Crew ready to exorcise demons

COLUMBUS -- After another second-half, point-producing rally on the road, the Columbus Crew might be ready to exorcise the demons of past failures.

During the past few years while the Crew missed the MLS Cup Playoffs, the team's hallmark had been snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by allowing late goals. Last season, for example, the Crew gave up four winning goals and a tying goal from the 80th minute on. Those lost points were a major factor in missing the postseason by three points.

What a difference a season and an attitude adjustment make. The Crew's latest comeback was Saturday at The Home Depot Center. Los Angeles led 2-0 until the 67th minute when Brad Evans scored and four minutes Guillermo Barros Schelotto knocked in a penalty. The Galaxy regained the advantage in the 83rd minute on a penalty kick call in favor of David Beckham that Landon Donovan converted, but reserve rookie forward Steven Lenhart got the equalizer in the 88th with his first MLS goal.

The second half was reminiscent of the match in San Jose on May 10 when the Crew went from one down to a 3-1 lead in a span of 12 minutes after the break.

"We know we are a good team," veteran defender Frankie Hejduk said. "Last year we didn't believe we were going to survive the game, as a team, so we didn't get it done the last 10 minutes of the game. In the preseason we made it a big issue that we've got to stop taking goals the last 10 minutes. If we do give some up, we've got to score some.

"We've taken that mentality this year. We've had some goals scored on us still in the last minutes this year but we've also scored a couple in the last minutes. We've come back in games, unlike last year. We're buying into each other and believing in each other and have a group of guys willing to work hard for each other and never giving up."

Another difference is the goals given up in the final 10 minutes haven't been as costly as last season with one exception. New England scored in the 89th minute on a rebound after Will Hesmer made a penalty kick save to give the Revolution a 1-0 victory.

It appeared for a while Saturday that another goal from the spot would mean defeat when Donovan beat Hesmer from the spot but Lenhart, who attended nearby Azusa Pacific University and had dozens of family members and friends in attendance, put away a loose ball after a strike by Hejduk.

"It had to feel pretty good for him to come back to his hometown," midfielder Brian Carroll said of Lenhart. "He gave us a spark off the bench. He really helped us. To get a point on the road was really huge. Honestly, even though it's not a win, if you said going into the game we'd be down two-zip in a really tough place to play we'd be happy with that point."

Hejduk, no stranger to discussions about hair length, put the frizzy-haired Lenhart's goal in a unique perspective. "We always make fun of him because he has a big mop of hair on his head," Hejduk said. "That mop head just got a little bit bigger. That's how you want your forwards to be. You want your forwards to be confident."

The Crew had reasons to smile afterward save for the penalty call that went against defender Danny O'Rourke while marking -- or, as the replay seemed to show, not guarding -- Beckham. If O'Rourke did touch the Galaxy superstar it might have been with the big toe of his boot yet Beckham went down hard.

"I don't like talking about referees and PKs in general," Carroll said diplomatically. "I have a feeling that's one where the ref should have let it go."

Hejduk was more succinct, noting the discrepancy in penalty calls this season. Opponents have taken five (not including one in a recent Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Chicago that was made in the final moments of overtime that led to the Crew's elimination) while the Crew have been awarded two.

"We've had a lot of calls go against us this year. It's been awful," he said. "We've had maybe seven against us?" Maybe three have been legitimate. It's just a bunch of (garbage) to tell you the truth. The penalty Beckham got (Saturday) epitomized everything. The guys are joking -- we're getting calls against us at home, too."

Somehow, though, maybe the nebulous soccer gods were watching. In the waning moments Beckham had an open shot to win the game from eight yards out and missed it well high.

"Justice was served on that play," Hejduk said. "Nine of 10 times he would have buried it. Someone or somebody, some other power said he deserved that one."

And with that the Crew returns home from a two-game trip with four points after also downing Kansas City 3-0 on June 14. The last match in Crew Stadium on June 7 was a 2-0 loss to San Jose that marked the Crew's fourth consecutive match without a goal. With six in the past two matches, that dubious mark is a distant memory.

"It will be nice to be home again," Carroll said. "We've gained a lot of confidence in how we've played these last two games on the road."


Crew top Wizards, remain in first
No solace for Galaxy in draw
Karlsruher SC: the surprise team
Bundesliga: top for goals

Lenhart's energy key in comeback draw

CARSON, Calif. -- When Steven Lenhart entered Saturday's match for the Columbus Crew against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the match was deadlocked at 2-2.

Soon after, Landon Donovan gave the hosts a 3-2 lead. But Lenhart ultimately showed why he was brought into the match.

Lenhart pounced on a loose ball and slipped the match-tying goal past Galaxy 'keeper Steve Cronin in the 88th minute as Columbus walked away with a pulsating 3-3 draw.

Overall, the Crew overcame a pair of second-half deficits to earn their road point.

"From a character standpoint, we showed a lot," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "I don't think this is something we could have done last year."

Lenhart, meanwhile, came on for Nicolas Hernandez in the 76th minute but had just enough time to do damage. His goal, though, was a blur.

"I don't really remember," Lenhart said when asked to describe the sequence. "It was bouncing and you just kick it in when you're in front of it you."

The Crew improved to 7-4-2 and are four points behind Eastern Conference leader New England. It was the second consecutive match -- both on the road -- where they scored three goals.

Schmid said he felt his team had plenty of goals in them entering Saturday's match.

"The thing we've talked about all week was ... that we were going to get chances, we were going to get opportunities to score," Schmid said. "I told them that I was confident we're going to get goals, that there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to score. It's just a question of how much you keep them off the board."

The Crew did not do well to keep the Galaxy off the scoreboard in the opening minutes of either half. In the fourth minute, David Beckham swung a cross in from the right side but Crew 'keeper William Hesmer failed to hold the ball. Donovan turned and fired the ball into an empty net.

Edson Buddle scored the game's second goal as he beat Danny O'Rourke inside the penalty area and slipped a ball past Hesmer in the 47th minute.

But Schmid said his side was unfazed.

"They're going to try and score and they're going to be dangerous but they're going to open up because of that. (Saturday's) game was very typical of the way the Galaxy play. They commit things forward but leave things open in the back sometimes," he said. "Even when we were down 2-0, the message that I gave the players was 'You can get goals. Just get the first one and the second one will come.'"

Ultimately, it was really that simple. Brad Evans got a goal in the 67th minute when he found a fortuitous ball before him. Guillermo Barros Schelotto sailed a cross in from the left side of the field. The ball hit Alvaro Pires in the face and settled to Evans, who easily ripped a shot past Cronin.

Galaxy defender Chris Klein tripped Robbie Rogers inside the box in the 70th minute and Barros Schelotto converted the ensuing spot kick.

Schmid said switching formations helped the Crew come back.

"When it was 2-1, we switched to a 3-5-2 and we ended up getting 2-2 out of it and then we went back to a 4-4-2 after we scored," Schmid said. "(After the Galaxy scored) so now you're thinking what's going to happen. So we pushed again to a 3-5-2 and scored again."

Schmid's only second-half change paid off as well as Lenhart bagged his first goal of the regular season.

"We brought Steven in because he's good in the air," he said. "We felt we were getting a lot of crosses over and getting some opportunities to get headers onto goal. He's shown himself to be scrappy around the box. That's one of the reasons we actually drafted him; we saw that potential in him."

Lenhart said his task was simple entering the match as a late substitute.

"Just to bring a lot of energy," he said. "I don't have the most skill or anything so just mix it up a little bit, win the headers and hold the ball, just try and hold the defenders off and be active in front of goal. I think it paid off."

After Lenhart's goal, the Crew held on for a valuable road point and an uplifting result. Going home to face Colorado, the Crew once again have an offense that has proven its worth, one that Schmid never doubted.

"It's good for us because a lot of people were questioning our ability to score goals but I never questioned our ability to score goals. Even tonight I thought we should have had five or six," Schmid said. "I'm confident in our ability to score goals."


Hargreaves: We Went For The Draw
Crew return home after strong road trip

No solace for Galaxy in draw

CARSON, Calif. -- Early in the second half, the Los Angeles Galaxy went two goals up on the Columbus Crew and looked as though they were on their way to a third consecutive win. Unfortunately for the capacity crowd at The Home Depot Center, Columbus fought back and tied the game with two quick goals.

Los Angeles again took a lead late in the game, but with two minutes left in the game, conceded the lead for the second time and finished with a 3-3 draw and only a share of the points.

Even though the Galaxy extended their unbeaten streak to three games and have managed to stay on top of the Western Conference standings, Saturday's result left a bitter taste in everyone's mouths.

