, Rohan Ricketts and Laurent Robert. But getting them into the right spots was important work, too. So manager John Carver dumped his preferred 4-4-2, settling the team into a 4-2-3-1 alignment, one that better suited his talent.

Danny Dichio had six goals in his first 19 matches for Toronto, not a bad rate of production, but nothing to scream about, either. Since inheriting the lone striker role, he has four goals in seven matches, a more prodigious ratio, one that's helped the second-year success story establish itself as a true playoff contender.


Marcelino Bemoans Slack Finishing
Davis: Beckham, Donovan guiding LA
Yallop not ready to make changes

Five-a-side: What's hot around the league

MLS Five-a-side:The skinny on five things that matter this week in Major League Soccer:

1. He's surely seen worse: David Beckham seemed a bit amused with the question. And you can probably understand why.

The scene was a postgame news conference last Sunday after his LA Galaxy had ambushed hapless hosts FC Dallas 5-1. So Beckham was in a cheery mood anyway, and didn't hide a smile very well when a reporter asked about some boo birds at Pizza Hut Park.

Beckham had gotten a little hot following Adrian Serioux's nasty tackle, which resulted in the FC Dallas defender's immediate expulsion. Beckham had some words, did a little pushing and later made "shushing" gestures to the crowd when the Galaxy struck for No. 5. Nothing too out of the ordinary, really, but a few fans took offense and booed the Galaxy superstar.

So, did it bother him, he was asked?

But let's think about this for a second. Beckham has waged soccer wars in some passion pits that can be truly unkind to visitors. Here's a guy who has fought it out at Leicester and Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, etc. Later, in Spain's La Liga, he was front and center in the bitter Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry. Think those fans can't be punishing, especially for a fellow who plays out wide as Beckham does, usually roaming near the touchline stands?

So, upon further review, was it really necessary to ask if a few derisive shouts from soccer moms and dads in the Dallas suburbs were going to unnerve soccer's global icon?

"Of course, you always hear when people shout things at you," Beckham said politely. "But trust me, I've heard a lot worse things said about me, shouted at me, than people booing. That's part and parcel in soccer. It's what happens. It's all friendly sort of banter that goes on. It's not soccer without that."

Beckham noted how he appreciates that supporters are passionate about their side and he respects how that they desperately want to see the visitors go home unhappy. What's the most hostile environment he's ever encountered? Beckham demurred, mentioning only that lots of fans love to hate Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Safe to say, his answer will never be "Frisco, Texas."

2. Earning their pay in tough times: There are times when you or I could be a manager. When clubs are winning, when the team trainers and docs are bored with inactivity and things are generally swell, it's really just a maintenance job. The lineup selects itself. The locker room polices itself.

All that is to say, the real test of a manager starts when things begin to unravel. How does the boss cope with the pressure of a couple of bad performances or increasingly wobbly job security? How does he deal with a locker room malcontent? Does he dole out internal discipline equally regardless of star power? These are the tests of leadership and mettle.

So, we're watching it unfold dramatically at RFK and at The Home Depot Center, where D.C. United and Chivas USA are dealing with issues aplenty.

Chivas USA manager Preki seems to be coping well. He has a little history of doing so.

Whether you think he was right or wrong last year to jettison Amado Guevara without compensation, he acted decisively, and that counts for a lot. It settled the team and Chivas USA was off and running. The Red-and-White were relatively unbothered by injuries or any other issues until ailments undercut the starting forwards around playoff time, so Preki had a relative smooth ride until the postseason.

Not so in 2008. Already, Preki has helped Brad Guzan through some struggles, and the side is staying afloat despite an implausible number of injuries, especially in defense. Last week, six defenders who could be starters were on the shelf. And yet, his team found a way to beat back United, albeit against the run of play.

Which brings us to Tom Soehn, whose team is under all manner of duress. There are injuries, slumps and flagging confidence to deal with up and down the roster. Soehn takes a four-game losing streak into Saturday's critical RFK match with Toronto.

3. Six Degrees of Ezra Hendrickson: Kelly Gray is settling into his fifth MLS club (assuming you count San Jose of old and new day San Jose as two organizations) following this week's trade from Colorado to the Earthquakes. That's a lot of address changing for the versatile defender/midfielder who only recently turned 27.

But he's hardly the leading contender for a cracking version of "Six Degrees of MLS Separation." Lots of fellows (more than you care to know, really) have played for five clubs.

Some have done so in more orderly fashion. Others have been all over the map, literally and figuratively. For instance, Raul Diaz Arce spent time at five organizations, but he made seven changes along the way (most of them involved coming or going from D.C. United, where he had three separate stints).

Now, six clubs. That's accomplishing something. In Columbus, Ezra Hendrickson is at his sixth MLS organization in his 12th MLS season.

