Double tops Cunningham's elation

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Jeff Cunningham was almost speechless Sunday after scoring two goals to lead FC Dallas to a surprising 4-1 win against the host Chicago Fire at Toyota Park.

It wasn't the results on the field that halted Cunningham's tongue, however. It was the birth of his first child, Michaela, on Monday morning, that made it difficult for him to express his feelings.

"People always describe the feeling of having a child, but until you actually have one, you don't know what a great moment it is," Cunningham said. "No accomplishment in football can match that."

Cunningham scored the game's first goal in the second minute after Andre Rocha swung a free kick into the box. It bounced off one defender after teammate Kenny Cooper got a foot onto it, and Cunningham was first to it in the crowd inside the six-yard box as goalkeeper Jon Busch vainly tried to grab the ball. Cunningham celebrated that goal by mimicking the rocking of a baby in his arms.

That goal, coming against a team that had the stingiest defense in the league entering the contest, changed the game for the final 88 minutes.

"The early goal, I think, they were forced to press the game," Cunningham said. "They opened up the back a little bit. I think that was it. The early goal changed the momentum of the game a bit. As a result we were able to get a few more."

FCD coach Schellas Hyndman said the early goal changed the mentality of the Fire.

"It puts them back on their heels, and they have to rush a little bit," said Hyndman, who received a vote of confidence last week from general manager Michael Hitchcock. "And maybe it affects the goalkeeper's mentality. He comes into the game thinking about a shutout. For us it was a great deal of confidence to do the things we practiced on."

The Hoops took advantage of a unique lineup for the Fire, as coach Denis Hamlett had to measure his roster in anticipation of a game Thursday at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy. With central defender Bakary Soumare out of the game due to yellow card accumulation, Lider Marmol got his first start of the season (and only his second appearance of the year) and his inexperienced showed early and often.

"We thought their weakness might be in the back four with their speed," Hyndman said. "We worked a lot this week on counterattacking and that showed today."

While the first goal was a sudden start to the game, the rest of the first half proved to be a shock as well. The Hoops got the second goal in the 43rd minute when Aaron Pitchkolan one-timed another free kick from Andre Rocha, calmly tucking back inside the far post across the goal.

"Rocha played a great ball and I was able to get in a good spot on the back post and send it in," said Pitchkolan, who had not scored since the 2006 season.

The third goal was the real shocker, as Cunningham dribbled the ball off a FC Dallas counterattack down the left side, then sent a cross to the right post, where midfielder Bruno Guarda one-timed it out of the air with a flying volley into the upper right side of the goal for a 3-0 Hoops lead. The goal was also the first for Guarda this season.

In the 61st minute, Cunningham got his second goal of the game, and his second chance to celebrate the birth of his daughter. Rocha sent a long clearance forward putting Cunningham in a foot race with Marmol to the ball. Cunningham had a step on Marmol, who shouted at Busch to come out.

But Cunningham got to the ball first and had an easy shot past Busch for his seventh goal of the season. Cunningham has scored 18 goals against the Fire in his long MLS career. FC Dallas became the first team this season to score more than twice in a game against the Fire, which had given up just 20 goals in 24 games before Sunday.

"We felt this was a must-win game," Cunningham said. "We don't want to put that pressure on by talking about it, but we knew in the back of our minds this was a must-win game for us. We came out and, my God, I am surprised by the way we played tonight."

With the win, Dallas jumped ahead of Los Angeles and San Jose in the Western Conference standings. With 30 points, Dallas is 11th overall in the overall MLS standings.

Dallas raised their road record to 3-5-5, while their home mark is a disappointing 4-4-4.

"We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole," said Hyndman, who took over as coach in June. "There were games we should have won that we didn't. We have done well on the road. What we have to do is take care of business at home."


Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting
Cunningham scores goal No. 100
Cunningham, Hoops shock Chicago
Player Ratings: Atlético 4-0 Schalke

Davis: Evaluating the playoff race

In England, they might call this "squeaky-bum time."

Famously coined by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson himself, that's a witty way of saying that things are getting tight and tense, that nerves might be frayed and that courageous lions are likely to prevail over nervous Nellies.

Major League Soccer was once fairly forgiving where the playoffs were concerned. For a while, eight of 10 clubs made the "second season." Then it was eight of 12.

This year, the percentage of sides afforded playoff grace has shrank further, as just eight of 14 clubs advance into bonus soccer. In a league where accessing the playoffs has traditionally been seen as the absolute minimum performance standard, six clubs will share big slices of the disappointment pie.

Hence, "squeaky-bum time." So, let's take a look at where things stand.

For this week, to develop a bit of clarity in the race, let's make some assumptions: Let's go ahead and assume that New England and Houston will join Columbus in the playoffs. Only Sigi Schmid's Crew have essentially clinched, but it would take the least likely confluence of calamity too see those other two frontrunners lapped.

On the other end, well, sorry all you wonderful Toronto FC fans. Black armbands are the order of the day where your playoff hopes are concerned. It will probably take 36-38 points in the East to gain postseason grace. That means that John Carver's team, currently on 27 points with five matches remaining, needs an implausible burst of success, and probably some help, too.

Strange things do happen, of course. But for now, we'll make the assumption that 10 teams are chasing five spots. Here's a look at each of the teams that could fall either way (listed in order of current points):

Chicago (38 points): The time is "now" for Denis Hamlett's men, with four losses in their last six and leaking goals lately at an alarming rate. Los Angeles visits Toyota Park on Thursday, presenting a national TV stage on which to right the ship and spruce up those playoff ambitions. A win against Bruce Arena's team would all but mathematically secure a berth for the Fire -- assuming they can stabilize things in the back just a bit.

New York Red Bulls (35 points): Likewise, it's time for Juan Carlos Osorio's club to make a stand. Times two, in fact.

The men of the Bull simply can't win on the road; they have collected eight of a possible 39 points away from Giants Stadium this year. So home matches over the next two weekends represent the best shot at securing a spot. Colorado comes calling at Giants Stadium this week, followed by Toronto next week. Four points from the set should be considered the absolute acceptable minimum, because the schedule gets much tougher over the final three dates.

D.C. United (33 points): Tom Soehn's team has struggled since outlasting the Charleston Battery for the U.S. Open Cup crown in early September. United are winless in their last four (going into Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League match in Honduras), including three MLS matches and a loss at home in Champions League play.

The MLS setbacks have suddenly left United's playoff chances on an uncomfortable dangle. And the RFK woes are complicated big-time by fixture congestion. Whereas most MLS clubs have five competitive matches remaining, United has 10 thanks to the Champions League calendar.

Soehn's travelers were in Los Angeles last weekend, are in Honduras on Wednesday and will be in Dallas on Sunday. That's good on the frequent flier budget, but bad for playoff aspirations.

Chivas USA (33 points): Jesse Marsch returned to the field last week, looking a little thinner but no less determined after the jaw injury that sidelined for a month. That's a great boost for Preki's determined men, who have remained relevant in the playoff chase despite the league's worst rash of injury misfortune.

The key for Chivas, currently second in the West, is in claiming six or so points off the next four contests -- two at home, two on the road. Kansas City visits The Home Depot Center this weekend, with Colorado visiting Carson three Saturdays later.

What Chivas needs is to avoid a final-day must-win scenario. Houston comes calling in the Chivas USA regular season finale, and even if Dominic Kinnear's Dynamo have a playoff place secure (and the South Texans almost certainly will), facing the reserves of the league's deepest team is no picnic.

Kansas City (32 points): Two weeks ago the Wizards were virtually written off for dead.

This week? Well, don't let anybody book up CommunityAmerica Ballpark for those few weeks in November, a.k.a. MLS playoff time.

Two consecutive wins by Curt Onalfo's team have the Wizards positioned just a single point behind D.C. United and just two points behind the Red Bulls. If the Wizards can somehow scratch up a point this weekend at Chivas USA, they'll be in a great position.

Even if the Wizards come and go in sunny SoCal without a point, things might still look promising in Wizard-land. That's because the next three matches will be in the Midwest at the patriotically named CommunityAmerica. Chicago, New England and San Jose wouldn't be anyone's first choice of visitors for three at home. But, heck, for a team written off for dead heading into September, Onalfo's men surely appreciate the opportunity afforded by all that home cooking.

Colorado (31 points): Here's yet another club that stubbornly clawed its way back into the race. The Rapids have collected seven of a possible nine points in their last three under interim manager Gary Smith, whose heavy English accent has apparently resonated inside the Dick's Sporting Goods Park changing room.