"At the moment it feels like a loss," said David Beckham following the game. "To control the game for so long and go up 2-0. We need to learn how to finish games off."

Failure to finish games off has become a common theme with the Galaxy this season. A few weeks ago, the Galaxy took a 3-0 lead against the Rapids and conceded two second-half goals to make the final outcome a lot more nerve-wracking that it needed to be. Against the Crew, LA wasn't as lucky and paid the price.

"I think it's a pity that we gave two points away," said Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit. "I think we worked very hard to get a good score then in such a short period of time to give it away. I think we had a lot of chances to finish them off."

When Edson Buddle scored barely more than a minute into the second half, Columbus could have wilted in the southern California heat. Instead, they responded and dominated the second half, outshooting the Galaxy 14-5 in the second period. While Los Angeles wasn't looking to make excuses, it was obvious that the team just lost control of the match.

"I seem to say this every week, it's the consistency you know," said Beckham. "We've got a lot of young players in the team. It's all about finishing teams off and holding onto leads. It just takes a bit of calmness. This team will learn from these different experiences. We've got some good young players and players who can play under pressure. At the moment, we've just lost it in a few games."

Just as the Galaxy became a little complacent after going ahead by two goals, they seemed to lose their focus after regaining the lead late in the match. Frankie Hejduk was left unmarked at the top of the 18 on a free kick from the left side of the box, allowing the U.S. international to get a clear shot on goal. While Steve Cronin saved the initial effort, the rebound was put away by rookie Steven Lenhart.

"It's unnecessary, especially the last goal. They have a man standing on the edge of the box and nobody sees him. Everyone is just busy, busy, busy with themselves," said Gullit. "Everyone was just looking around and it was so obvious."

Los Angeles did feel a bit unlucky on the night as the ball didn't seem to be bouncing their way. On Columbus' first goal, the ball took a deflection off Alvaro Pires' face and dropped right to the feet of Brad Evans, who scored from close range. On the Crew's final goal, Abel Xavier was a bit unlucky to get called for a foul on the edge of the box, which led directly to the decisive free kick.

"What was amazing to me was every bounce, every tackle went in their favor," said Gullit. "If you see the goals they scored, the ball bounced in front of their feet and they scored a goal. It was a little unfortunate in this case."

Even with the game tied at 3-3, LA had a chance to win it late. Beckham had a chance one-on-one with Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer but sailed his effort over the crossbar.

"Sometimes they go in, others they don't. Tonight was one of those nights. Obviously I'm disappointed not to finish the game off there," said Beckham. "Personally I felt as though the grass gave way just as I struck the ball. To hit it over so far from that distance, something must have."

Despite a couple of unfavorable bounces or some close calls, the fact remains that the Galaxy had every opportunity to finish the game off early. They failed to do so and it cost them two points.


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Top from start to finish

Race for All-Star coach down to wire

COLUMBUS -- The coach for the MLS All-Stars for the 2008 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game will be decided this weekend, and there's a bit of fun going on between the potential honorees.

The coach whose team has the most points per game after June 29 will have the honor of coaching the MLS All-Stars against West Ham United, at BMO Field in Toronto on July 24.

Currently leading is Steve Nicol, whose New England Revolution have 27 points from 15 matches. If the Revolution defeat Toronto FC on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, then Nicol will have the honor of leading the MLS team.

However, Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid could nab the position if the Crew defeat the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at home, and the Revolution lose or tie with Toronto.

Schmid received a text message early Sunday from Nicol that -- in the sanitized version -- told him to back off because Nicol's wife had already spent the bonus for coaching the MLS All-Stars.

Nicol was joking, of course. Schmid said he wasn't aware of the selection procedure prior to the message but nonetheless sent a reply that the Revolution coach could have the job because the last time Schmid coached in the All-Star Game in 2004 he was fired shortly thereafter by the Galaxy.

Following are the scenarios that will apply to the selection of the MLS All-Star Game coach this weekend. In case of a tie in points per game, the same tiebreakers used to determine playoff participants will be used to determine the head coach:

• If the Revolution defeat Toronto FC, Steve Nicol is the All-Star Game coach.
• If the Revolution tie Toronto FC and Columbus loses or ties, then Steve Nicol is the All-Star Game coach.
• If the Columbus Crew defeat the Colorado Rapids and New England ties or loses, then Sigi Schmid is the All-Star Game coach.
• If Toronto FC defeat New England, and Columbus loses and Los Angeles loses or ties, then John Carver is the All-Star Game coach.
• If Toronto FC defeat New England, the LA Galaxy win and Columbus loses, there is a two-way tie with Carver and Gullit each having 1.714 points per game.
• If Toronto FC defeat New England, the LA Galaxy win and Columbus ties, there is a three-way tie with John Carver, Ruud Gullit and Sigi Schmid each having 1.714 points per game.


Despite easy win, Nicol not pleased
Rollercoaster ride with happy ending
Dreary night for Revolution

RSL still bitter over Wizards draw

SALT LAKE CITY -- As far as Real Salt Lake is concerned, Saturday's rematch with the Kansas City Wizards is a golden opportunity to heal a still fresh wound.

Despite outplaying the Wizards when the two clubs met in Utah three weeks ago, RSL failed to produce anything beyond a scoreless draw. Real coach Jason Kreis said that he and his players feel like they let Kansas City steal two points from them.

RSL is determined to get those points back.

"I'm hoping that's fresh in our players' minds and that we go there, basically, with a mindset that we need to get those points back," Kreis said.

If Real hope to recoup a couple of lost points, they appear to be hitting their stride at just the right time. RSL claimed an important 2-1 victory against league-leader New England last weekend. It extended the club's unbeaten streak to five games. Included in that streak is a 1-0 triumph against Chivas USA, which gave RSL its first road win of the season.

Now RSL is all alone in second place in the Western Conference. And with only two points separating Real from the Los Angeles Galaxy, the club is in a position to finally seize first-place -- an accomplishment it has not yet achieved in its short history.

A second win away from the confines of Rice-Eccles Stadium would bring RSL a step closer to being a conference leader. And it would enhance the credibility the club is slowly building in its turnaround season.

"If we go out there and get three points, I think teams are going to start looking at us as a real threat," goalkeeper Nick Rimando said.

Rimando thought RSL took a major step forward when it took care of business against the Revolution. When New England came to Salt Lake, there was no guarantee that Real would come out on top. RSL had not scored in its last two home matches -- against the last-place teams in each conference -- and the Revolution sported a reputation as one of the league's best road teams.

But RSL prevailed by playing a smarter and cleaner brand of soccer than it has shown at other times earlier in the season.

"We didn't give up any goals at the end of the (second) half," Rimando said. "We didn't let them tie it. We kept the ball and made them run -- which is good because, at the beginning of the season, we weren't doing that."

If RSL can create the kind of chances it did against Kansas City the first time around, making it a six-game unbeaten streak could come down to something as simple as better finishing in the final third. Real dominated the Wizards in shots and shots on goal -- producing 19 overall and getting seven of those on frame.

But success on the road has been tough to come by in the past against the Wizards. RSL snuck away with a 3-3 draw in 2006, but suffered losses at Arrowhead Stadium in 2005 and 2007.

Still, with the club fresh off its recent breakthrough on the road against Chivas, RSL players are feeling like the best is yet to come.

"We're doing what we need to do," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "We're playing some good soccer at home and we were able to pick up that win on the road. It just seems like everyone is playing with confidence and we're just getting better as a team."

One area of concern going into Kansas City has to be the health of the front line. Fabian Espindola is still out with a left knee contusion, while Yura Movsisyan is still trying to get back to 100 percent after knee surgery.

Robbie Findley should be back from a concussion that knocked him out versus the Revs. But if he can't go, rookie Tino Nunez, who scored the game-winning goal against New England, could get the call against the Wizards.


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Parma chief ‘bitter’ at drop
Wizards search for consistency
Salt Lake play Kansas City to draw

Wizards look to keep battling

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Win the battles, you win the war. For the Kansas City Wizards -- last place in MLS's Eastern Conference and winless in their last seven -- every match is a fight.

The good news is that the Wizards are coming off an encouraging performance last Saturday amidst the daunting atmosphere that is Toronto FC's BMO Field.

"A game where I was pleased with the fact that every single player won their individual battles," said Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo of the 0-0 draw. "In MLS, the team that rolls up their sleeves, fights, and wins their battles positions themselves to be successful. Then the soccer can carry over and help you win. ... We won every 50-50 ball; we, more often than not, were first to every second ball. That, over the course of the game, makes a psychological statement to the other team."