But the all-time MLS frequent changer has to be John Wolyniec. He has just five clubs on his resume. But with multiple stops at New York, Chicago and Columbus, "Woly" has actually changed MLS addresses nine times. In 2005 and 2006 alone he went from Columbus to New York, back to Columbus, then to Los Angeles and back to New York.

Surely, at some point, he's gotten on the wrong team bus heading out of the stadium.

4. Armchair manager: Watching Houston midfielder Brian Mullan these days, I'm wondering if a move to the defense wouldn't help shake some of the offensive malaise that has settled over camp Dynamo? Mullan, who turned 30 in April, can still do the hard work up and down the flank.

But he doesn't beat defenders one-on-one with anywhere near the frequency of earlier career days. So, could he perhaps be more effective attacking from overlapping runs, a little more like Chris Klein does so effectively for Los Angeles? That gets him going at defenders in a greater variety of situations.

It's not that Richard Mulrooney isn't getting forward from his spot. Rather, Mulrooney probably has some central midfield duty in his future as Ricardo Clark and Dwayne De Rosario have international duty upcoming. And generally, Mullan has more pace than Mulrooney.

Plus, it can't hurt Dominic Kinnear's club to have some different offensive options, and inserting Mullan at right back would make room to get dynamic young attacker Stuart Holden on the field more regularly.

Houston, still not getting enough production from its forwards despite Brian Ching's lone effort Thursday, is on pace to hit for 33 goals this year. That would represent a significant drop from 43 for the league champs a year ago.

5. Yep, they do sometimes work: SportsCenter anchor Steve Bunin wasn't at his best on Thursday's ESPN2 halftime broadcast. During highlights of an Italian Serie A match, as viewers saw a well-executed bicycle kick, he asked rhetorically, "Have you ever seen one of those work?"

Hmmm. He must not have been watching as Taylor Twellman struck magnificently on a "bike" in what turned out to be the game-winner for New England (on a Thursday night national showcase match) in last year's Eastern Conference championship. With apologies to a few successful bicyclists who won't make the list (Miklos Molnar, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Dwayne De Rosario and a few others that might escape me, but that I'm sure I'll be reminded of in short order) here are the top five MLS bicycle strikes of all time:

5. Hugo Sanchez: This one from 1996 goes on the list just because of the showmanship involved. The San Jose defense was so horribly bad on this particular centering pass, leaving Sanchez so implausibly unmarked, he could easily have headed in from a short distance on the far post. Instead, Sanchez opted for his signature move, turning his back and slamming home dramatically.

4. Brian Ching: Distance and accuracy spotlighted his 2006 effort, which was later voted Sierra Mist Goal of the Year in MLS. It was also a game-winner and the game's only goal in a Dynamo win against D.C. United.

3. Marcelo Balboa: His fabulous strike in 2000 was another Goal of the Year, and deservedly so for the power and precision involved. (Besides, he had it coming after such a narrow and nearly famous miss on just such an effort in the 1994 World Cup.)

2. Carlos Ruiz: He has two to choose from, one with L.A. back on his first go-round with the Galaxy. But the better one, due to degree of difficulty, came on a night at RFK, where he rose high and quickly to meet a short pass from Roberto Mina. It was named Sierra Mist Goal of the Decade.

1. Taylor Twellman: Considering the stakes, Twellman's big effort in last year's huge playoff contest may be the biggest yet. Twellman is another two-timer, having hit one from close range back in 2002 against Kansas City.


Fergie Slams Madrid’s Ronaldo ‘Nonsense’
Davis: Beckham, Donovan guiding LA
Galaxy looking for scoring balance

LA Galaxy storm past Wizards

CARSON, Calif. -- Landon Donovan and David Beckham both returned to the scoring column and Edson Buddle continued his goal scoring form and the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-1 Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.

Claudio Lopez gave the Wizards the lead with a goal late in the first half, but Donovan converted a penalty early in the second, then Buddle and Beckham scored over the final quarter hour to send the Galaxy to the top spot in the Western Conference standings as they won back-to-back games for the first time all season.

The game was wide open from the opening whistle, with Kansas City committing numbers forward and Los Angeles looking for opportunities to counter. High pressure in the midfield meant that both sides had early chances to get on the board.

In just the eighth minute, Donovan nearly added to his league-leading goal tally. Beckham found Buddle with a long ball out of the midfield, and Buddle nodded the ball down into space where Donovan sprinted into the box. In alone on goal, Donovan fired from close range, but Kevin Hartman made a great point-blank save to keep the game scoreless.

Kansas City answered with a chance of their own just three minutes later. Following a turnover in midfield, Lopez slipped a through ball to Scott Sealy inside the area. Sealy took a touch to settle but his shot was directed right at Steve Cronin, who made a kick save of his own to keep things level.