There are, however, still miles to go before they can dream of playoff plums; the schedule ahead is probably the toughest among all postseason pursuers. If the Rapids can somehow hang in there, things will set up nicely for a smash-bang closer Oct. 25, as Colorado finishes against bitter rival Real Salt Lake.

Real Salt Lake (31 points): Dropping those points at home last week in a stinging loss to Chivas USA could wind up being calamitous for Jason Kreis' club. The men from Utah have been around since 2005, but have yet to feast on the playoff beast.

Now RSL plays three of its final five on the road, where the men from Utah have managed just one win all year. They have two home matches, including the highly anticipated Oct. 9 debut of the club's beautiful new home in Sandy. While new stadiums do amazing things for clubs in the long run, they don't tend to help the win-loss mark in the short term.

None of the last three teams that opened a stadium in midseason recently -- presumably distracted by all the attached hullabaloo -- could manage a win in the debut contest. That's a fact that can't make the good Utah soccer supporters fell all warm and fuzzy.

FC Dallas (30 points): Oddly enough, the best success so far for manager Schellas Hyndman has come on the road. It is last week's 4-1 confidence-boosting win at Chicago and a previous win in Toronto, not anything that's happened at Pizza Hut Park, which has FC Dallas still thinking "postseason."

But whatever has kept FC Dallas from scooping up more points at home under Hyndman (they have just five of a possible 15 points at Pizza Hut Park under the league's newest full-time boss), they'll have to identify and fix it fast. The North Texans play their next three in Frisco, starting with Sunday's afternoon contest against travel-weary D.C. United.

Los Angeles (29 points): A team that didn't record a victory over 12 matches (until snapping the winless streak Saturday) is suddenly just two points shy of third place in the West. That's a testament to a conference that, excepting Houston, hasn't had a bully to boldly push pass the mediocrity. That has kept Landon Donovan, David Beckham, et al, in the thick of things despite a summer of discontent.

If Bruce Arena can get this side into the postseason, the Galaxy certainly would have earned it. Matches loom at Chicago, Columbus and Houston. With a 2-6-4 road record and a minus-9 goal difference away from home, they'll need something extraordinary to make their first playoff appearance since 2006.

San Jose (29 points): The Earthquakes' ace in the hole is a game in hand. Houston has the same thing, but the Dynamo probably won't need the extra chance to gather up points. (Both teams have played one fewer due to last week's Hurricane Ike-related postponement.)

Frank Yallop's side also has the most favorable schedule ahead of all 10 teams still scrapping for their playoff lives, with matches at Buck Shaw against Real Salt Lake (this weekend), Chivas USA and Toronto FC. If the Earthquakes can keep any semblance of the current form, they should be OK in this thing. That's quite an achievement considering that the Bay Area bunch sat at the bottom of the entire league table two months ago.


Reunion on tap in San Jose as Dynamo visit
Mourinho Vows To Take Calcio Back To The Top
We Have The Strength In Depth - Pires

Hoops aim to protect turf vs. United

FRISCO, Texas -- Two weeks ago, FC Dallas went into RFK Stadium to face D.C. United. After taking an early 1-0 lead, the Hoops allowed two unanswered goals before Andre Rocha rescued FCD late with an equalizer. Now, on Sunday, comes the rematch at Pizza Hut Park, a place where United have a perfect 3-0 record.

FCD comes off an impressive 4-1 win over Chicago on Sunday at Toyota Park where Jeff Cunningham had two goals and an assist for the Hoops. It was their first win in their last five games.

D.C., on the other hand, fell 5-2 to the LA Galaxy last Saturday night at The Home Depot Center and is just 1-2-2 in their last five league games. Their last win was a 3-0 win Aug. 23 against Colorado and United has dropped three in a row on the road with their last victory away from RFK coming Aug. 16, when they prevailed 1-0 at Chicago. United is coming off a 2-0 loss to CD Marathon in Honduras on Wednesday night in CONCACAF Champions League play.

Even though D.C.'s form has been a bit inconsistent of late, FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman knows how tough Sunday's match shapes up to be for his side.

"(They are a) good team with a loaded attacking force," Hyndman said. "I think defense has been an issue for them. They gave up quite a few goals against LA. They are putting themselves now in a position of struggling for a playoff spot. It's going to be a huge game for them. We've got five games left. We're playing well. D.C. is just another stop for our bus. We're hoping to get ourselves into the playoffs."

However, FCD has been less than stellar at home this year with a 4-4-4 record, the fewest home wins in MLS. The Hoops realize that must change quickly if they are to reach the postseason for a fourth consecutive year.

"It's a big game for us," FCD defender Drew Moor said. "We haven't done as well at home as we want to lately. Home has got to be a fortress where teams fear to come in and play us but it hasn't been so far in these last couple months. We're looking to turn that around on Sunday because it is a big game for us. Three points are needed. Hopefully it will be hot. We will have a good audience and hopefully, we'll put on a show."

Hyndman will likely employ the same starting 11 that prevailed against the Fire on Sunday. But center back Duilio Davino is close to returning and will be on the bench for Sunday's match. Left-sided midfielder Victor Sikora, also continues to respond well to rehab on his injured knee and could return to the bench in a week's time.

One of the more veteran players on the FCD roster, Cunningham knows how important it is that Sunday's result is in the Hoops' favor.

"These next few games are very important," Cunningham said. "It's important that we get maximum points but I think we need to take it one game at a time and prepare for D.C. as well as we can. Come Sunday, we need to give a good effort and hopefully, we'll come away with three points."

Another star of Sunday's win was midfielder Andre Rocha, who had two assists and also figured in a third goal. He too is itching to deliver a better result against United.

"That was a different game when we went up there," Rocha said. "We were on the road, scored first but they came and got two goals back. We had to go and look for the tie at that point. But we know that we have the players to get these results. Now that we're playing them at home, we have this comfort level and know what they're about. Victory is most important. We want to be able to start off with the same pressure that we did last week so we won't have to come back for the tie. We want to be able to go for the win instead. The most important thing right now is finding the win."

Throughout this week of training, it was hard not to notice a positive vibe surrounding FCD, something Hyndman is going to do all he can to preserve until Sunday.

"All we can do is just prepare them the best we can," he said. "(Thursday), we did a really hard training session, probably one of the hardest training sessions we've done since I've been here. D.C. United, if you give them too much time, they're going to change the point of attack and spread the ball around.

"That part we're starting to recognize is that what we work on in practice, carries over to the game. Last week, we worked on counterattack and defensive shape and that carried over to the game, Hyndman continued. "So, I think all we can do is continually give them good training sessions, continually educate them and continually put demands on them. Our attitude right now is very focused."

Rocha for one, is glad to see such a positive vibe this time of the year when so much is on the line each and every week.

"When you win, everybody feels good but we need to continue winning," Rocha said. "For that to continue, we need to give a maximum effort individually and as a team every time we're out there. You can see that the team is very happy. Everyone is joking and backing each other. At this moment in the season, it's important to have that attitude but it does come from winning."


Casillas: We Must Protect Robinho
Cunningham, Hoops shock Chicago
Duscher: Salzburg Must Be Taken Seriously

Rested Quakes aim to resume streak

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When last week's game against the Houston Dynamo was canceled due to Hurricane Ike, San Jose Earthquakes manager Frank Yallop could only hope that the time off would give his team some much-needed rest without killing the momentum of their nine-game unbeaten streak. Just how much sharpness remains in the Quakes' game will be revealed on Saturday, when they take on Real Salt Lake in a match with major playoff implications.

Certainly the break has allowed several Quakes players to heal up. Yallop indicated that defender Nick Garcia probably would not have been able to play against Houston, while wide midfielders Darren Huckerby and Ronnie O'Brien would have been at less than full strength. Now that trio appears close to full fitness, and Garcia was among those thankful for the free weekend.

"I think we all kind of recharged our batteries a little bit more," said Garcia. "I think it gave us time to regroup, to refocus."

Given what's at stake, the rest could be a case of perfect timing. RSL is currently tied for third place in the Western Conference. San Jose is tied for sixth spot, but sit just two points behind Real, meaning a win will see the Quakes vault over their conference rivals.

The downside is that the rhythm of playing every week has been broken for San Jose, yet Yallop insists he has liked what he's seen in practice during the last few days.

"It's possible we could come out slow and sloppy on Saturday, but I don't see it," said Yallop. "We're ready to go."

Adding to the Quakes' advantage is the fact that Real will be making their first-ever trip to Buck Shaw Stadium, and while they took four points from a possible six during two previous league encounters in Utah, that was before San Jose's attack had been completely rebuilt.