The performance was a vast improvement over the Saturday before when the Wizards put in a listless performance in front of a sellout crowd at home (one that drew comparisons to a 7-0 home loss on July 4, 2001 to Chicago in front of nearly 20,000), losing 3-0 to the Columbus Crew. "[The draw at Toronto] positions ourselves ... to walk in confidently knowing that we have to do the exact same thing: we have to fight, win our individual battles, make sure we're putting the other team under pressure, keep sending the numbers forward, create the chances, and this time make sure we put them in the back of the net," Onalfo said.

And the lineup Onalfo will put out will be one that will be focused on attack.

"We may very well put some more attacking players on the field in this game against Real Salt Lake to try and really put them on their heels and have a little bit more of a presence up front," Onalfo said.

Part of the lineup will include a change instituted in Toronto. Ever-versatile Jack Jewsbury, who has played in a variety of spots in the midfield thus far, will take up at right back where his attacking skills can help Kansas City push more numbers up the field and where his understanding with right midfielder Davy Arnaud can flourish. Additionally, Claudio Lopez will likely move away from the front line to attack from the midfield while Scott Sealy and Ivan Trujillo combine up top.

The increase in chances created in Toronto, where the Wizards outshot their opponent 11-7, and the attacking changes will hopefully spur a Wizards offense currently averaging 0.83 goals per game.

"Right now, we're just looking to really break out. We've been consistently good defensively in the last few games," said Jewsbury. "We've created the chances to score a lot of goals; it's just a matter of it coming. Once you get that first one, you get that monkey off your back, hopefully, they'll just start rolling in for us."

Unbeaten in their last five, visiting Real Salt Lake is on a roll and find themselves in second place in the Western Conference. The Wizards are more concerned about a roll of their own though.

"We're not doing as well as we would like, but it's not for the lack of work on the practice field," said Lopez through a translator. "We need to keep working hard and we'll get better. It's essential that we put up a little winning streak. That will give us a boost."

A roll might have to begin without two regular starters, however. Center midfielder Kerry Zavagnin's foot strain will keep him out in favor of Kurt Morsink, and captain Jimmy Conrad is questionable after hurting a foot in training on Wednesday.

"He's struggling a little bit. It's going to be a game-time decision," said Onalfo. "Knowing Jimmy and his mentality, there isn't much that keeps him off the field. The good thing is his foot's not broken."

The Wizards will also be battling to mend their fractured relationship with their fans, using the June 14 letdown as the rallying cry.

"My pregame talk with the team is going to be about redemption and making up. When you have 10,000 fans [a sellout], you have to make sure you go out and perform because we didn't show up the game before," said Onalfo. "A performance you can be proud of is one where you leave everything on the field. ... If you give everything you have, more often than not, we're going to win the game."


Wizards focus on moving forward
Clemente Unhappy With Draw
“We should have made it 2-0″

Hyndman finds positives in loss

FRISCO, Texas -- The record of new FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman stands at 0-1-0 after Saturday night's 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium.

Even though FCD was outshot 12-4 by the Red Bulls and created just one legitimate scoring chance, Hyndman admitted that he found several positives on Monday as his team prepares for a Thursday trip to two-time MLS Cup champion Houston, a team the Hoops have never beaten in the Bayou City.

"I think that (goalkeeper) Dario (Sala) made a couple of great saves," he said. "I thought that our defense stayed in their shape. We lost the midfield battle, which is an issue, but they pressed us high so much and surprisingly, did that the whole game. I think with the field surface, we weren't able to connect the passes like we would have liked. But the players fought all the way to the end and that really showed character. When we got scored on, the heads didn't go down, they just continued."

Yet while Hyndman was concerned with losing the midfield battle, he did have praise for defensive midfielder Pablo Ricchetti for his solid performance.

"One of the players that I singled out was Pablo, who had a really good game against New York," he said. "His intensity was from the start to the end. He's one of those players that when we talk about fitness level, he's there. He's got extremely good work ethics and work rate. I thought he and Marcelo (Saragosa) were two guys that we can kind of look at and say to give the same effort that they do."

However, one thing the new Hoops boss wants to see his side do better is get more numbers forward.

"Yes, we are making subtle changes," he said. "Today, we're talking about instead of playing those square balls, playing more diagonal balls and getting forward. Every coach plans their training session off the past game and says these are the things we need to work on. We've been able to identify some things like getting more numbers in the attack. I thought our defense was good but we didn't get as much attack out of our fullbacks but they were under so much pressure that they probably didn't want to go."

Last week, Hyndman said that he wanted to see his outside backs get forward more. Bobby Rhine, who started at right back and Blake Wagner, the starting left back, did some of that at Giants Stadium but their presence in the attack wasn't a consistent one mainly because of the high pressure that New York put on FCD all night long.

"I think it's smart for a defender not to go forward too much when they see the pressure that is on them and that there is maybe no space," he said. "One of the things was that if the ball went out to Bobby (Rhine), we were pretty predictable. It didn't come back into the middle and go to the other side to Blake (Wagner) because they were shifting defensively and we never really moved the ball with their shift."

He added: "I think Bobby was a little bit better and it's because of the characteristics that he has. He was a forward at one time, a midfielder at one time and has those qualities. Now he's a defender and feels comfortable getting forward. That showed in his training today as well."

Hyndman was also disappointed by how tired his team looked as the match progressed.

"I do (think that fitness is something we need to work on)," he said. "I don't think we're as match-fit as we should be for being in the season. Sometimes, you work awfully hard in your preseason to get match fit but once you get into the season, you don't have any days to work on fitness because you have games. When you put in the fitness, you've got to put in recovery.

"I don't think they're match-fit the way they're capable of being but it's not something that I can impose on them like during preseason. What we're trying to do is take the training sessions and make them more intense by maybe going a little bit longer not in time but making the segments a little bit longer and more intense."

On Monday, defender Adrian Serioux returned to training after missing two weeks while away with the Canadian national team. Drew Moor missed the New York game because he was with the U.S. national team and Hyndman took notice of how much Moor got forward in yesterday's World Cup qualifier at Barbados.

In the past, Moor has played both at right back as well as in the middle. Rhine, who came into MLS as a forward in 1999 but converted to the back in 2005, has played exclusively at right back. But Hyndman feels that both could be part of the FCD attack.

"I think that's going to be a great question to be answered because I think Bobby (Rhine) has done some great things going forward and is going to continue getting forward," he said. "The thing that Drew (Moor) brings is that he's more of a natural defender, a gladiator and a ball winner. Are we going to be able to take Bobby and turn him into a true defender or are we going to be able to help Drew be involved in the attack more?

"I think we can probably help Drew get into the attack more than we can make Bobby into a 50/50, hard-nosed ball winner in the air. He's improved in those areas but I think it's not a natural place for him. I'm anxious to get Drew back but I thought (Aaron Pitchkolan) did a good job dealing with that as a center back."


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Cordoba expects fitness wait

Bornstein rolling with punches

CARSON, Calif. -- When the 2008 MLS season started, there were two things Jonathan Bornstein likely did not count on.

First, he probably thought his lateral collateral ligament would hold up just fine. Secondly, if anyone was going to play left back it was probably going to be him.

As it turned out, Bornstein's knee injury caused him to miss time with Chivas USA and now that he's back, Francisco Mendoza has settled into the left back position.

But Bornstein is not exactly complaining about the situation.

"I kind of expected that sitting on the sidelines," he said. "I saw him doing a really good job back there and same thing with Carey (Talley) on the other side. Why switch it up when it's working? We haven't been giving up very many goals and the back is solid."

Bornstein has still proven his worth in his newfound role. Against Chicago on June 19, Bornstein came on at the start of the second half and helped a 10-man Chivas USA side protect a lead as the Red-and-White won 2-0.

Still, Bornstein's season took a rather unexpected twist during a training session in early May when his knee gave out on him. Subsequent tests revealed damage to his lateral collateral ligament.

Bornstein was ruled out 4-6 weeks and was put in a position he'd not been in before.

"Very strange, something new," Bornstein said when asked how he handled his time away from the playing field. "Since I was in college I've never missed a game. It was kind of something I was always proud about, that I was always ready for games and I kind of pushed through it, maybe through a little bit of injury but I was always ready and fit to go."

A year ago, Bornstein injured his knee late in the preseason but he recovered in time to play in the season opener. This time around, Bornstein missed five games.