The game continued at a frenetic pace, but with neither team really generating any dangerous chances. Buddle headed a Beckham cross well wide of the mark for the Galaxy, while Lopez managed a weak effort from long range forcing a rather routine save from Cronin.

In the 34th minute, the Galaxy managed to elicit groans from their home faithful, as they came tantalizingly close. A perfectly weighted Beckham free kick found rattled around in the box before being sent goalbound by Chris Klein. The ball deflected to Sean Franklin, who hit a volley that rolled wide of the back post.

As close as the Galaxy came, it was Kansas City that opened the scoring in the 40th minute. Lopez made a weaving run through the Galaxy defense, setting up his left foot at the edge of the box. The former Argentinean international found the side netting past a diving Cronin to give the visitors the lead.

Los Angeles had almost an immediate answer. Alvaro Pires picked out Beckham with a beautiful long ball out of midfield and he headed the ball past Michael Harrington then sprinted in on goal. Beckham shot from a sharp angle, but Hartman was perfectly positioned and kicked the ball clear.

The Galaxy came out intent to find the equalizer, and dominated the early possession after the break. Finally, in the 53rd minute, Beckham found Donovan in the box. As Donovan took a touch towards goal he was brought down by Tyson Wahl, winning a penalty. Donovan stepped up and made no mistake from the penalty spot to level the score.

Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit, not content with a draw, brought on Alan Gordon for Brandon McDonald before the restart, and dropped Donovan into an attacking midfield role. Offense was the priority, and LA came close to scoring again seconds later. Beckham was again the catalyst, this time finding Buddle at the top of the area. Buddle got off a powerful shot, but Hartman punched the ball up and over his crossbar.

Los Angeles continued to press forward, and in the 61st minute, Beckham floated a ball over the top for Donovan to run onto. The U.S. international held the ball up, then found Ely Allen on the left side. The rookie was clear in on goal, but failed to find the target with his shot, shooting well wide of the back post.

It was all LA well into the second half. The Galaxy gained an advantage off a passive offside call and Donovan sent a dangerous ball into the area that bounced past two players and skipped just wide of a lunging boot from Gordon.

The Galaxy finally broke through and took the lead in the 74th minute. Some great passing through the midfield got Donovan loose near the top of the restraining arc. Donovan poked the ball through the K.C. back line for Buddle, who finished with a low shot inside the back post.

Despite LA's second half dominance, the Wizards nearly tied the game with their first real scoring chance of the second half. Lopez got in behind the Galaxy defense, and with Cronin way off his line, found Sealy on the right side. The Galaxy defense recovered well, allowing Cronin to get back into the play, as he made a great diving save on Sealy's first shot. The rebound came back to Sealy, who shot again, but Klein got back to clear the ball off the line.

Even with the late lead, Gullit continued to make offensive substitutions, bringing on Carlos Ruiz for Landon Donovan in the 84th minute. It was the first time Ruiz has been on the field at The Home Depot Center in a Galaxy jersey since being traded away before the 2005 season.

The Galaxy managed several more forays into the Kansas City final third, but failed to extend the lead despite several close calls. It wasn't until late into stoppage time that LA found that insurance goal, in dramatic fashion.

With Kevin Hartman all the way up for a late corner kick, the ball squirted out to Beckham. Beckham dribbled out, and then from about 10 yards behind the midfield stripe, he drove the ball into the empty net.


Zaragoza & Madrid In Four Goal Thriller
Donovan, Gordon fuel Galaxy rout
Cunningham boots TFC to first victory

Crew look to reassert dominance

COLUMBUS -- After mellowing their recent tear through MLS opposition with a scoreless draw in Toronto last week, the Columbus Crew look to continue their winning ways this season on Saturday when they welcome the New England Revolution to Crew Stadium.

The Crew sit atop both the Eastern Conference and MLS standings with 19 points, but the Revs are currently tied for second with Chicago, only three points behind.

Before the season, Crew coach Sigi Schmid said his squad had to make Crew Stadium their "fortress" and his team has responded by being the only squad still undefeated at home in 2008.

"We've won every game at home so far this season," said midfielder Adam Moffat. "We've got to keep that up, and the fans have been great so far this year, so hopefully they can keep that up."

Last week in Toronto the squad had plenty of hurdles in front of them on a windy day in one of the toughest road environments in MLS. Despite the conditions and facing a much tougher group than TFC showed in Columbus for the season opener, the Black and Gold managed to pull a point out of BMO Field.

"In Toronto we stole a point from them, so were happy about that and we want to keep our streak going at home," said Robbie Rogers.

"The spirits are really high," said Moffat. "The draw against Toronto was a big game. They're a team on form right now. They could have gotten three points and we could have gotten zero but we got a point."