Given the up-tick in the Quakes' fortunes, defender Ryan Cochrane is among those players relishing the chance to deliver a little bit of payback.

"We go into this game with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," said Cochrane. "We didn't really perform that well against RSL in Salt Lake. I think we're feeling like we finally get them on grass and hopefully we'll be able to play our game."

Of course if anyone has a reason to have a chip on their shoulder it's Cochrane. The Santa Clara University product has been the odd-man out for much of the Quakes' recent run, as Yallop has preferred Jason Hernandez to partner Garcia in the center of the Quakes' defense. But with James Riley suspended, and Hernandez sliding out wide, Cochrane now has the chance to reclaim his spot, and he'll need to be at his best in order to thwart RSL's speedy tandem of Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan.

"Personally, you always want to be on the field, and I think I can contribute," said Cochrane. "I think I deserve to be in there, but at the same time, I can't complain. The team has done great. It's a team sport and that's what you're here for."


Canobbio: I Need Confidence
Reunion on tap in San Jose as Dynamo visit
La Liga Preview: Real Betis - Sevilla

Versatile Noonan key to Crew success

COLUMBUS -- The insurance policy named Pat Noonan has paid off for the Columbus Crew.

When Noonan expressed interest in returning to MLS after a short and unsuccessful venture to Norway, Columbus was anxious to add his depth and versatility. A deal with New England, his previous club for five seasons, was reached and the former Indiana University standout was traded to the Crew Aug. 6.

Since his debut on Aug. 16, he helped fill the gap when right midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo was winning an Olympic silver medal for Nigeria and most recently, he replaced Guillermo Barros Schelotto when the crafty playmaking forward went to the sideline with a strained hamstring that will cause him to miss a third consecutive game Saturday when the Crew face the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium.

Noonan has stepped in nicely. He scored the lone goal to rally Columbus to a 1-1 tie at Toronto on Sept. 13 and had the second assist on the Crew's final goal during 3-1 victory against New York Sept. 18 to run his point streak to three games. He also had an assist against his former club on Sept. 6 in Columbus.

Taking over the spot of a league MVP candidate in Schelotto is not easy but coach Sigi Schmid is thankful the Crew were able to obtain a talented veteran in Noonan.

"That's the reason we got Pat because we knew he play could that position. We knew he's give us depth," Schmid said. "It's exactly the reason we brought him in because he would be a very good option there, he might be the best option at that position and we're happy we did it."

The feeling is mutual. Noonan left the Revolution in January after deeming a new contract unacceptable. He landed in the Norwegian Tippeligaen with Aalesunds FK but a lack of playing time and injuries sent him to the conclusion that he was better off in MLS.

Shaking off a period of inactivity, Noonan went 58 minutes in his first Crew game then came off the bench for a total of 59 minutes in the next three matches. With Schelotto out, he started and played 78 minutes vs. Toronto and went 86 in the next match.

"I felt really good the last game against New York. It was good to get 80-some odd minutes out there. I felt good at the end, too, which was good," Noonan said. "The more you get 80-plus minutes, that's when you're game-fit and I'm getting there."

Schmid sees the improvement incrementally. "He's getting there. He'll be the first to admit to you he's probably 85-90 percent right now. It's always that last 10 percent that takes time, takes games. It's the sharpness and timing off your cuts, the timing of your passes. The more fine tuned stuff."

Noonan had to nurse a sore ankle this week but that won't prevent him from his first trip back to New England. He developed many friendships over the years while helping the Revolution to three consecutive MLS Cup Finals.

"It will be nice to catch up again. I obviously caught up with them from the first time we faced them here in Columbus," he said. "There's some old friends I'll say hello to and catch up to but for two hours you try to forget about it and try to win a game."

His first encounter produced a 4-0 Crew win and some on-field give-and-take with his former mates. He expects more of the same.

"I'm sure we'll have little conversations out there, pleasant or unpleasant. It will be forgotten about once the game is over but I'm looking forward to it,' he said.

How the fans will react is another story. Noonan made 110 starts and had 37 goals and 29 assists for the Revolution.

"I imagine there'll be some boos. That's how it always works," he said. "Hopefully, more cheers than boos."

Having spent so much time with New England leaves little doubt in Noonan's mind that Saturday's match will be physical.

"There's a lot of good players on that team. I liked to battle with (Jay) Heaps in training because we were pretty competitive. You go against Shalrie (Joseph). He likes to get in and get his hands in the mix. Those are the type of altercations you enjoy going against," he said. "They have good squad and they're talented all around. I'm sure I'll enjoy any of the battles and hopefully come away on top."

The Crew are atop the Eastern Conference by five points ahead of the Revolution and a win would go a long way toward sealing the title and the Supporters' Shield for the most points in the league. Columbus is the only team to have clinched a playoff spot, its first since 2004.

"It's an important chance to really push away with only a few games left and if we can go in and come away with three points that would be a big step for us," said Noonan. "It's going to be a big challenge for us, we know that. We've got to be ready from the opening whistle."

He and his teammates know the most recent meeting was less indicative of the Revolution than New England's 1-0 win in Columbus on My 24. The former came after a slew of league and international competitions that left the Revolution with no gas in their engine.

The real Revolution have a history of turning the play up a notch as the regular season winds down, much like the Crew are doing now on their 5-0-1 stretch.

"When you put a winning streak together and you're beating good teams home and away you get confidence and then you build on that confidence," Noonan said. "You expect to go in and win every game, which is what you need. Especially down that stretch run going into the playoffs you want to be winning games not losing games."

He noticed that the teams show some of the same traits.

"The similarities are the locker rooms. Both are great locker rooms where guys get along and enjoy playing with each other as well as the coaching staff. You've got a coaching staff that knows what they're doing," he said. "They have different approaches -- that might be one of the differences in how we prepare for games -- but they both know what they're doing. They both know how to win. It's a little more laid back here (in Columbus). Guys are very relaxed and enjoy being around the whole training atmosphere and hanging out in the locker room.

"There's plenty of similarities. That's why both teams are successful."


Canobbio: I Need Confidence
Noonan ready for former mates
Crew pad MLS lead with win over Revs

Real answer coach's challenge

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis wasn't smiling after his team rallied to beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium, but he had every right to be.

"I'm very, very, very proud of the group," Kreis said after the win. "It's been a long time coming. I think we've played a lot of good soccer for a lot of games in a row, even our road games where we haven't gotten results."

Javier Morales' 25-yard free kick in the 59th minute capped Real Salt Lake's comeback, as they turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory. The win was just their second away from home all season, and keeps them tied for third place (and the last guaranteed playoff spot) in the Western Conference with 34 points.

Real were facing the hottest team in the league, as San Jose came into the match unbeaten in their last nine games. But RSL prevailed in a hard-fought contest that features two goals from Yura Movsisyan and San Jose's Darren Huckerby.

"Tonight, it wasn't the best soccer game," Kreis said. "It wasn't meant to be. It was always going to be a battle, and I'm glad to see that our guys know how to battle as well.

Real hadn't won on the road since June 14, a result that followed five consecutive losses on the road to begin the season. Kreis knew his team would have to change that record in one of its three remaining contests outside of Utah to reach the playoffs for the first time.

"We challenged the players this week," Kreis said. "I kind of took the gloves off a little bit and said it's time for you guys to step up. For me, big games call for big players to make big plays. Our big players showed up today and made big plays."

Part of that included a couple of changes to the RSL lineup.

"There were two changes to the starting lineup tonight," Kreis said. "It was Clint (Mathis) as a second forward, and then Robbie Russell in the midfield. (Russell) was a player that, before tonight, we had only looked at in the back, as a wide defender. We knew he was capable playing in the midfield, and I think tonight he had a fantastic game and put a monster effort in himself."

The big plays then began in the third minute, when Yura Movsisyan took a long chip from Morales that sent him into the box 1-on-1 with defender Nick Garcia. From the right side, Movsisyan cut inside Garcia and drilled home a left footed shot from 12 yards out for a 1-0 Real Salt Lake lead.

Darren Huckerby then put San Jose ahead 2-1, scoring goals in each half. But just a minute after Huckerby's second goal, Movsisyan ran down Kyle Beckerman's chip, fended off a challenge from Ronnie O'Brien, and flicked the bouncing ball over an on-rushing Joe Cannon to tie the game at 2-2.

"I honestly feel that Yura is a player that a lot of people that have been watching him for a while don't quite understand what he's made of, and what he's capable of," Kreis said. "The coaching staff that sees him day in and day out has a full understanding of what he's capable of, and he showed it tonight."