Having injured his medial collateral ligament a year ago, Bornstein knew what to expect in terms of rehabilitating the knee. A year ago, he underwent a procedure known as platelet rich plasma, in which blood is drawn, removed of its plasma and injected into his injured knee.

The procedure is effective but can be a bit painful. Bornstein expected both and was right on both counts.

"I went into it thinking there was going to be a lot of pain this time because the first time it was excruciating right when they started pushing in the blood. This time he told me it might not be as painful because it's a different ligament and it's got a little bit more space," he said. "A couple hours after the local anesthetic wore away, it started hurting moreso than the other one."

Had he not had the procedure, perhaps he would not have been able to recover so quickly.

"It kind of sets you back a little bit. For the first three days you are really sore, you lose a little of range of motion and it's almost like you got injured all over again," he said. "But then right after that process is over, I can almost feel it start kicking in, you feel your strength getting back and you feel like you can do exercises that you weren't able to do."


Deja vu in loss to Revolution
Degen injured for final
Chivas try to slow dynamic LA duo

United keep eye toward postseason

WASHINGTON -- For most of the season, D.C. United players and coaches steadfastly declined to discuss other teams or their place in the table, preferring to maintain an inward focus as the squad labored to fix its own shortcomings.

"We don't even look at the standings right now," said head coach Tom Soehn at the beginning of June. "We're worried about ourselves, making sure that we continue in the right direction. When you do that, the results take care of themselves."

Those results have indeed taken care of themselves, in the form of a five-game unbeaten streak, and as their tumultuous spring has faded in the rearview mirror, an improving United have turned a keen eye towards the rest of the league. The postseason might be months away, but there's a growing urgency around RFK Stadium as the team hunts for the points needed to continue climbing up the Eastern Conference ranks.

"We got a long home stretch and we're definitely trying to get maximum points out of this stretch," said midfielder Clyde Simms after Sunday's win against San Jose. "We're down in the standings right now and fortunately we had some results go our way yesterday, and so we're looking to get three [points] to try to move up."

As Simms' words indicate, Soehn has called his squad's attention to the schedule quirk that balances United's current homestand with an array of road matches from August until October.

"We're definitely looking at other results around the league," added Simms. "But the biggest thing is worrying about ourselves and trying to get maximum points, especially being at home for so long. With all these home games, obviously we're going to have away games later on so we try to get maximum points now and then move on from there."

Soehn has continued a tactic used by his predecessor, Peter Nowak, chopping the protracted MLS campaign into smaller segments to help distill his team's concentration, laying out specific goals and priorities during those periods. It's also helped the Black-and-Red turn the page on their awful start to 2008.

"We basically looked at the first third of the season and know we didn't do a good enough job," said Soehn. "We know we can't change that, we can only look forward and make sure that now in the next third we do a much better job and make sure we take care of the games we need to. But again, it's still about our performance on a daily basis: are we doing enough in training to make sure that we're consistently getting better? That's been the focus."

Therein lies much of the dissatisfaction with Sunday's win, which featured plenty of attacking success but also more of the ill-advised mistakes -- particularly in the defensive end -- that could prove fatal in the high-stakes occasions to come.

"As long as we're winning, as long as it's not costing the team, it's always a benefit," said defender Devon McTavish, who's witnessed United's fall meltdowns in the past. "But we still need to get that shutout. We still need to keep them from getting in the back of our net, because when it comes to crunch time you're not going to be able to win 3-2. You're going to have win 1-0, 2-0. We still need to fix that."

This weekend's visit by David Beckham and the free-scoring L.A. Galaxy offers another significant barometer for D.C.'s progress. A win would push United to the .500 mark for the first time since early April, and propel the club into July's SuperLiga competition on a high. Plus, with ABC broadcasting the game to a national network audience as an appetizer for the UEFA European Championships final immediately afterwards, it's difficult to imagine a June league match that could offer more of a "crunch time" situation.

"They're playing well right now and they have some good attacking options," said Simms of the Western Conference leaders. "It's going to be a day game, it's going to hot. I think the key will be to keep the ball ... we do that and it's going to be a tough one -- you waste a lot more energy defending than attacking, so if we keep the ball and make them run around a little bit, make their attacking options a little tired, then I think we can do well next Sunday."


Through competition, unlikely friends
Hargreaves: Destiny In Our Hands

Davis: Keepers crossed-up

A couple of weeks ago, big nights from goalkeepers carried the day for several MLS clubs. Round 13 of MLS matches brought the opposite as a few goalkeepers got seriously crossed up while trying to deal with the crosses.

Columbus' William Hesmer left Landon Donovan with the easiest of finishes at The Home Depot Center when he bobbled David Beckham's sublime centering pass. (It really was a wonderful bit of improvisation from Beckham, who reached high from a spot one step from the touchline, one-timing a sharp ball into the six-yard box. Most players wouldn't even think of attempting such a cross; Beckham actually pulled it off.)

Hesmer got a little tangled up Donovan but still had a good opportunity to hold onto Beckham's cross. Or, if he was unsure to any degree, Hesmer should have elected "punch" over "catch" and eliminated the risk for a costly bobble. A few times this year (like this one) Hesmer has demonstrated that he might need to develop a bit more strength in his hands to move to the next level as a goalkeeper.

As it was, the ball fell, Donovan pounced and L.A. had an early lead at home.

At Giants Stadium, Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala was nowhere to be found as a Red Bulls corner kick dropped right at his back post, where a much-obliged Kevin Goldthwaite had only to redirect it home for the game's only goal.

Sala took two quick steps out of goal, then watched Sinisa Ubiparipovic's crisp corner kick sail over his head. FCD's veteran goaltender was completely out of the play.

It was a bad moment for Sala, who was pretty good otherwise as he kept goal in Schellas Hyndman's professional managerial debut for the Hoops. Moments before the goal Sala had saved spectacularly on Ubiparipovic's sharp volley from inside the penalty area.

But they pay the goalkeepers to perform all the routine functions in addition to making the occasional blinding save. So, Sala will surely have better days.

United's Zach Wells dropped a cross Sunday against San Jose, briefly keeping the West Coast expansion side in the thick of things at RFK. Wells stepped out to meet James Riley's short cross but made a mess of it, bobbling it as he fell forward to the ground. The ball dropped conveniently to John "On the Spot" Cunliffe, who barely sneaked a rebound shot past a gaggle of D.C. defenders.

Wells' continues to mix good performances with occasional lapses in form or concentration, which could haunt a D.C. United side that otherwise has things going in the right direction.

Tom Soehn's men, perfect in three MLS appearances in June, have a high-profile match ahead Sunday on ABC against the Galaxy. And don't you know Wells will be seeing his share of crosses from David Beckham and Chris Klein, among others?

Even the usually reliable Matt Reis wasn't at his best on one particular sequence in the Revs' weekend setback in Utah. The veteran goalkeeper got stranded in what broadcasters love to call "no man's land" as Javier Morales' free kick came swinging in dangerously.

So Reis gave himself little chance to react as Jay Heaps inadvertently deflected the ball past his goalkeeper for an early RSL goal.

Finally, Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin will wince at his own costly bobble, although his wasn't on a centering pass.

The young Galaxy goalkeeper couldn't handle Frankie Hejduk's shot from 20 yards in the late-going in Carson on Saturday. Instead of catching it cleanly (or choosing to punch it safely away) he left it to bounce inside the "six." Crew rookie Steven Lenhart, in just his second professional appearance, made no mistake with his late equalizer, as Sigi Schmid's men collected four points from a two-game road swing to get themselves going in the right direction.

TACTICAL CORNER

How about Steve Ralston? He began Saturday's contest in Salt Lake as an attacking midfielder but later switched to the left side of midfield as Nicol saw something he didn't like happening at Rice-Eccles. Ralston has also played at times this year as a forward (scoring his team's only goal in last week's match against the New York Red Bulls from that spot.) And all this from a guy who made his mark in MLS as one of the league's premier right-sided midfielders.

Try to keep up here:

Columbus was in its usual 4-4-2 (or 4-4-1-1, depending on how you see Guillermo Barros Schelotto's role) to begin Saturday's match in Los Angeles. Down 2-1, manager Sigi Schmid maneuvered his side into a 3-5-2.

Mission accomplished. Tie game. Well done. Schmid settles his team back into the 4-4-2.

But wait! L.A. scores! The Crew is down, 3-2.

No problem. Back to the 3-5-2 for the Crew.

Steven Lenhart, brought in because he's good in the air and expected to supply a lot of energy, manages to knock in the equalizer and ... voila! Tie game.

That's a lot of coaching for one night from Schmid.