The Crew are truly riding high at the moment, without a loss in their last six games, and the team is showing a spirit to match its on-field performance.

"It's been awesome," says Rogers of the attitude in the locker room. "The guys really enjoy each other's company, and on and off the field we look after each other."

When changing teams it is often the aspects of life away from the soccer field that can be the hardest for a new player in MLS. However, since moving from D.C. United to Columbus in the offseason, midfielder Brian Carroll has settled in nicely with the Crew and has played every minute at defensive midfield in 2008.

"I do like the city, and the guys have done a good job helping me get adjusted to the area," said Carroll. "The guys on the team are great, and I'm liking it so far."

Carroll is easily an unsung hero of the team in 2008, rarely garnering much attention or accolades but always providing a stout defensive presence and cool head in the midfield.

"I don't really worry about how much my name gets called or heard," Carroll said. "I just do what I can to help the team and I am just glad that I can be an integral part of the team's success."

The Crew are getting quality play from some unexpected sources this season, such as Moffat and Brad Evans, who recently cracked the starting lineup when Stefani Miglioranzi went down due to injury.

"We hate to see players go down with injuries but that's why we have reserves, so we can step in and the level shouldn't drop off with the reserves," says Evans, whose first professional goal was the game-winning goal in the comeback victory at San Jose.

With the standings at the top of the Eastern Conference being as close as they are, Saturday's match with New England could prove to be turning point if the Crew stumble against the always potent Revs.

"It's going to be a real big test," says Evans. "They're second in the league in points, so we're looking forward to it."

As a veteran of the Eastern Conference wars, Carroll has plenty of firsthand experience in dealing with the firepower of the New England lineup.

"I've had some battles with New England. They are a good squad that definitely continues to play no matter what the score is," Carroll said. "We need to be ready and we can do well. We just need to come out strong."


Wilhelmsson Surprised By Raúl’s Spain Absence
Jose could return to England
Stoic Moreno providing Crew big lift

Emilio looks to regain past form

WASHINGTON -- An award-winning, 20-goal season gave Luciano Emilio plenty of occasions to hone his 'superhero' goal-scoring celebration last year. But when D.C. United's Brazilian striker finally broke an eight-game scoring drought with the game-winning tally against Toronto FC on Saturday night, his reaction was a distinctly spontaneous one, happily sprinting along RFK Stadium's touchline before pointing thankfully to the heavens.

It was a welcome moment of joy and success for a once-prolific finisher who's strained mightily to find the net in his sophomore campaign.

"Definitely, you can build confidence from this. I feel a lot more motivated now and I hope to continue that," Emilio said on Monday. "Personally, I put a lot of pressure on myself to do better, but I think now I feel a lot lighter now that that load is off my shoulders."

It's also one that his coach and teammates are hoping can spark a hot streak like the one he embarked on almost a year ago.

"Of course -- strikers are happy when they're scoring goals," said D.C. head coach Tom Soehn, "and getting that first one sometimes is what puts you over the hump. He's done so much better in putting himself in spots and playing harder. It comes along with it now, and hopefully that goal will get a string going for him."

Early in the year, Soehn chalked up Emilio's off-color start to insufficient offseason conditioning work and later, lack of service from the midfield. But as the frontrunner's slump deepened and United's fortunes declined as a whole, the second-year boss had to re-evaluate.

He eventually benched last year's league MVP for a May 17 match against Chivas USA -- though Emilio would be quick to point out that he was working through a quadriceps strain at the time. But a goal poacher of his style is invariably measured first and foremost by his scoring stats, and having arrived at United after supremely successful stints in the Honduran league and Mexican second division, he admits that this season has "definitely been one of the most challenging" periods of his career.

His multinational experience and mellow temperament seems to have kept him well-grounded, however.

"You always go through this when you play soccer," said Emilio, also a veteran of the German Bundesliga. "You're always going to have periods when you're not going to score. But I'm 30 years old and I know how to overcome that."

The Brazilian's coolheaded recollection of his own scoring history provides another textbook example of a striker's mentality.

"Definitely, I want to keep scoring," he said. "Last year it was a similar situation where I didn't score for five whole games and then after that I scored 17 goals in 18 games."

His performance in Saturday's 3-2 win featured more effective movement in and around the opposing penalty box, and the awareness he displayed in following up Santino Quaranta's shot from distance provided a reminder of how "Luchigol" took MLS by storm in 2007. It came just a few minutes after Emilio saw a similarly opportunistic finish of a Jaime Moreno drive disallowed for an early offside flag on D.C.'s captain.

"We always told him that it's going to come, it's going to come at the right time, he didn't have to get desperate," said Moreno afterwards. "And luckily it came tonight."