Movsisyan's second goal set the stage for the Morales game-winner. In the 59th minute, Morales hooked a free kick over the wall into the upper left corner of the goal to put RSL ahead for good.

"We knew coming in it would be a battle and we needed come here and fight," Movsisyan said. "We showed a lot of character today and obviously, we put our chances away."

Kreis called Morales' free kick "awesome, unbelievable. It's something that's also been a long time coming because last year he scored a great one, and we know he's very capable of it and he hadn't had one yet this year," he said. "Hopefully, that's a sign of things to come in our last four games."

Morales also was credited with an assist on Movsisyan's opener, giving him 11 for the season, now second in MLS behind the Columbus Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

"Javier Morales has been fantastic," Kreis said. "There's certainly been some games where I would have thought he could have done a little bit more, and so he was one of the players I was hoping would accept that challenge and he showed tonight that he did, because I thought he was absolutely fantastic. He created that first goal, an unbelievable pass, and then played through what was, I'm sure, a painful injury because he knows how important to our team he is. So for me, my hat's off to him. Fantastic."

With four games left in the regular season, Real Salt Lake are in contention to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in team history. Kreis thinks his team can make it.

"If we can put that kind of effort forth (like we did tonight), if we can put that kind of competitive spirit forth over the next four games, we're going to be just fine," he said.


Ibrahimovic Serie A’s Highest Paid Player
Real sees value in final ‘08 friendly
Undermanned Galaxy plan on victory
Zé Castro: I Won’t Give Up To Colotto

Davis: West takes stand on who's best

Reports of Western demise have been a bit exaggerated, it would seem.

Western Conference clubs haven't fared well this year in meetings with Eastern Conference opponents. The result has been an Atlantic-leaning tilting of the playoff field -- or so it seemed. That summer-long assumption that five playoff teams would emerge from the East, leaving a measly little three spots for the West, suddenly looks a lot less stable.

That's partially because East met West in three weekend encounters. The West won two of those and split two points in a draw in the other.

Los Angeles did its part to rescue Western honor by thumping suddenly troubled D.C. United 5-2. Dallas shocked Chicago 4-1 in a Midwest ambush at Toyota Park. No team had put more than two past league-leading goalkeeper Jon Busch this year, but the Hoops came crashing into Bridgeview and left Denis Hamlett's men looking for answers.

Chicago is 2-4 in MLS matches since early August, and their failure to collect points lately is but one of the reasons the Eastern stranglehold on all those playoff spots suddenly looks tenuous.

New England and Colorado drew 1-1 outside Denver. That was the only semi-bummer on the Western weekend romp. It might look like a relative win for the Rapids, a team that was facing the three-time MLS runner-ups, and a team that had been desperate to rejoin the playoff chase just two weeks ago.

But a closer inspection would reveal that New England's house of horror has been in and around Denver, where Revs success has been hard to find. New England owned a 3-11-1 mark all-time in Colorado before Saturday's visit. So a 1-1 draw at Dick's Sporting Goods Park was probably a result that brought a certain amount of relief for Steve Nicol's team.

But it also gave the Rapids another point in the playoff chase. Now, interim manager Gary Smith and his Rapids have propelled themselves squarely back into the hunt, and that's not good news for the East.

As of today, D.C. United is in fifth place in the East. And as of now, that would be the final playoff berth. The way it works this year, the top three teams in each conference qualify for Major League Soccer's 13th playoff "season." The final two berths fall to the highest point earner, regardless of conference.

Six teams get left behind -- which is two more than ever in MLS, so the pressure to collect points is greater than ever.

That's why United can't feel too comfortable in its current spot. And that is only partially because of key injuries and the busy schedule ahead for Tom Soehn's men, one laden with five matches in the coming weeks in CONCACAF Champions League play.

It has more to do with the fact that five teams in the West -- Colorado, Real Salt Lake, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Jose -- are within four points of United. Houston and Chivas USA currently sit at the top of the West.

All that means that if a couple of Western Conference teams chasing Houston and Chivas USA collect a few quick points, the fifth-place team from the East could be passed and pushed aside in the playoff chase. Even the fourth-place Eastern team (New York Red Bulls at the moment) can't afford much slippage.

East meets West in five of seven matches coming up this week, Round 27 of MLS play. Eastern teams host three of those -- so maybe they can reclaim a bit of ground lost over the past weekend.

TACTICAL CORNER

• Jorge Rojas started on the left for the Red Bulls as manager Juan Carlos Osorio attempted to plug the big hole left vacant by Dave van den Bergh's injury-related absence. Van den Bergh is one of those players you might notice a bit (like teammates Seth Stammler and Mike Magee this year), but whose value becomes more obvious when they aren't in the lineup.

Rojas, a more natural central, attacking midfielder, was a non-factor for 60 minutes last week against Sigi Schmid's confident Crew. Osorio made a couple of changes and got the Venezuelan international back into middle, which significantly improved the Red Bulls attack, although they still didn't have enough to make up the ground on Columbus. The Crew prevailed 3-1.

Eddie Gaven had a big night for Columbus. Good for him for stepping up in Guillermo Barros Schelotto's absence. But you have to wonder if Gaven would have been more contained had van den Bergh been at his usual spot in the Red Bulls lineup.

• FC Dallas manager Schellas Hyndman has been trying to figure out all year what to do with his bookcase full of central midfielders. He imported one flank player, Dutchman Victor Sikora, who played well in two matches but moved quickly to the injury shelf.

So, Hyndman has been plugging in midfielders more comfortable in the middle along the outside. He might finally have hit upon the winning combo in Sunday's surprising win in Chicago, where the team from Texas sat in a fairly defensive posture and relied on Jeff Cunningham's speed and Kenny Cooper's dribbling to steer the counter attack.

So, Andre Rocha was on the right and Marcelo Saragosa on the left in the 4-4-2. Neither have games oriented to a wide midfield role. In fact, you could make the case that Rocha is Dallas' best passer. Pablo Ricchetti was situated in the holding role, with rookie Bruno Guarda in the attacking role.

• Nick Rimando has had a good year in Salt Lake, regardless of the bad moment between he and Nat Borchers that led to Saturday's vital Chivas USA goal (in the 1-0 win for the Red-and-White in the Rice-Eccles closer, a victory with significant impact in the playoff chase.)

It's hard to say what caused the communications breakdown here, but this much is clear: Rimando has had similar problems before, failing to communicate in critical moments. Making big saves is just one part of a goalkeeper's job, like distribution. Rimando does a great job on those aspects. But communication with defenders is vital, too, and the rap sheet is growing on RSL's No. 1 in goal.

• Interesting thing about RSL: Javier Morales had a good first half, and RSL created countless chances. But for more of the sloppy finishing that has plagued RSL all year, Jason Kreis' team could have been up by a goal or two. Then Morales shrank after the break, and the men from Utah rarely threatened, often bypassing the midfield in a rush forward. More than perhaps any other club, as the RSL playmaker goes, so goes the team.

• Speaking of playmakers, D.C. United clearly missed theirs, as Marcelo Gallardo continues to miss time due to injury and Jaime Moreno fights knee inflammation. So neither played against Los Angeles.

The result is less possession for Tom Soehn's team. Gallardo and, especially, Moreno are the best of the RFK bunch at keeping the ball and patiently moving it about until the defensive cracks appear.

• A couple of home wins, spurred by an improved attack, has Kansas City back in the playoff hunt. One reason is Davy Arnaud, who had a three-game scoring streaked snapped over the weekend, but still had a hand in pressing Toronto in what could have been a three- or four-goal win. (K.C. prevailed 2-0 against a TFC team that managed not a shot on goal all night.)

Here's what some people may not realize about Arnaud's contributions of late: he's gotten the job done while making quick adjustments to several roles. Arnaud has been deployed as right-sided midfielder, as a withdrawn forward and as a central midfielder. Arnaud's value, especially considering a relatively small hit on the salary cap, his ultra-competitive nature and his clear versatility, cannot be undervalued on Curt Onalfo's team.


Improved Crew eye benchmark
Chivas USA, Quakes settle for draw
WC Debate: Who Are The Greatest-Ever World Cup Nation?
Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting

Padula a quiet leader for Crew

COLUMBUS -- Good luck charm or just plain good? Maybe a little of both for the lesser known of the two Argentinean players for the Columbus Crew.

While forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto has put up gaudy numbers with six goals and a league-best 18 assists, the case could be made that defender Gino Padula is the team's most valuable player despite missing nearly two-thirds of the season.

The Crew are 8-0-1 when Padula is in the lineup, including a 5-0-1 mark since his return Aug. 16 from injuries that had sidelined him for more than three months. Columbus is 6-6-4 when he doesn't play.