As expected, Schellas Hyndman removed the 3-5-2 look preferred by managerial predecessors Steve Morrow and (interim man) Marco Ferruzzi. FC Dallas instead returned to the four-man back line it had used extensively over the last few years.

Expect Dallas to stay with the 4-4-2 now, although Hyndman will surely tinker with personnel as Drew Moor and Adrian Serioux return from international duty.

Robbie Rogers didn't show up on Saturday's scoresheet, but he had another outstanding night for the Crew with a hand in two goals during the 3-3 road draw. Interestingly, he didn't really assert himself until late in the first half as he seemed to probe studiously before that. Once he found the right spots to get the ball, he was able to successfully run at Galaxy defenders Chris Klein and Abel Xavier, giving Los Angeles problems aplenty to solve.

The two best quotes from MLS Round 13, both related to individual tactics:

This from Red Bull manager Juan Carlos Osorio, referring to midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who was outstanding Saturday for a second consecutive match: "We have been working a lot on trying to convince him that when he plays effective football, meaning no back-heels, no outside flicks, just play simple football ... he can compete, and he can play at this level."

And this from Columbus Crew rookie Steven Lenhart, who provided his team with the late equalizer in Saturday's exciting 3-3 draw in Los Angeles: "I don't have the most skill or anything, so [he wanted to] just mix it up a little bit, win the headers and hold the ball, just try and hold the defenders off and be active in front of goal. I think it paid off."

You gotta like an honest man.


Stoic Moreno providing Crew big lift
Disastrous stretch dooms Crew
Late blow for Arminia
DAVIS IN FOUR-WAY TIE FOR LEAD

Martinez making presence felt in D.C.

WASHINGTON -- A small, colorful figurine overlooks Gonzalo Martinez's locker at RFK Stadium, tucked away in the corner of an upper shelf. It's an image of Chango, a powerful Orisha deity of West African lore who is linked with thunder and lightning -- he's often depicted wielding a double-headed axe -- and Martinez pays his respects to the icon before every match.

It's an appropriate custom, given that the strapping Colombian has become such an indispensable two-way threat for D.C. United this season. Having established his defensive credentials early on with composed performances in every spot along the United back line, Martinez has grown increasingly comfortable going forward and his enterprise was decisively rewarded with Sunday's thunderous game-winning goal against San Jose.

"He had a great goal for us," said fellow defender Devon McTavish, "putting us on his shoulders a little bit, putting one in the back of the net. He's great going forward for us and he provides a different mentality in terms of outside back and I think we're getting used to playing with him, covering him when he goes on his runs. He's tough to stop when he goes forward -- he's got great feet, he's fast, he's quick."

The athletic Martinez clearly relished his first goal with United, pointing towards his family in the stands before showing off a few dance steps at the corner flag. Its highlight-reel quality earned an MLS Goal of the Week nomination and ensured that from now on, opposing teams will have to be wary of his attacking abilities out of the back.

"Of course -- I'm looking to get some more goals for the good of the club," said the laid-back veteran afterwards. "It's not fun when we're out and we come back with our heads down, so I'm looking to get this institution back on a good track."

Martinez's versatility and professionalism have been revelations throughout what has often been a trying 2008 campaign for the capital club. The well-traveled defender's arrival in D.C. was somewhat overlooked amid United's flood of offseason acquisitions, but he soon proved why big clubs in Italy's Serie A and throughout South America have utilized his services in the past.

A rare blend of speed, skill and savvy helped him adjust quickly to the demands of Major League Soccer while other signings were still finding their feet, and his focused approach has stabilized a new-look D.C. defense that's suffered through more than its share of growing pains.

"It was definitely very hard in the beginning, because we didn't really know each other," said Martinez. "But now that we're starting to get to know each other and how we play, it's all a mental thing. You've got to prepare yourself mentally. I've had a lot of experience and I know that what you really have to do is stay with your mark, stay with your guy, and just keep working on that. Personally, I feel that we need to just keep our concentration and keep our attention on the game."

He's certainly made life a great deal easier for head coach Tom Soehn. The D.C. boss initially used Martinez at center back but soon challenged him with a switch to left back, then played him on the right side in a June 14 match against the New York Red Bulls when Bryan Namoff was suspended. With the exception of an uneven display against Chivas USA last month, Martinez has hardly put a foot wrong.

"He's got pace and he's got experience," said Soehn. "He's a guy that's been through a lot and we utilize his speed well going forward, and in the back. When he needs to make a play, he tends to have that little extra gas to do it. To his credit, we've moved him around a lot and he's adjusted to everywhere we've put him. That's a good quality to have."

It seems that Soehn will be able to depend on Martinez for some time to come. The defender, his wife and their two young children, Santiago Andres and Carol Diana, have settled into life in northern Virginia and despite his strong form this year, he expresses little interest in a return to the international stage, where he represented Colombia on 36 occasions.

"It was an honor to be able to play for my country, obviously. It's a really beautiful thing, and what every player dreams of," said Martinez. "I would not rule anything out but right now I'm at a point in my career where I just want to focus on D.C. I'm going to be 33 soon, so I just really want to focus my career on what I'm doing right now on this team."

Music to a United fan's ears.


Bojan Out Of Catalunya Squad To Face Argentina
Boswell making presence felt with Dynamo
D.C. United unable to find spark against Rapids

Crew return home after strong road trip

COLUMBUS -- It was home sweet home for the Columbus Crew in their first four matches, but it took going on the road to erase the bitter taste of the past two games at Crew Stadium.

After picking up four points in matches at Kansas City and Los Angeles, the Crew return home to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday for the first time since a 2-0 setback to San Jose on June 7. That followed a 1-0 defeat to visiting New England two weeks earlier. The pair of losses dropped the Crew's home mark to 4-2 after a promising start at protecting its home field.

"It's always harder to get points on the road so it built our confidence," defender Danny O'Rourke said. "We're not really looking back at those home games. We're trying to get back into that mindset that we need three points every home game."

If there was a common theme in the two home defeats -- besides the lack of goals -- it was poor starts.

"Our energy and mindset wasn't right," midfielder Robbie Rogers said. "The first 20 minutes of both of those games at home we didn't come out right so we have to focus and come out with a lot of energy, get a goal the first 20, 30 minutes and set the tone for the rest of the game. We can learn from our mistakes and have to come out with even more energy than we did on the road."

A 3-0 win against the Wizards was highlighted by a third-minute goal from defender Chad Marshall that broke a 371-minute scoreless streak. Last week, the Crew was victimized in the fourth minute by Landon Donovan; trailed 2-0 and 3-2 in the second half but rallied for a point on a late goal by rookie forward Steven Lenhart.

"I was very happy the way we started in K.C.," coach Sigi Schmid said. "Even in L.A., with the exception of the early goal we gave up, I thought the first 15 to 20 minutes we were OK. We had somebody make an individual mistake that caused the goal."

He's well aware that home teams sometimes relax early and are vulnerable as was the case in the games against New England and San Jose.

"We have to make sure we're fresh. That's why (Thursday) with the heat we wanted to keep practice short and sharp and we accomplished that," Schmid said. "A lot of it is our mentality and making sure we go into the game with the right mentality. The first time we started talking about it was on Tuesday and have their mindset on it. Now it's a matter of turning it into action. I can talk about it until I'm blue in the face but they've got to bring the mentality to the field."

The Crew are not only slow off the opening kickoff but it has also struggled after halftime. They have been outscored 4-2 in the first 15 minutes and 2-0 in the opening quarter-hour after the halftime break.

"We figured out that the first 15 minutes of the first half and second half have to change dramatically," midfielder Brad Evans said. "We've been working on that in practice this week. That's something that definitely is going to change Saturday."

Getting the early jump on the Rapids could mean playing hard but smart.

"Sometimes you've got to force the issue but you don't have to force the issue by exposing yourself," Schmid said. "You want to play the game in the opponent's half of the field. Early in the game you don't want to try to play through them when they have a lot of energy and are closing things down. You've got to read a little bit what they're doing. If they push up and are playing with a lot of energy and are tight with people maybe you've got to exploit those spaces behind them and the ball into their end of the field."

That happened against the Galaxy but the Rapids should offer a more cohesive defensive effort. Still, scoring as many times as the Crew did in their past two road matches has done wonders for the psyche.

"We're pretty positive," defender Frankie Hejduk said. "It would have been one thing not to have any goals but the last two games we scored six goals. In both those (home) games against New England and San Jose we had many chances. It wasn't like we weren't creating chances. We weren't putting the ball in the back of the net. We have to try to keep it at zeroes and hopefully our forwards can sneak a couple in."