Equally important from a team perspective, Emilio's efforts encapsulated an evening of improved industriousness from United's first XI, which will be crucial to any hopes of a midseason revival in D.C.

"I don't think we've lost sight of our objective as a team, which is to qualify for the playoffs and get that title, the MLS Cup," he said. "I think people focused more on me when it was really the team that wasn't clicking so much. We weren't getting adjusted as quickly as we needed to, and I think we were all there for each other, we all supported each other and we're coming together and doing better now."


Neville Shows Commitment From Sidelines
Schmeichel Tips United For Title
Hoops struggling to regain form
Chivas hope to use win as springboard

First XI: Reflections across the pond

First XI is lucky enough to be in London for Wednesday's friendly between the U.S. and England. So here's a rundown of notes heading into the showdown, which should provide American players and fans with an almost fantasy-like experience.

11. It's like a reunion: Walking through the lobby of the team hotel is like attending an MLS reunion. By my count, the U.S. has five current MLS players and 11 MLS alumni on its 22-man roster. Always great to see the likes of Eddie Lewis, who I wrote about in ESPN The Magazine's 1999 MLS Preview, where he was pictured alongside Clint Mathis, Ben Olsen, Ross Paule and C.J. Brown under the headline, "Will Play for Food."

10. Away is the way: Talking to the players, there's a thrill they'll get out of playing this match at Wembley that could never be duplicated playing a game like this on U.S. soil. And it's not just that Wembley is ... Wembley ... it's knowing that U.S. fans will be watching the game during the afternoon, while they're playing under the lights, the way they've watched so many games from Europe. It's hard to describe, but I sense they feel it will be like playing on Monday Night Football, even though it's Wednesday Afternoon Soccer. We've developed a cultural thing in the States, I believe, where soccer fans seem to know that Wednesdays at 2:30 or 3:00 is when big games are on.

9. What Beck-ons: I've been here for over a week now and can tell you that Brits are keen to know how David Beckham is doing in "The MLS." In fact, one cab driver was quick to point out to me that the Galaxy are leading the league in goals. In the lobby of my hotel on Sunday, where I was covering a golf event, I was showing anyone I could find the video clip of Beckham's empty-net goal.

8. The Holy Grail: Like the players, I'm thrilled to be making my maiden voyage to new Wembley. I never got to the original and can only list Old Trafford, Anfield, Villa Park and the no-longer-with-us Maine Road as the stadiums I've seen in England. You could actually see the disappointment in the players faces on Tuesday when they were told their training session would be at Watford as Wembley's pitch attempts to mend from playoff matches on three consecutive days. When the players walk on to the field on Wednesday, it'll be their first time on the grass. If I'm not mistaken, the only U.S. player on the current roster who's ever played on this field is Lewis.

7. Not the American way: Speaking of the playoffs, it never ceases to amaze me how thrilling it is for clubs and their fans to "move up." I've learned that the American expression that "second place is for losers" -- and all related American-isms -- is, as they say over here, rubbish. After watching three football playoff matches this weekend, where teams (and their cities) were fighting simply for the right to play at a higher level next season, I've come to the clear conclusion that there's more to life than first place. Saturday's 1-0 victory for Hull City over Bristol City was thrilling. Never in their 104-year history have Hull City's Tigers played in England's top division, but they'll get their chance next year because of a wonder goal struck by (get set for this name) Dean Windass, who is 39 years old, roughly 39 pounds overweight, and who grew up in Hull.

6. On the tee: As I stated earlier, I've been over here for a week working on a golf story and there's something really fun about working the range at a European Tour event. The players and caddies talk way more about soccer than they do about golf and it seems every player has a club he lives and dies with. Paul McGinley was talking Celtic. Paul Lawrie lives and dies with Aberdeen. Ian Poulter actually places an Arsenal flag behind his spot on the range. I watched the Champions League final with a tour vet named John Bickerton who's a devout Aston Villa fan. Oh, and by the way, I did see one youngster at the Wentworth Golf Club with his LA Galaxy jersey on ... No. 23, of course.

5. Landon at 100: Congrats are in order for Landon Donovan, who will join Joe-Max Moore, Tony Meola, Earnie Stewart, Kasey Keller, Eric Wynalda, Paul Caligiuri, Claudio Reyna, Marcelo Balboa, Jeff Agoos and Cobi Jones in the 100-cap club. He will also become the fourth-youngest player in the world to reach 100 caps for his country. Only Cha Bum-Kun (South Korea), Sami Al-Jaber (Saudi Arabia), Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi (Saudi Arabia), reached the century mark at an age young than Donovan, who turned 26 on March 4. How old does this note make you feel?

4. Was it really three years ago? Had to look twice at this one to believe it. Remember the U.S.-England match at Soldier Field? The one that England won 2-1, where Clint Dempsey scored his first international goal? I could not believe that was already three years ago. Guess time flies when you're having fun. It also made it hit home that qualifying is just around the corner, and before we know it, hopefully South Africa 2010.