"This is a good thing coming back to the team and winning games," Padula said. "The whole team has done a great job all season, not just the last six or seven games."

Speaking of injuries, Schelotto will likely miss his third consecutive match Saturday at New England because of a left hamstring strain.

"He's probably doubtful for the game," coach Sigi Schmid said after Thursday's practice. "We'll make a decision tomorrow and decide whether to take him or not."

Having a healthy Padula defending helps ease the loss of an offensive player such as Schelotto. Padula brings stability to the left back spot by being solid, not flashy, and calm on the ball. He isn't careless with his passes or in his tackles.

"He brings a lot of experience at left back with his possession and good talking out there. He helps settle us down and keeps us going when we come out on his side with ball," defensive midfielder Brian Carroll said. "He came in and was a little unlucky with the injuries but recovered from that and has done well to position himself to get ready for the pace and style of the league. The experience of where he played before he was here gave him all the tools needed to play well here."

Columbus signed Padula from Montpellier HSC of the French Ligue 2 on March 24 and after sitting out the first two matches while his work permit was approved, he made his MLS debut April 12 against Chivas. He went 90 minutes in his first two games before suffering a knee injury in the April 26 game vs. Houston.

He was one the comeback trail in mid-June when he strained his hamstring during a reserve match and missed a total of 14 league games.

"It's hard when you're injured because you want to come back as soon as possible. When you couldn't play it's very hard, you feel sad," he said.

Making it more difficult was transitioning to a new league, team, city and country.

"I know this league now. I've watched so many games," said Padula. "I know my teammates. It's very important because when I was injured I did not train with them. Now, I enjoy the moment because there are only five games left. If we win the five games we finish first in the table."

The Crew had a revolving door at left back in Padula's absence with Danny O'Rourke, Ryan Junge, Ezra Hendrickson and Jed Zayner filling in. Padula has played all but nine minutes in the past six games.

"He helps us at left back. That was an area where we looked at the young guys," Schmid said. "Last year it was a committee of people. We played Stefani (Miglioranzi) there. We played Ezra there. We played Danny O'Rourke there and we were auditioning people. We added Gino at the start of the year because of that.

"He helps us because he is an experienced defender. Positionally, his play is pretty good. He's a good passer of the ball out of the back and that helps us."

Padula, 32, began his career with Argentinean side River Plate in 1996 before moving to Club Atletico Huracan the following year. He played in Spain in 1998 then went to English football from 1999 to 2006 with stops below the Premiership level in Bristol, Walsall, Wigan, Queens' Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest.

His resume is exceeded on the backline only by that of U.S. World Cup veteran Frankie Hejduk on the right side.

"It's a good combination right now," Hejduk said. "You have two experienced guys in the back. We've got two in the middle in Chad (Marshall) and Danny who are experienced players but are young and hungry. Especially the last few games our understanding of one another has gotten better and better. We all feel confident playing with each other. For a back four, that's what has to happen. If you know each other and are used to each other and know when to drop and you're on the same page there, that's what a good defense is all about."

Hejduk said it's easy to see why the Crew have so much success when Padula is playing.

"He knows how to play the position. He's been a left back his whole life so he knows the ins and outs of it. We all feel -- myself, Chad and Dan -- more confident in our play with him back there," said Hejduk. "We can play through him to get the ball out of the back rather than kicking it long all the time. With him and myself on the outside we can play a bit more. It also helps to have a guy whose naturally left-footed on the left side. A lot of times this year we've been asking guys who are right-footed to play out there. It makes it a little more difficult."

Padula didn't know what to make of MLS prior to coming to Columbus but the league and his new home have grown on him.

"Before I got here I thought in America you have too many sports; the fans wouldn't go out to Crew Stadium but we have 15, 18, 19,000 at games," he said. "This is very important. When we play the playoffs maybe the stadium will be full. The fans help out a lot. This league will improve a lot. It is a very good league right now.

"I am happy here. My family is happy. That's very important to me. It's a new experience in my life. I would like to stay here a very long time."


Confident Crew lead Eastern Conference
Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting

Galaxy unable to build off momentum

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy had two chances Thursday to show off their new and improved self-confidence. Instead, they showed once again their inability to keep the other team from scoring.

Coming off their first win in the last 13 games, an impressive 5-2 win against D.C. United, the Galaxy let in two interesting second-half goals and the Chicago Fire won 3-1 before a sellout crowd in a vibrating Toyota Park.

The loss left the Galaxy with 29 points, still in sixth place in the Western Conference and in 12th place overall, with four games left to pull themselves up to one of the top eight spots.

"We need to pick it up because we are running out of opportunities," Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said.

The Galaxy entered the game hoping to capitalize on the outcome from Saturday, but they were playing a team that had been embarrassed defensively four days earlier. The Fire were coming off a 5-1 loss to FC Dallas, giving up more than two goals for the first time all season.

With their best 11 on the field for the first time in a long time, the Fire did not give up a shot through the first 25 minutes, as the Galaxy tried to find their attack using the same lineup that scored so often against D.C. United.

"Our confidence was maybe too high going into this game," Beckham said.

After Chris Rolfe of the Fire scored on a brilliant piece of individual workmanship, the Galaxy tied the game on their own style of teamwork. Landon Donovan sent the ball from above the box to the far right side, where defender Chris Klein gathered the ball then crossed it into the box to Eddie Lewis. Lewis got in front of his defender and flicked it inside the far post with his left boot for a 1-1 tie in the 35th minute.

Tied at 1-1 going into the half, the Galaxy had another chance to show they were ready to will themselves to a second consecutive victory. Instead, they gave up the two second-half scores.

The second goal featured Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco at his controversial best. Chasing a 50-50 ball outside the box in the 57th minute, Blanco collided with defender Troy Roberts while goalkeeper Josh Wicks ran up to make a play at the same time. The ball was popped forward out of the mix by Blanco, who hopped over Roberts and had an easy shot into an empty goal.

"That was the play that decided the match," Arena said. "I thought Troy had position and was about to clear it. Josh has to go through that ball if he is going make a play on it. That was maybe a little bit of inexperience on our part."

Two minutes later, Blanco earned an assist on Rolfe's goal. He found Gonzalo Segares with a nifty backheel in the center circle, and the Fire defender sent a through ball past Brian McBride to Rolfe running on from the right side. With just Wicks in front of him, Rolfe's shot glanced off Wicks' hands and bounced into the goal for a 3-1 Fire lead.

The Galaxy ended up with just four shots on goal, and none of them by Landon Donovan, the league's leading scorer. His best scoring opportunity came in the 70th minute on an offering from Lewis, who sent a cross from left to right, where Donovan had an open look at Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch. But Donovan's volley went up and over the net.

"I think Landon had a few good scoring opportunities," Arena said. "He was a little bit quiet in the first half."

The first goal of the game demonstrated the struggles the Galaxy have on defense. Rolfe hit the ground in a battle for the ball about 40 yards out, but got up and recovered the ball, then dribbled from right to left and picked the ball away from two Galaxy defenders before firing a left-footed shot into the left corner past Wicks in the 13th minute.

"We had opportunities to get that ball twice," Arena said.

It was the seventh time in 26 games the Galaxy have allowed three or more goals in a game.

Arena had to ask an assistant how many games were left in the Galaxy's efforts to get into the playoffs. He found out there are four games remaining, which is not a lot of time.

"Obviously we are a little bit behind the 8-ball," Arena said. "Likely we need to win three of them if we are going to have a chance. I feel confident we are going to make a great effort to get there."


Poll Results: Robinho Made The Wrong Choice
Thorrington, Fire spoil Arena debut
Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting
Galaxy, Real battle to draw in LA

Revitalized Cunningham aiding FCD

FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas acquired Jeff Cunningham from Toronto FC in early August, there were some raised eyebrows among the Hoops faithful. Many wondered which Cunningham would show up in Frisco. Would it be the talented striker who in 2006 with Real Salt Lake won the MLS Golden Boot with 16 goals, or would they receive the disgruntled Cunningham who fell out of favor in the Great White North?

After his first six games in hoops, it's safe to say that FCD got the first possibility. Cunningham has scored four goals and also has a pair of assists for his new side. His best performance came on Sunday in a 4-1 win against Chicago where he had two goals and an assist.

The veteran striker, who now has netted 103 goals in his MLS career, was quick to credit his new teammates for his success.

"They're looking for me and are getting me in scoring positions. I'm just happy that the balls are going in the back of the net," Cunningham said. "It was a good team effort. We were able to get that early goal but we didn't let up. We kept playing and were able to score two more before half. Coming out in the second half, we knew they would make changes and we just kept playing. I thought that was the best team effort we have played so far this season."