There is another incentive for the Crew. There is a chance Schmid could be selected as the coach for the MLS All-Stars in the match against West Ham United in Toronto on July 24. The Crew must beat the Rapids to keep Schmid in the running based on a points-per-game formula at the completion of play Sunday.

"Obviously, that's tremendous," Evans said. "It's good for him but it also benefits our team."


Stoic Moreno providing Crew big lift
Hamburg return to winning ways
Disastrous stretch dooms Crew
Champions poor on the road

Galaxy focus on scoring at both ends

CARSON, Calif. -- Few things in life are an absolute certainty. But considering the fact that MLS matches featuring the Los Angeles Galaxy are averaging a little more than 4.2 goals per contest, one can pretty much count on getting their money's worth when the Galaxy take to the field.

The Galaxy have scored 31 goals this season, seven more than their next closest competitor. They feature the top two scorers in the league in Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle. David Beckham and Donovan are tied for second in assists. But as prolific as the Galaxy offense has been, the defense has been equally porous.

The Galaxy have the worst defensive mark in the league, having allowed 24 goals in their 13 games. It's a stat that came back to bite LA this past weekend, as it allowed three second-half goals and squandered two separate leads in allowing Columbus to take a share of the points in a 3-3 thriller at The Home Depot Center.

Because of results like last Saturday's, the Galaxy offense is starting to feel a bit of pressure.

"When you don't put (teams) away you start to wonder if they get one back are they going to get two back and so on," said Beckham. "It's what we've been talking about, not giving anything away. It's not just the defense. Defending starts up front, then the midfield, and obviously the back four."

Despite the disappointment from last weekend, the Galaxy are still riding a three-game unbeaten streak, tying the best mark on the season thus far. While he was frustrated by the draw against Columbus, head coach Ruud Gullit feels as though his team is progressing.

"In the beginning of the season, we lost these games in the last couple of minutes. Therefore, it's at least something positive," said Gullit. "We could have killed the game much earlier and that is unnecessary, so you have the feeling that you threw away two points."

The Galaxy have made some progress in that regard. LA has twice allowed a goal in the final 15 minutes of a game that has led to a one-goal loss, while twice the opposition has scored goals in the final quarter-hour that has directly resulted in draws. Still, there seems to be a lack of urgency defensively as a team, something Los Angeles is still addressing.

"It's a learning process for all the team and all the players," said Beckham. "We'll get better at it." In the meantime, Los Angeles is in a position where they still feel as though they need to outgun their opposition instead of relying on shutting down the opposition. From a fan's perspective it's great to come out and see a goalfest, but from the Galaxy's perspectiveb, they'd rather trade a few style points for points in the standings.


Karlsruher SC: the surprise team
Galaxy looking for scoring balance
Galaxy eye revenge vs. Reds

D.C. beats Quakes with late surge

WASHINGTON -- They certainly made heavy work of the task, but D.C. United was nonetheless able to dispose of the last-place San Jose Earthquakes at warm RFK Stadium on Sunday afternoon, running their unbeaten streak to five with a 3-1 victory.

United were paced by goals from Clyde Simms, Luciano Emilio and a glittering game-winner from Gonzalo Martinez shortly after goalkeeper Zach Wells' mistake had handed San Jose's John Cunliffe an easy equalizer.

United have now won three in a row, helped in large measure by Emilio's torrid goalscoring -- the Brazilian has netted seven goals in the past five games -- and can head into next Sunday's high-profile showdown with the West-leading Los Angeles Galaxy full of confidence.

Santino Quaranta's yellow-card suspension prompted D.C. coach Tom Soehn to plug Marc Burch into the left midfield slot and switch Fred to the right flank, while Bryan Namoff and Marcelo Gallardo returned to their normal spots in the first XI. On the opposite side, Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop ran out the exact same lineup used in the scoreless draw at Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night, starting a four-game road swing.

Both teams started languidly in the mid-afternoon sun, with United enjoying plenty of possession and San Jose sitting fairly deep, though the visitors looked eager to break out when the opportunity presented itself. Six minutes in, Ronnie O'Brien turned upfield near the center circle and gave Wells something to think about with a speculative shot from all of 40 yards out, but the Irishman's effort floated high and a bit wide of the target.

Thanks to the Earthquakes' hard running and lively pressure on the ball, United failed to assert the kind of dominance their fans might have expected in this match, with Ramiro Corrales harrying Gallardo and center backs Ryan Cochrane and Kelly Gray keeping close tabs on striker Luciano Emilio.

But in a flash, the in-form Emilio nearly stole an opening goal for his side in the 16th minute as he slipped behind the 'Quakes defense and met Gallardo's astute through ball deep in the penalty box. The Brazilian clipped a soft left-footed shot past the advancing Joe Cannon, yet could only wince as the ball dinked off the base of the right crossbar and rolled away from goal.

San Jose came much closer 10 minutes later as more good work carved open the United back line, handing Ivan Guerrero an open look at goal -- but Wells came up with a crucial reaction save to deflect the Honduran's near-post blast onto the crossbar and preserve the scoreless draw.

United finally gave San Jose netminder Joe Cannon a meaningful test in the 41st minute, as Gallardo played a slick one-two with Emilio and dribbled into the restraining arc before unleashing a low cutback shot to the left post. The veteran 'keeper got down low and gobbled up the effort cleanly, however, and action quickly switched to the other end where Cunliffe took advantage of Gonzalo Peralta's slip to send a low drive just wide of Wells' near post.

The second half started off a good deal more eventfully than the first, as United attacked forcefully and were soon rewarded.

Barely five minutes in, Simms, a defensive midfielder who entered the season with one career goal, grabbed his second tally in as many games with another long-distance blast that found the net -- albeit with considerable help from the two San Jose defenders whose deflections left Cannon stranded on his backside as the ball dribbled into the net uncontested.

But before the RFK crowd had even finished its celebrations, San Jose were gifted an immediate equalizer thanks to a shocking error by Zach Wells.

Quakes frontrunner Ryan Johnson had done well to break free into space down the right flank, but his chest-high cross looked like easy pickings for Wells -- until the tall netminder bobbled the ball as he fell forward. He remained unable to find the handle as he hit the turf, handing the nearby Cunliffe a close-range finish that the assistant referee judged to have crossed the goal line before Namoff's desperate clearance.

The D.C. 'keeper looked sick at the sudden turn of events, but he was soon bailed out when one of his defenders ranged forward to produce another go-ahead goal for the home side.

Martinez had been quietly effective along the D.C. left side all day, but there was nothing understated about his impressive solo effort after receiving a short pass from Gallardo at the top corner of the Quakes 18-yard box as the Colombian turned O'Brien inside out, pivoting to his right side and lashing a low missile off the inside of the far post for a 2-1 United advantage.

Martinez's goal seemed to spark new life into his teammates, as they finally began to string together meaningful moves and discomfit the visitors' defense. Second-half sub Dominic Mediate's well-timed run and subsequent cross almost led to a volleyed finish by Gallardo, who later came close again with a nimble leaping chip over Cannon that flew just over the crossbar, rippling the outside of the twine.

But the Earthquakes continued to create danger in their forays forward. Substitute Shea Salinas seemed to have found a leveler for his team after slashing through the D.C. defense to touch a through ball past Wells, but he was denied by a game-saving recovery as Devon McTavish raced back to block his shot before it could cross the unguarded goal line.

McTavish found himself playing a central role in the game's next pivotal moment, too, when the United utility man reached a loose ball well before James Riley some eight minutes from full time.

The Quakes defender had already committed himself with a rash slide tackle aimed right for McTavish's ankle, however, upending his rival and drawing a swift decision from referee Alex Prus, who produced a red card and patiently waited for the prone Riley to get off the turf before brandishing it in his direction for the meaty challenge.

The Black-and-Red capitalized a few minutes later, icing the match on a nimble move from Emilio, who took Gallardo's pass deep inside the San Jose box and turned inside Guerrero to hit a sharp left-footer that left Cannon no chance on its way into the net, as the Quakes 'keeper was once again left helpless by a deflection, this time off center back Gray.


Prolific offense powering D.C. up table
Quakes see hope in United turnaround
Hargreaves: Destiny In Our Hands

Real Salt Lake flex home muscles

SALT LAKE CITY -- Tino Nunez helped Real Salt Lake finally grind the rust off of their offense Saturday night to extend the club's unbeaten streak to a team-record five games.