3. How about? I'm even old enough to remember the U.S. beating England (no, not in 1950), 2-1 in 1993 at Foxboro Stadium, on goals by Thomas Dooley and Alexi Lalas. I went searching Youtube for a clip of that Lalas goal but it's not up yet. We'll test the powers of First XI and see how long it takes for a soccer fan to get that goal up for all of us to see. In the meantime, here's an Alexi video that'll take you down Memory Lane.

2. Over here. I must admit, much as I fancy myself as a soccer and MLS historian (kinda, sorta) I had no idea that the U.S. has only played England once in England. That was in September of 1994, and the U.S. lost 2-1. Current U.S. assistant coach and former Wizard/MetroStars/Fire player Mike Sorber went the full 90 in that one.

1. It should be fun. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes the English Premier League stars almost seem like TV stars to me, since I never get the chance to see them in person and the only time I've ever interviewed any of them was 10 years ago when I did a piece on an 18-year-old Michael Owen and also got a chance to talk to Alan Shearer and David Seaman. So, it will no doubt be thrilling to see the Americans face off against the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry, not to mention Owen and others. Enjoy the show.


Petric made his mark
Campbell Perfectly Happy At Pompey
Hoops look to regroup after first loss

Quakes upend returning Dynamo

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- While most homecomings are festive occasions, Thursday's get-together between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo was always going to have an element of the bittersweet, given the latter club's painful departure from San Jose in 2005. But the Quakes duo of Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero found a way to erase at least some of those painful memories, as each player scored in the second half to give San Jose a 2-1 win against the city's former tenants.

The result not only snapped San Jose's winless streak at four games, but it was also their first home win of the season. The Dynamo's Brian Ching scored a late consolation goal, but it wasn't enough to stop Houston's modest winning streak from ending at two games.

Houston's lineup was unchanged for the third match in a row, while San Jose, in a bid to get their league-worst offense on track, gave forward Ryan Johnson just his second career MLS start in place of Joe Vide. Defender Nick Garcia also returned to the lineup at the expense of James Riley.

The first 15 minutes were devoid of any sustained attacks, as the ball spent more time in the air than it did on the ground. But when the game did settle down, it was San Jose who created the better openings with Johnson in the middle of the Quakes' best attacks.

Kamara latched on to Guerrero's cross in the 16th minute and touched the ball back to Ramiro Corrales. But his subsequent shot was palmed away by Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad.

Houston defender Bobby Boswell gifted the Quakes an opportunity in the 25th minute, stumbling over the ball and allowing Johnson to steal. The San Jose forward attempted to curl the ball high around Onstad from 20 yards, but the Dynamo 'keeper touched the effort over the bar.

San Jose kept the pressure on, and came painfully close to scoring in the 33rd minute. Johnson once again found space on the left wing, but his perfectly weighted cross was nodded goalward by Kamara then deflected off the post by Guerrero.

Johnson then had another chance a minute later, but his thunderous shot struck Houston's Dwayne De Rosario in the face and went out for a corner kick.

After being on the back foot for most of the half, Houston staged a mini-revival late. Stuart Holden was released by a Ching flick-on in the 37th minute, but his weak header was easily saved by Cannon. Ching found space again two minutes later, but his header from a Brian Mullan cross was hit straight at the Quakes 'keeper.

The second half began with Houston seeing more of the ball. A Franco Caraccio layoff near the top of the box found Holden, but his low shot was snared by Cannon.

The Dynamo continued to have the better of play in the second half, but suffered a blow in the 62nd minute when defender Eddie Robinson was forced off with an abdominal injury.

Robinson was replaced by Patrick Ianni, and the move was to have dire consequences for Houston just five minutes later. A deflected cross from Ronnie O'Brien was flicked over his head by Ned Grabavoy, finding Kamara deep in the box. His quick shot on the turn not only beat Ianni, but Onstad as well, giving the Quakes a 1-0 lead.

Houston nearly hit straight back, with substitute Kyle Brown latching onto a long ball and seemingly having a clear look at goal. But a desperate tackle from San Jose defender Ryan Cochrane took the sting out of Brown's shot, allowing Cannon to make the save.

Any hopes of a Dynamo comeback were dashed in the 81st minute. On the counter, Guerrero played Johnson through on the right side of the box, and while Onstad did well to parry his blast, Guerrero was on hand to slot home the rebound, doubling San Jose's lead.

The goal proved invaluable as Ching volleyed home a cross from substitute Brad Davis in the 88th minute. And nerves were put further on edge when the Hawaiian's deflected header from an Ianni cross went narrowly wide two minutes into stoppage time. But San Jose was able to see out the remainder of the match, much to the delight of the home crowd.