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman has been pleased with the positive impact that Cunningham has had on the side since joining the team last month.

"He has been great," Hyndman said. "There's been a reputation with Jeff all across the league. I don't think anyone doesn't get a reputation when they're in the league for 10 years. We felt that this was a good move for us, to get another striker, somebody that's an established scorer. We felt that he could take pressure off our defense.

"At the same time, I also felt that he could complement Kenny (Cooper). I think you're starting to see a little bit better understanding between the two and a little bit more acceptance of their roles," Hyndman continued. "What we had hoped from the beginning was to have two legitimate players who could score. Jeff has been successful for us putting balls in the back of the net. He's also been successful for us in unbalancing the opposition."

Early last week, Cunningham was absent from the team for the birth of his and his wife's first child, Mikayla. That was definitely a big inspiration for his performance on Sunday.

"My last visit to Chicago (on July 12) was a very low point for me with my former club," Cunningham said. "Some things took place there that were not so memorable. So, to go back with this team, having my daughter and having a good result was a great moment in my life. I can't go into too much detail about what took place in my last visit but it meant a lot to me, more than you guys even know. I was very pleased."

After the win, which put FCD back into the playoff hunt in the Western Conference, Cunningham spoke to his wife about their newest addition.

"She said the baby just kept smiling," he said. "Maybe that's the father/daughter bond because she had on her FC Dallas sweater and she was smiling a lot. Maybe she felt the joy I was feeling during the match."

In the second half, Cunningham had several chances to complete the hat trick but the veteran scorer admits that was far from his mind.

"Honestly, I wanted other guys to get on the scoresheet," he said. "I thought Kenny (Cooper) played well and was deserving of a goal. So, honestly I wasn't really pushing for the third goal as I should have. I was just happy the team played well and got a result."

Cunningham admits that after a tough first half of the season in Toronto, he is still finding his way with FCD.

"The first half of the season, I wasn't playing much football," he said. "So, I'm still trying to get my rhythm back and getting my confidence back. I think my teammates are doing a great job of looking for me, trying to get me involved in the game and putting me in goal scoring situations. A lot of credit goes to them because if they're not looking for me and forcing it at times, I wouldn't be creating as many goal scoring opportunities. I enjoy playing with these guys."

Still, his coach offered a pretty concise evaluation of his two-goal performance.

"One was what you want every striker to do, be a shark in the box," Hyndman said. "The ball was hit by Kenny after a great ball by Andre (Rocha). And as it popped loose, he was on top of it. All he did was put a toe on it, slid it and scored. The second goal was a counterattack goal where a defender was unable to keep up with him and (Jon) Busch didn't come off his line quick enough. He had the speed to run through and score.

"You also have to remember what a great assist he gave to Bruno (Guarda on the second goal). Here's a striker who goes out wide on a counterattack and serves a brilliant ball to the far post and we get a goal," Hyndman continued. "So, I've been very pleased with his performance and I'm looking for better and better things from him."


Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting
Bhoys Playing Like Barça - Crosas
Cunningham scores goal No. 100

Fire aim to right suddenly rocky boat

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- What once looked like a solid playoff position now appears shaky for the Chicago Fire.

Denis Hamlett's team has lost three of its last four games, including an embarrassing 4-1 loss to FC Dallas Sunday before a disappointed home crowd at Toyota Park. The Hoops had a 3-0 lead at halftime as the Fire's vaunted defense appeared slow afoot throughout the game.

The Fire must now face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the league's showcase Thursday night matchup.

Last Sunday, a lineup change prompted by Bakary Soumare's yellow card accumulation suspension, plus a hamstring injury to lockdown midfielder Logan Pause, seemed to cause confusion and the Fire could not get their feet under them after letting in a goal in the first two minutes.

"We conceded that goal that early, and we started to press and didn't have the patience and discipline to stick to our game plan, which was to use each other and keep the ball on the ground," Hamlett said. "We were all on different pages. We weren't connecting. That was the disturbing point."

Lider Marmol took Soumare's spot and looked unaccustomed to the speed he was assigned to handle. Soumare is back for the Fire's game against the Galaxy, which should provide better support in front of goalkeeper Jon Busch.

(Soumare) is having a stellar season," Hamlett said. "A lot of the credit goes to the good partnership with him and Wilman Conde over a long stretch of games. Now (with Soumare out) you lose that. There is one piece missing. But we conceded two goals on set pieces, and that has nothing to do with (Soumare) not being there."

Hamlett said the Fire spent a lot of time in their short training period between Sunday and Thursday working on defending set pieces because with the Galaxy they are facing David Beckham, "who can really deliver the ball."

The loss to Dallas, following a 2-0 loss at Colorado the week before, has put out the fire (so to speak) that burned in the team from its solid post-All-Star break performances.

"That's two games we were outplayed," midfielder John Thorrington said. "The one positive is that we have a quick turnaround with the game on Thursday. Perhaps this will serve as a wakeup call for us."

Perhaps there was a comfort level reached a bit early. Between July 27 and Sept. 6, the Fire were 4-2-1 and back in the Eastern Conference title race.

With five games remaining, the Fire are 11-9-5 for 38 points, three better than New York and five better than D.C. United in the East.

But the Fire are four points behind second-place New England and nine points behind skyrocketing Columbus above them.

The remaining schedule has the Fire playing two games at home and two on the road. They visit Kansas City and Toronto and play host to Columbus and New York in the final four games.

The Fire have a few players on the injury report, most notably Pause, who suffered a hamstring strain midweek last week and is still not fully recovered. Pause has served as a sort of backup to Cuauhtemoc Blanco, whose nomad style of play requires a settled central defending midfielder behind him, which is what Pause has been.

The Fire also will be without defender C.J. Brown, forward Patrick Nyarko, defender Dasan Robinson and midfielder Marco Pappa. Defender Daniel Woolard, who was listed as a reserve on Sunday, is more and fully recovered from the knee sprain he suffered a couple of weeks ago.


McBride set to make Fire debut
Fire vent following disappointing loss
Emery: We Must Not Relax
Canobbio: I Need Confidence

Fire vent following disappointing loss

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have prided themselves on their defense all season long. They hadn't allowed more than two goals in a game for 24 games with Jon Busch in goal. The team had outscored opponents 30-20. Busch's 10 shutouts were top in the league.

And then reality sunk in.

Sunday afternoon, the Fire dropped a 4-1 decision to FC Dallas on their home turf. It was a rude awakening for a team that was sitting pretty in the standings. Chicago still has 38 points, which puts it in third place in the East and fourth place overall. But the Fire isn't expecting their last five games to be a walk in the park.

"The last two opponents we've played have shown they're playing with their backs against the wall, fighting to get into the playoffs," Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. "We've sort of taken our foot off of the gas. We're not in the playoffs yet. If we continue to play like this, we won't be in the playoffs."

One of the strongest qualities of the Fire all season has been every individual contributing team defense. Against FC Dallas, the Fire couldn't seem to stop any plays. Busch has had nothing but positive things to say about his defense, but Sunday afternoon he was taken aback.

"Today, plain and simple, we got our butt kicked," Busch said. "We didn't play well. We had no desire or heart. They wanted it more."

In just the second minute, Jeff Cunningham found the net. And before the half was over, Aaron Pitchkolan and Bruno Guarda gave FC Dallas a 3-0 lead. Cunningham tallied his second of the day early in the second half to make it 4-0.

Fire forward Brian McBride said there is one thing especially the side needs to work on.

"The first half needs to be better," McBride said. "When you put yourself down early, it's hard to get back into the game. Today we might have become a bit impatient. If a team scores early, that shouldn't change things. If anything, that should wake us up."

McBride provided the majority of the Fire's attack Sunday afternoon. McBride had three shots, including the Fire's only goal, heading home a Justin Mapp cross in second-half stoppage time. Perhaps more telling, right back Brandon Prideaux had two shots, while seven others had one shot apiece.

With only five games left and literally the entire league with a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, the Fire could have a long road ahead of them. Thursday night, they play host to the Los Angeles Galaxy, another opponent in a must-win situation.

"It's time for the men to step up and the boys to sit on the porch," Busch said. "We're supposed to get results. That's our job. Now we're in a dogfight."

Veteran defender Diego Gutierrez said the loss to Dallas seemed somewhat surreal at times.

"This result is very unlike us," Diego Gutierrez said. "This outing is one we have to learn from. This one is hard to swallow. But now we need to get ready for Thursday."