Nunez, a rookie forward out of UC-Santa Barbara, scored his first career MLS goal in the 60th minute to lift RSL to a 2-1 victory against the New England Revolution at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It was the Utah club's first home match win in the month of June following consecutive scoreless draws.

RSL remained unbeaten at home this season, now with four wins and four ties in eight games in Salt Lake City, while the Revolution lost for the first time since May 3 as their seven-game unbeaten streak came to an end.

RSL established a new club record in the first half, extending their shutout streak to 283 minutes before New England got on the board in the eighth minute.

The Revolution went up 1-0 when Adam Cristman nodded the ball past Real 'keeper Nick Rimando. New England goalkeeper Matt Reis sent a long clearance downfield, and as RSL defender Nat Borchers backtracked, he looked toward Rimando who had come off his line as the ball bounced high into the air. Instead, Cristman slipped inside Borchers and headed the ball over Rimando from the top of the area into the goal.

But the Revolution wasted no time giving their newfound advantage away. RSL tied it up in the 11th minute when Jay Heaps deflected the ball backward past Reis. Javier Morales swung a free kick into the center of the area to Robbie Findley. Heaps tried to block Findley as he went for a header, but ended up instead heading it past Reis.

RSL worked hard to add another goal to tally throughout the first half but managed to find a way to come up short each time.

Morales gathered the ball near the upper corner of the penalty area in the 13th minute and tried to slingshot it over Reis' head. Reis initially failed to get his fingers around the ball, but pulled it down on second effort just before another Real player could get to it.

Morales tried to make something happen again in the 21st minute when he swung a free kick to Beckerman along the left side of the area. Beckerman headed the ball backward -- and his shot landed square in Reis' hands.

RSL had another golden opportunity slip away a few minutes later. Beltran fed the ball to Deuchar in the goalmouth in the 26th minute. He and Reis went up for the ball at the same time while it was still airborne. Deuchar had position behind him, but Reis managed to bat the ball to safety outside the six-yard box.

New England saw its best chance before halftime come in the 34th minute when Sainey Nyassi drove toward Rimando from an angle on the right and drilled a hard right-footed volley off a Kheli Dube cross. Rimando made an outstanding save when he dove forward and blocked the line drive shot away.

RSL suffered another blow to its ailing frontline when Findley had to be helped off the field in the 41st minute, to be replaced by Nunez.

Deuchar tried to make up for Findley's absence early in the second half, but struggled with his finishing once again. Beltran crossed to Deuchar from the far end of the box to the left post in the 53rd minute. Deuchar attempted to force a header between Reis and the post, but the Revs 'keeper snatched it out of the air.

Nunez finally broke through for RSL in the 60th minute. Morales collected the ball near the top of the area and tried a shot at goal. The ball took a deflection and fell right to the feet of Nunez, who was kept onside by a New England defender. In alone on Reis as the goalkeeper came off his line, the rookie rifled the ball behind him and into an empty net for his first MLS goal.

With both teams coming off ties at midweek, but the Revolution with a cross-country trip in between while RSL had back-to-back home games, New England tried vainly to come back after the go-ahead goal.

First, in the 68th minute, Albright redirected a corner kick with a header that sent Rimando scrambling before it bounced inches wide of the wrong side of the post. Two minutes later Jeff Larentowicz, who scored on a blast in his last visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium, fired a 25-yard turf-burner that was saved by Rimando.

Then Cristman drove into the Salt Lake penalty area 10 minutes from time and, while battling with Borchers, belted a shot at the near post that was pushed over the end line at the last moment by a diving Rimando.

Matias Cordoba nearly added a third goal for RSL in stoppage time. Morales won the ball with a great tackle just outside the top of the box and then laid the ball off to Cordoba on the right. Cordoba cut the ball back and tried to curve it inside the near post, but it went just wide instead.


Nunez turns heads with game winner
Player Ratings: Barcelona 2-3 Real Mallorca
Trip to Utah too much for Revs
Bundesliga: top for goals

Trip to Utah too much for Revs

SALT LAKE CITY -- Getting results from three games in 10 days can be a tall order for any team. Throw in the fact that each match took place in a different time zone, at a different altitude and on a different surface, and it could be seen as near impossible.

Two games in the New England Revolution looked up to the task, getting a 2-0 win at Houston and then a 1-1 draw at home to the New York Red Bulls.

But their visit to Salt Lake City just three days after the match with New York was a bit too much. The Revolution scored first but allowed a scrappy Real Salt Lake to claw their way back and hand New England a 2-1 loss. It was the Revs' first defeat since the beginning of May.

After such a long stretch of good results for the league's best team, it was hard to put a finger on one single cause for the letdown. Whether it was the long flight across two-thirds of the continent, the merciless Rice-Eccles surface, or playing at altitude in the Wasatch Mountains, the Revolution couldn't get into a rhythm and string together some possession.

"We were second tonight, to everything," said Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston. "We got outplayed tonight, so we can't make any excuses there. I wish it was that easy that we could pinpoint it and make some changes during the game. We couldn't pass the ball. Mentally, we were reacting late to everything."

One player not reacting late for the Revolution was Adam Cristman, who scored the Revolution's lone goal on the night. Cristman shared the same feelings that as a whole it wasn't his team's night, but he also saw some of the few bright spots.

"We had some moments at the end of the first half, where we were able to put Salt Lake under pressure," said Cristman. "That gave us the opportunity to attack them more from half-field rather than starting from the back."

That might have been the case later in the half, but Cristman's goal started from as far back as you can get -- goalkeeper Matt Reis. In the eighth minute Reis sent a long clearance downfield that took a huge artificial turf-induced bounce to reach the Salt Lake penalty area.

Cristman chased after the rocketing ball, racing past defender Nat Borchers and then not pulling up as RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando charged toward him. A moment of indecision between the two RSL defenders allowed Cristman to get up and flick the ball over Rimando and into the open net.

"A lot of guys would have given up on it and he made it," said Ralston. "He was always working and stuck his head in there when it could have gotten whacked but he ended up scoring this goal."

It was an opportunistic finish for Cristman. And as Ralston points out, it came at a valuable time for the Revs.

"It was good because we were getting hammered pretty good," said Ralston. "I don't think we really had any touches in their half and we got that goal. It took a little of the pressure off at the moment so it was good."

But the Revolution lead lasted all of three minutes when Jay Heaps nodded a free kick Reis for an own goal. RSL's second goal came an hour into the match when Tino Nunez gathered a deflection in the penalty area and pounded it past Reis.

New England head coach Steve Nicol noted the game-winner was a goal that came as a product of the cement-like surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"It was a typical game that you get on this field," said Nicol. "I guess the goal that won the game sums it up, the ball hits their man on his backside and he scores. It kind of sums it up."

In addition to the surface, there are plenty of other reasons why Nicol is not bothered his team only has to make one trip to Utah this season.

"It doesn't help when you're at altitude and it's a lot warmer than you're used to ... we won't be sad to see the back of this place," he said.

The loss snapped a seven-game unbeaten streak, dating back to a May 3 Revolution loss at home to Chicago. The stretch of results helped to catapult New England to the top of the MLS overall table, and although the loss doesn't help that cause the Revs know they need to move past an off night and focus on their next outing.

"Being unbeaten for a stretch doesn't mean anything to the team, to the players," said Cristman. "It's good from a results standpoint, but it's not like we care about the stretch. We don't want to be losing games, that's for sure. We keep doing the same things we've been doing -- we've got a lot of games coming up. We've just got to take care of our bodies. We've got a nice long week of training ahead; we haven't had that in two weeks. It will be good to have some normal training, and get to do some of the extra stuff on the side, and go from there."


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Nunez turns heads with game winner

SALT LAKE CITY -- Tino Nunez hasn't received the same degree of fanfare as several other players acquired by Real Salt Lake during this past offseason. But the rookie forward is quickly showing he might rival any first-year player on the roster before the season is in the books.

Nunez made a game-turning play in the 60th minute, scoring the go-ahead goal to lift RSL to a 2-1 home victory against the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

It was the first career MLS goal for the former California-Santa Barbara star and it helped Real extend their unbeaten streak to five games -- tying a club record.

Nunez barely registered as more than a footnote when the season began, buried deep on the roster behind Kenny Deuchar, Robbie Findley, Fabian Espindola and Yura Movsisyan. But injuries to Espindola and Movsisyan opened up a quick path to daylight and valuable playing time.

When Findley went down with a mild concussion shortly before halftime, Nunez knew his chance to shine had arrived. And he was determined to make it count.

"That's my main focus right now," Nunez said. "Any a little chance I get, (I) just try to make the best out of it. Things are going well so far."