First away win since October
Jose wants big club or nothing
Johnson’s muscle gives Quakes lift

United rallies to top TFC, snap skid

WASHINGTON -- Mired in a demoralizing slump and desperate to resuscitate their fading campaign, D.C. United finally put together a winning performance on Saturday night, showing grit and resolve to defeat Toronto FC 3-2 at RFK Stadium for their third league victory of the year.

Paced by a man-of-the-match display from Jaime Moreno and a slump-breaking gamewinner from Luciano Emilio, United twice came from behind and eventually captured a hard-won victory to snap their four-game losing streak. TFC striker Danny Dichio scored two goals in defeat.

Embattled United coach Tom Soehn kept with the same 4-4-2 shape and identical starting lineup from Wednesday night's 1-0 setback in Toronto, while his opposite number John Carver followed suit with TFC's first XI as the Reds looked to continue their six-game unbeaten run.

Mindful of their team's four-game losing skid, United's Barra Brava supporters' group provided a forceful display of support -- and perhaps an urgent appeal -- to the squad in the moments before kickoff, producing a massive banner urging D.C. to "Fight For Our Colors" above a sea of black, red and white flags.

The home side finally got forward with some conviction in the 11th minute as Fred's crafty backheel earned a corner off Marvell Wynne and Jaime Moreno saw his low shot deflected just wide of goal shortly after the set piece.

But after a brief attacking flurry by United, Toronto raced back the other way and drew first blood with surprising ease. Laurent Robert rewarded TFC captain Jim Brennan for his aggressive run down the left channel with a defense-splitting pass and the left back duly clipped a tidy cross over United 'keeper Zach Wells and into the goalmouth, where Danny Dichio nodded home from close range -- his second goal in as many games.

After seeming shellshocked for some time after the goal, United were finally looking dangerous in the attacking third and after a fluid passing move in the 28th minute TFC netminder Greg Sutton was called upon to make a sharp block of Moreno's blast from 19 yards out, then was helped by Wynne's deflection of Emilio's scuffed effort on the rebound as the Reds scrambled to clear their lines.

The home team threatened again in the 35th minute when Gallardo rode Guevara's challenge before unleashing a knuckling blast that was too hot for Sutton to handle -- the Canadian international palmed it away from goal but was nearly punished as Namoff ran onto the loose ball and hammered a half-volley just high and wide.

D.C. finally broke through in the 41st minute, scoring their first goal in more than two hours of play as a leaping McTavish flicked Moreno's delivery toward the back post, where Gonzalo Peralta stooped to head home his first goal in a United uniform.

The equalizer lifted Black-and-Red spirits dramatically -- both on the field and in the stands -- and four minutes later Clyde Simms almost grabbed a second tally for his team in the half's dying moments as he capped an intricate passing sequence with a low first-time shot destined for the lower corner of goal, only for Sutton make a superb reaction save.

But United's newfound confidence sustained a devastating blow mere seconds later as Dichio burned them again to restore Toronto's advantage. The big target man exchanged passes with Guevara at the top of the D.C. box before taking advantage of the yards of space given to him by the defense with a well-aimed, side-footed shot that skipped past Wells and nestled just inside the left-hand post.

Despite the 2-1 deficit, United began the second half with renewed vigor. McTavish got into the attack some seven minutes after the break and earned his side a dangerous set piece. Gallardo stepped up to the dead ball and belted a dipping blast past Sutton, only to watch in frustration as it caromed off the crossbar and out of play.

United took a stranglehold on possession and probed the TFC defense constantly as the second period unfolded, but time after time found the finishing touch lacking as Sutton patrolled his area with authority.

Controversy erupted in the 67th minute when Emilio seemed to have drawn D.C. level, racing in to hammer home the rebound after Sutton had palmed Moreno's shot away, but the home crowd was dismayed to see the linesman standing with his flag raised, as Moreno had strayed offside at the play's outset.

But the Black-and-Red kept pushing and five minutes later earned the second equalizer they'd been seeking so desperately. Quaranta hustled into the box behind Wynne and though the sharp angle meant the D.C. winger's options were limited, he earned a penalty kick as the young TFC right back rashly knocked him to the turf with Gonzalez well-positioned to spot the infraction.

As usual, Moreno stepped up to the spot kick and sent Sutton the wrong way, driving his finish into the right side of the net to level matters at 2-2. The Bolivian's goal incited wild celebrations among the RFK faithful as it brought long-awaited relief from the pain and pressure of United's losing streak.

The euphoria reached a crescendo barely two minutes later when a TFC turnover allowed Quaranta and his mates to race forward again -- and after a second's consideration the Baltimore native elected to launch a dipping shot from 20 yards out.