Agüero: I Was Inspired
McBride set to make Fire debut

Wizards' Souter relishing opportunity

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Kevin Souter knew the reporters would be coming for him. The look on the Kansas City Wizards midfielder's face was an expectant one, one that said not "Finally!" but "This is great!" It was a release. One that he knew he deserved. And he jumped in with both feet.

Souter had just played in his second MLS match seven months stepping onto the artificial turf at the K.C. Sports Lodge in Independence, Mo., in February as one of more than 200 open tryout hopefuls. He only played 14 minutes, but they were glorious.

Three minutes after coming on in the 76th minute, Souter had scored the Wizards' second goal to give them an all-important cushion in a match against Toronto FC that was closer than its final 2-0 scoreline. "I felt that a goal was going to come, whether or not I was going to play a part in the game, I didn't know, but I'm always available," said Souter, with his Scottish accent and a jolly demeanor that revealed the kind of guy anyone would love to hang out with.

Souter grew up in Portsoy, Scotland, playing soccer well enough that he became involved with the youth program of Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen. Eventually, he came to America to play soccer at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, after being discovered by one of their scouts.

Not everyone can make such an adjustment, but Souter triumphed, helping elevate the Jackets to the NAIA national championship in 2006 while earning honorable mention All-America status. The following season, the kudos kept rolling in: first-team all-conference and Heart of America Athletic Conference player of the year and second team NAIA All-American as a junior.

Then the 24-year-old Souter made another decision -- to forego his senior year to try and become a professional soccer player.

"He's a very motivated guy; we have a lot of confidence in him," said Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo.

The 6-foot, 180-lb. center midfielder has guts and confidence. Confidence enough, after playing for Des Moines Menace of the USL Professional Development League in 2007, to head to the Wizards' open tryout. Through perseverance, patience and talent, Souter outperformed players from 15 countries to become one of two players -- the other midfielder Nelson Pizarro -- to earn a contract.

"As soon as I met [him], I could tell he had a dream and he was going to do anything to get it," said friend Ken Baldwin who played with Souter at Graceland.

"It's a big transition coming from college soccer, through the tryouts, and into the team," said Souter. "I've just been working hard. It's paid off."

Shortly after earning his contract with the Wizards, Souter had yet another challenge, this one not by choice. His right MCL suffered a sprain, and the injury kept him out a month-and-a-half.

But in the last month, he has been in fine form, resulting in his first MLS minutes in the Wizards' 2-0 win against the LA Galaxy two weeks ago and his goal against Toronto FC.

"He got a little bit ahead of himself once he scored the goal. If you looked at him, he was kind of all over the place," said Onalfo with a grin. "But once he settled down, he was fine. But that's all part of his progression as a player."

At the moment, Souter's role within the side is clear. He entered the fray against Toronto FC shortly after Jack Jewsbury's penalty kick put the Wizards up 1-0 in the 63rd minute.

"We're using him in a role to help preserve the lead. It's nice when you put a guy in to preserve the lead and he scores a goal," Onalfo said.

Souter understands that he's still an apprentice.

"I'm always watching and learning from these guys," he said.

And the amiable Souter is enjoying his time, especially when he was able to live out another dream when stepping on the field against idol David Beckham in his debut for 11 minutes against the Galaxy.

"I grew up back in the U.K. He's a big, big idol of mine. I'm a Manchester United fan, and I watched him since one of his first games all the way through. He's just a class act," Souter said. "Just walking out at Arrowhead last week and seeing him warming up, he just seems to have a presence about him."

And so does Souter, a presence that oozes friendliness and determination.

"When you approach [him], he always has a smile on his face and is happy to see you," said Baldwin.

It may only be a matter of time before Souter becomes someone's idol. He might already be.


Wizards roll Reds, keep hope alive
Canobbio: I Need Confidence
Wizards miss chance to gain ground

Hoops primed for must-win battle

FRISCO, Texas - When the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas meet Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park to settle the latest installment of the Brimstone Cup, it won't be the only thing on the line as both sides are looking to make a final push into the MLS Cup Playoffs. For the Fire, that means improving on their current third place standing in the Eastern Conference, but for the Hoops, it means getting back into the playoff picture, where FCD currently sits three points short.

Neither team has fared well of late. Chicago is just 2-3-0 in their last five matches and comes off a 2-0 loss at Colorado last Sunday. The Men in Red have failed to score in four of their last eight matches.

FCD also isn't inspiring confidence with their recent form. The Hoops haven't won since Aug. 3 at Toronto FC and are 0-4-2 since. Last Saturday, they scored first for the fourth time in five games but had to settle for a 2-2 tie with D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

The Hoops will take the field without captain and center back Duilio Davino, a former teammate of Fire superstar Cuauhtemoc Blanco at Club America, for the sixth consecutive game. Versatile Aaron Pitchkolan has done well in his absence. FCD's Drew Moor will return alongside Pitchkolan after missing last week's match due to yellow card accumulation.

Adrian Serioux is back to full fitness and should return to right back. Pablo Ricchetti, who started the last few games at center back, will likely move back to his normal spot as the holding midfielder.

FCD has won four of their last six trips to the Windy City but the Hoops know Sunday's affair figures to be hard-fought.

"They're a good team," head coach Schellas Hyndman said. "They had a disappointing result against Colorado on the road. Blanco is an extremely dangerous player and (Brian) McBride is a strong, experienced player. With (Chris) Rolfe up front, they have some very strong players that we've seen. Now what we have to do is worry about ourselves, do the types of things we need to do, score goals, defend well and limit the number of goals. It's going to be a good, challenging game for us. We're hoping to put our better players on the field."

If FCD is going to come away victorious, they must find a way past the league's top defense, as the Fire have allowed just 20 goals in 24 matches.

"It's a must-win game for both teams," said forward Jeff Cunningham. "We're not concerned with who they play. It's going to be a battle and we're going to go and compete for 90-plus minutes. Hopefully, we can come away with three points. I'm not concerned with who they have. Chicago is a good team and playing at home, they're a difficult team to play at their place. It's going to be a battle and a difficult match for us."

The sides last met on June 15 at Pizza Hut Park and the Hoops prevailed 1-0 thanks to a 17th-minute goal by Kenny Cooper. A win or tie by FCD means the Brimstone Cup would reside in the Lone Star State for a seventh year in a row. "Chicago is a place that we've done well. We played them well down here a few months ago. We know they have some dangerous players but right now, we've got to worry about ourselves," Moor said. "We don't need to worry about how they play or who we're going to be matched up against. We need three points, bottom line. No matter how ugly or pretty it is, it's time to start getting three points on the road and at home to see what we can do with ourselves."

Cunningham will have a little extra inspiration on Sunday. Earlier in the week, he and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child, a daughter.

"Oh yeah, the baby is depending on me to do well," he said. "It will be great to go out, get three points, maybe score a goal and have a celebration for her. I'm excited. I feel like life is smiling on me right now. Everything is great and when you're happy, it carries over onto the pitch. Hopefully, I can have a good match and we can get a win."


Cunningham, Hoops shock Chicago
Emery: We Must Not Relax
Madrid Internationals Back In Training

Revs earn point, moral victory in Colorado

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- By making something from nothing, the New England Revolution moved a point closer to their goals. Against an opponent who they had not beaten on the road since 2002, a second-half goal from substitute Kenny Mansally allowed them to escape with a 1-1 tie Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.

"It's a bit of a moral victory for us to get out of here with a point," said goalkeeper Matt Reis.

The Revolution had lost their last four matches in Colorado, dating back to 2004.

"This place is so tough to play in," said defender Jay Heaps. "Coming here was a good test for the playoffs. It was a good atmosphere and for us we just have to get our system set and out lineup set and get guys back from injury to deepen our team and go forward."

The Revolution started with an explicitly defensive posture and it showed in the statistics. All of their five shots were taken in the second half. The Rapids had a more balanced attack, with seven shots in the first half and six in the second, but they only forced Reis to make three saves.

"When we've previously come in here we've gotten nothing," said New England coach Steve Nicol. "So we wanted to come in and be tight and then loosen up. Obviously we'd like to win, but a draw is enough."

Keeping the game close in the first half allowed New England to make halftime changes that stymied the Rapids attack.

"In the first half they took some good advantage and had some good opportunities," said Heaps. "But in the second half we made some good adjustments and matchups and forced them out wide."

Those adjustments mainly focused on keeping their defensive shape and not giving up counterattacks and crosses to Colorado's dangerous flank players.

"[Terry] Cooke and [Colin] Clark are really good and dangerous wide," said Reis. "That's what they try to do, get balls into the box. We knew that going in, and we tried to play a little more defensively."