Things especially went well in the 60th minute when the rookie forward snapped a 1-1 tie in dramatic fashion.

Javier Morales collected the ball near the top of the area and let fly from long distance. His shot was deflected and the ball fell right to the feet of Nunez. He drove toward Matt Reis alone and, as the goalkeeper came off his line, rifled the ball behind him into an empty net.

Playing such a crucial role in taking down the Revolution is a satisfying moment for Nunez, who has worked hard in training sessions over the past month to earn the right to move up. It is also a big deal to teammates who feel like he has been rewarded for his dedication.

"No one has worked harder than him," fellow rookie Tony Beltran said. "It's great to see him get a winning goal tonight. He deserved it."

Real could argue for being equally deserving of a much-needed home victory against New England after stringing together a series of strong defensive performances in recent weeks.

RSL kept it going again against New England. Real extended their shutout streak to 283 minutes -- a new club record -- before yielding the match's first goal.

"Statistically, they're No. 1 and we've proven that we can play with the best teams in this league," Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando said.

It was a little bit of a scary moment when the Revs did score early. New England went up 1-0 in the eighth minute when Adam Cristman nodded the ball past Rimando.

New England goalkeeper Matt Reis set the goal up when he sent a long clearance downfield. While RSL defender Nat Borchers backtracked, Rimando came off his line as the ball bounced high into the air. Cristman then slipped inside Borchers and headed the ball over Rimando from the top of the area.

The Revolution did not enjoy their lead for very long. RSL tied it up in the 11th minute when Jay Heaps deflected the ball backward past Reis. Javier Morales swung a free kick into the center of the area to Robbie Findley. Heaps tried to block Findley as he went for a header, but ended up instead heading it past Reis.

Once RSL added a goal of its own to the tally, keeping New England in check turned out to be a simple task down the stretch.

"What's most pleasing about the win tonight was the way we handled ourselves when we had the one-goal lead," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "It shows that we're learning and we're improving. We finished that game off the way a good team does."


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Quakes see hope in United turnaround

WASHINGTON -- Though the fortunes of the San Jose Earthquakes and D.C. United this season are perhaps headed in different directions, their circumstances this season have remarkable similarities.

The teams came together Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium. Both have had issues with chemistry and cohesion, by-products of either a new roster, as is the case with the expansion Quakes, or an unsettling influx of new players, as with United.

Both have had trouble scoring goals, though United have righted the ship and are now ringing the twine with regularity. Both teams are confident and have worked hard to alter their results.

But in the end, United have more talent in most of the critical areas than the Quakes and therein lies the primary difference between the two clubs, which was evident United's 3-1 win against the Quakes.

"We're chugging along and it's a shame really that we don't have more points than we have. We've played well a lot and not gotten anything out of the game so it's tough to take. I think the quality in the end showed with Emilio scoring -- he's a good player -- and a wonder goal by Martinez," said San Jose coach Frank Yallop.

Emilio scored United's second goal off a deflection in the 88th minute to cap the scoring at 3-1. Gonzalo Martinez scored a brilliant goal in the 55th minute to put United ahead for good that was preceded by goals for each side moments apart five minutes earlier.

United's Clyde Simms scored from distance in the 50th minute on a shot that hit two San Jose defenders before slowly rolling into the net behind a helpless Joe Cannon. Just seconds later, United goalkeeper Zach Wells fumbled a cross from the right flank which John Cunliffe stretched out and poked just over the line ahead of Bryan Namoff's clearance from the goalmouth.

"Our general play and all of the things we talk about coaching-wise and being structured is good, but talent-wise I think we are a little short right now. We've got three forwards who aren't even healthy right now which doesn't help," said Yallop.

The on-field issues are correctable and the team has not been short on effort regardless of their often frustrating results.

"We are not playing a solid 90 minutes," said midfielder Ronnie O'Brien. "We are playing 50, 60 minutes and those other 30 minutes in games we are getting punished. We've got 30 minutes (a game) that we need to work on and keep our concentration and I think we will get some more results."

"It's just disappointing, especially when we are playing well, to get the right time to score and I think that's been our problem really. We don't look overly dangerous all the time when we are in front of goal," added Yallop.

The Quakes have scored only 10 goals on the season, six of which have come on the road, and have been shut out seven times. United went through a similar stretch, scoring only one goal during a four-game losing streak before their recent surge.

"We need to be a little bit sharper in the final third and support each other better when we do have the ball," said Quakes forward Ryan Johnson, who was the only constant threat to United the entire match.

"When you watch D.C., when they get the ball, they have three or four guys around the ball at all times," he continued. "With us, we get the ball to one area, or we switch the ball or we play the ball up to the forwards, there is only one guy there to support, maybe only one option sometimes. These defenders are tough, they are not going to let you hold onto the ball more than three seconds -- you definitely have to play quickly."

Two similarities that have never wavered for each team, however, are using excuses to justify their results, as easy as that could have been and questioning their efforts at any point in the season.

"I think if I knew that we could solve the problem straightaway," said O'Brien jokingly. "We're trying. Obviously there is a period of getting to know each other but we are not using the expansion tab as an excuse. We do feel we are a good enough team and we've been in every game. For the most part, we are not getting trounced on. Without two deflected goals today we've done all right.

"I don't think you can ever question the effort," he continued. "Whether we have the quality or not, that's another thing, a different debate, but you can never question the commitment of the players. We went down to Salt Lake with 10 men and gave it all we got and got a result. We came out today and for the most part emptied the tank but didn't get the result in the end."


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Clark experiences highs and lows of soccer

HOUSTON -- Over the past two years, Ricardo Clark has experienced the highs and lows of soccer. The midfielder has had the low of missing the MLS Cup Final in each of the last two years through suspension, missing last year's repeat championship as part of a nine-game suspension levied after he kicked FC Dallas midfielder Carlos Ruiz late in the regular season.

But this year, Clark has felt the high of competing against world powers such as Spain and England in friendlies for the United States national team.

Clark has shown great promise on the Houston Dynamo squad and on the national team, but in order to compete at the highest level, he knows he must improve.

"Just playing at a higher level. When you get to play against good teams like England and Spain, you have to think and react, be at a higher level," Clark said. "Those guys are playing fast-paced every single day, so when you get there, it is like jumping into something new because you have to adapt very quickly. Every aspect of the game is quicker, so that's what I have to add to my game."

Clark said playing against England at Wembley Stadium on May 28 was both challenging and fun, but it was an experience he will learn from.

"Those guys are playing at a high level day in and day out," he said. "They are playing at the highest level you can think of. I think a couple of those guys came off the Champions League finals the week before. That just goes to show you the type of players you are playing against. You just soak in the experience and learn from the game and playing against them."

The experience is one Clark hopes to bring to the biggest stage of all -- the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"Even though it is far away, I definitely have that in my sights," he said. "Only time will tell, but I have to keep working hard and hopefully get that opportunity."

For now, Clark, who has started and played in 10 games this season and has an assist to his credit, is trying to help fill the void created with midfielder Dwayne De Rosario and forward Brian Ching playing for their respective national teams.

With Ching expected back in the lineup Saturday against Colorado, the void won't be as big, but Clark knows it's there.

"You have to elevate your game to fill the void because those are key players on your team, especially De Rosario," Clark said. "You have to step up your game because he's an engine on this team. We've dealt with it in the past -- missing key players and having the younger players stepping up when their chance comes. That's what it's all about come Saturday."

The international experience he has had this year and in years past has helped him improve with the Dynamo, Clark said. Now, he wants to take his game to the next level.

"It's definitely helped out because you are playing at a higher level when you get to the international team," Clark said. "That helps out your game and every aspect of your game. Then, you get back here, and it's like you are helping your team out even more because you are able to compete better. I am just trying to get more call-ups with the international team. I'm just trying to make the most of my opportunities when I get there."

After a slow start, the Dynamo have turned things around and are competing for the top spot in the Western Conference with Los Angeles. Slow starts are nothing new for Clark, who joined the Dynamo in 2005.

"I guess typical Dynamo year. We started off kind of slow," Clark said. "Ever since San Jose in that first year, we start off kind of slow. We have kind of the same core, so every year we started off slow, but we have picked it up as season goes by."

With the ship appearing to be righted in recent weeks, Clark and the rest of the team have a third consecutive MLS Cup in their sights.

"We have a lot of experience on this team," Clark said. "We have a lot of guys. We have a lot of energy on this team from the younger players. That's what we expect to see. We expect to be top of the league. We just need to keep this going for the rest of the year. Hope to get a repeat."


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