Sutton was well-placed to stop the stinging drive but he palmed it down onto the turf and looked up in dismay as the hard-charging Emilio arrived to poke it past him into the net for a sudden 3-2 United advantage, the home side's first lead of the night. The Brazilian wheeled away in delirium to rejoice over his first goal in nearly two months.

Toronto fought back gamely, however, creating danger with several set pieces and corner kicks. Guevara boomed a deep, searching ball into the D.C. box that left Wells frozen on his line as Jarrod Smith stabbed Dichio's layoff just over the crossbar. Then defending a TFC corner kick, Peralta nearly gave the home fans a collective heart attack when his header looped backwards and flew inches over his own crossbar.

On the ensuing corner kick the Reds threw everyone -- including Sutton -- into the D.C. box and chaos ensued as the ball took several deflections around the danger area before the home side finally lumped clear. Spotting his linesman's raised flag, Gonzalez trotted over and conferred briefly before brandishing a red card in Robert's direction, apparently for a serious foul somewhere in the goalmouth turmoil.

The referee finally blew for full time shortly after, handing a badly-needed victory to Soehn's side and snapping Toronto's unbeaten run.


Grant: We’re Playing The Best Football
Cunningham boots TFC to first victory
Stoic Moreno providing Crew big lift

LA shows resiliency in comeback

CARSON, Calif. -- For the first time this season, the Los Angeles Galaxy came from behind to win a game. Landon Donovan scored from the penalty spot and set up the game-winner as the Galaxy beat Kansas City 3-1 at The Home Depot Center, giving LA consecutive wins for the first time on the year.

Things didn't start out well though for LA. The boys from Victoria Street could have very easily been down within the first 30 seconds of the game, as Kansas City came out very aggressive and smothered the Galaxy's goal early on.

"There was a lot of irritation on the field, especially for the start because you see things slipping out of your hands," said Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit. "The first two minutes was ridiculous. We were giving the ball away. We looked nervous, and they were growing into the game."

The Galaxy did go into the locker room down a goal. Claudio Lopez weaved through the Galaxy defense before lacing a shot past Steve Cronin. Despite a few early chances for the Galaxy, the outcome was certainly in question.

But the Galaxy came out after the break and dominated possession. They outshot Kansas City 11-2 in the second half, and when Donovan scored from the penalty spot in the 54th minute, it sent LA on its way.

"The second half was a different team. I'm very proud of the way out players responded to the demands that I had," said Gullit. "The key factor today was that Landon Donovan played excellent. That was the key to the game to change it."

Gullit made one change right before halftime, bringing on Ely Allen for Joe Franchino. Then in the locker room, some other tactical adjustments were made.

"I probably can't repeat what (Gullit) said in the locker room, but you single some people out," said Chris Klein. "We all looked around the locker room and looked at ourselves. We all played a much better second half individually. We all know the type of player (Landon) is, but what he did for us offensively and defensively as well I think really proves the type of man that he is."

Still, the fact remains that Los Angeles played an inconsistent game. While the win felt good, questions were still being raised about the way the club started the game.

"We're shooting ourselves in the foot in some of these games by not finishing chances early and then giving up goals," said Donovan. "Coming from behind gets difficult, so we'd like to get that right. But I think the reaction by us tonight was good."

One thing that can't be faulted was the defense. For a unit that has been leaky at best for large parts of the season, things are starting to come together. Aside from one chance in the second half, the Galaxy back line shut down the Kansas City attack.

It's a sign things are progressing not only on the offensive side of the ball. The central defense partnership of rookie Sean Franklin and veteran Abel Xavier seems to be getting better and better each game.

"I've worked very hard with Abel (Xavier). I've tried to stimulate him by putting him on the bench," said Gullit. "I think he responded to it, and that gave me the green light to put him on the pitch. I think he responded very well tonight."

Even after LA went up a goal, through Edson Buddle's 74th-minute strike, the game could have gone either way. It wasn't until second-half stoppage time that the Galaxy put things away on a highlight reel goal from David Beckham.

Kansas City 'keeper Kevin Hartman had come all the way forward to help on a late corner kick as the Wizards chased the equalizer. When the ball popped loose, Beckham dribbled towards midfield, before lofting a 70-yard shot into the empty net.

"If he had missed that, his reputation would have been done," Gullit said with a wry smile.

The win not only was a good show of character for the Galaxy, but it also moved LA into first place in the Western Conference. The Galaxy are now the only team in the West with a winning record, and they will try to carry that success into their U.S. Open Cup qualifying match on Tuesday. That game will be another test of character, as LA will be without Donovan and Beckham, who will face off against each other at Wembley the next day in an international friendly.


Ten-man Energie stage spectacular comeback
“We can take something off Bayern, too”
Donovan continues to shine brighter