The opportunistic goal from Mansally five minutes into the second half allowed New England to keep their backline strong and not expose themselves to counterattacks.

"The ball was bouncing in front of me to my left foot," said Mansally. "I saw the goalie was coming out so I placed it over him."

The tie keeps New England in second place in the Eastern Conference with 42 points, five back of the Columbus Crew ahead of their meeting next Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

"In the end, to get a point on the road in this league is good," said Reis. "At the end of the year if you looked back and you got a point on the road every time you would be happy. And it's good to come back. I don't think we've had too many comebacks where we've gotten something out of it, so that's good."

As the Revolution look toward their last five games and the MLS Cup Playoffs that follow, they hope that their rare Colorado point will be a springboard to late season success.

"We're trying to get max points here on out," said defender Michael Parkhurst. "We know this was the last trip where we would settle for a tie since this a tough place to play. But from here on out we're going to be going for three points from every game and we're going after the Supporters' Shield. We've never won it and we want to finish the season strong."


Flaño: First Victory Is Vital
Rest provides tonic for weary Revs
Agüero: I Was Inspired
Revs, Rapids keep playoff positions with draw

Galaxy hoping to begin new streak

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy snapped the longest winless streak in club history last Saturday when they defeated D.C. United 5-2 on the strength of a Landon Donovan hat trick. The Galaxy will be trying to start a new streak on MLS Primetime Thursday by picking up consecutive wins.

The task won't be easy as the club heads to Toyota Park to take on the Chicago Fire, who themselves are hanging onto the last guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and won't be looking to give up an inch on their home ground.

For the Galaxy, a win would move them into a playoff spot, even if it is only for a couple of days. But there's no denying that would be a huge psychological boost for the club.

"We know we have a real uphill battle ahead of us," said head coach Bruce Arena. "We're not in a favorable position at this time, and the only way to get there is by winning games. So we have to try and win our next game."

The first time these two teams met was also on a Thursday night in primetime. In that match however, several of the stars for both teams were missing to international duty. The result was a rather drab 1-0 affair in favor of Chicago. This week, everyone is available, which should lead to a completely different dynamic.

"It's going to be a good game. The last time we played them we were without a couple of players, so Thursday's going to be a different game," said Sean Franklin. "We need the points and I think we're going to feed off of our last performance and go in for a win."

In order to get a result, the Galaxy face two distinct challenges. The first comes on the offensive side of the ball. Despite the fact that LA exploded for five goals against D.C. United, there's reason to believe that they'll have a much more difficult time in Chicago. The Fire boast the league's best defense, and will be looking to shut down the Galaxy.

"Chicago has been outstanding defensively, but we've got to play our game," said goalkeeper Josh Wicks, who is hoping the Galaxy offense can keep some of the pressure off his net. "You can't worry to much about them because if we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, they should be worried about us."

With the expectation being a low-scoring game, that shifts extra pressure onto the defense. LA has had their struggles all season long on the defensive side of the ball. This weekend they are up against a classic target striker in Brian McBride, who will prove to be a difficult mark for the center back pairing of Troy Roberts and Franklin, neither of whom are taller than 5-11.

"We need to stay close. We know he's their target, so we need to make sure we're covering for each other," said Franklin. "If we can just contain him and take him out of the game, we'll be fine."

Conventional wisdom is to try and win at home and grind out whatever points you can get on the road. Unfortunately for the Galaxy, there isn't time for conventional wisdom. With only five games remaining in the regular season, and the playoffs within sight, the Galaxy need to take the full complement of points on the road if they want to control their own destiny.

'Old man' Gaven sees more to learn

COLUMBUS -- Eddie Gaven will celebrate his birthday Oct. 25 and some fans might be surprised he is not ready to retire to the MLS Old Folks' Home.

"People forget he's only 21 years old. There's still a lot of progress to be made," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said.

"He's what, 22?" teammate Frankie Hejduk asked. "He's been in the league so long you think he's much older than that."

"It's probably because of my beard, to be honest," Gaven said.

Actually, he will turn 22 next month, but the Hamilton, N.J., native is already in his sixth season as a pro after making his debut with New York in 2003.

"It feels like a really long time ago when I was 16 years old and first coming into the league," he said. "Every time I look back, it seems like a totally different life almost."

While he is a veteran of MLS play, the midfielder is not too old to learn the nuances of game such as making a connection with the right back, Hejduk. The pair has become more comfortable feeding off each other as the season progressed, especially since Gaven's return from a sprained ankle on Aug. 2.

The pair reached a zenith Sept. 18 vs. New York when Hejduk made attacking forays into the final third that resulted in his first goal in more than three years and later an assist on Gaven's goal that iced a 3-1 victory.

"To get used to your outside midfielder is a year-long process," Hejduk said. "Once you do start clicking, which I think we are doing now, both his game and my game are improving. The last few games he's been on."

Gaven's two goals for the season and one of his two assists have come in the past five games. He has 27 goals and 25 assists in 145 career games, including 19 matches this season.

"Frankie helps me out so much," he said. "He plays great defense. He's a tireless worker. He's really helped me as far as my defensive shape this year -- when to go, when to stay, when to hold a little bit. As far as on offense he's always overlapping me. He gives us width, lets me be able to tuck in more. So far things have gone well."

One of Gaven's strength is his willingness to contribute at both ends of the field. It's an attribute Hejduk appreciates.

"He's a worker. He's a lot faster than he looks," said Hejduk. "He helps me defend a lot more in terms of doubling teaming guys and when to double team, when to stay and cheat a little bit. Him and I are getting an understanding of each other."

The season took a detour for Gaven when he was injured during a U.S. Open Cup match June 10 against Chicago and missed nearly two months. It also cost him any shot of making the U.S. Olympic team after he appeared in all five qualifying games and had three goals and an assist.

His return to the Crew lineup coincided with left winger Robbie Rogers leaving to play for the USA in the Beijing Olympics.

"I wished the guys all the best," Gaven said. "I watched all the games and was cheering for them. It was tough for me not to go but to be honest I just wanted to come back and play because anytime you're on the bench and can't be playing for five or six weeks it always gives you that itch to come back and play."

Gaven mainly played on the left while Rogers was gone then switched back to his usual spot on the right.

"He was obviously disappointed not making the (Olympic) team with injuries but Eddie's a pretty keep-your-nose-to the grindstone type of guy," Schmid said. "Right when he hurt his ankle against Chicago he was on an uptick. He was starting to play much better and that injury came at a bad time."

Now that Gaven is healthy again he and the Crew have been on a roll. Columbus has five wins and a tie in the past six games to clinch a playoff spot and is leading the overall standings heading into Saturday's match at New England.

"He's getting behind defenses. He's keeping possession. He's battling for balls and he's getting good service in the box," midfielder Brian Carroll said. "He's playing well and helping the team out. It's a reason we've had some success."

Gaven takes the compliments in stride. "I'm feeling very confident right now but everybody on the team feels that way," he said. "Whenever everyone on the team feels that way it brushes off on all the players."

Besides, he knows more is expected of him now that he is approaching the ripe old age of 22.

"He can run up and down. He doesn't tire. For that position out wide you need a motor and he's definitely got one," Hejduk said. "Once he starts getting his confidence in shooting the ball he's going to start scoring a lot of goals."


Licht: Where Are The Goals?
Crew storm past Red Bulls in Primetime

United brace for hostility in Honduras

Asked about his team's current state of affairs in the wake of Saturday night's 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the LA Galaxy, D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn explained, "We were all over the place."

But Soehn wasn't referring to the slapdash defending that saw his side surrender a season-high five goals to a team that hadn't won a match in three months. He was describing the consequences of hectic preparation for United's trip from Los Angeles to Honduras for a daunting CONCACAF Champions League clash with CD Marathon on Wednesday.

Four players had to split up from the rest of the group over the weekend to attend to last-minute visa requirements and fly south early, while Saturday's unused reserves went through a light training session and the starters took advantage of some much-appreciated down time on Sunday before undergoing some 12 hours of travel the following day.

"A few of us went to the beach," said midfielder Clyde Simms, "to try to get our minds off the Galaxy game and reboot for Honduras." While the disjointed nature of the squad might have disrupted its normal routine, a mental respite for Soehn's charges might come in handy this week as D.C. enters the lions' den -- or in this case, the dinosaur's den -- to face a Marathon side riding high after their 2-0 win at Cruz Azul last Wednesday.

Nicknamed "The Green Monster" and sporting a Tyrannosaurus Rex as its mascot, Marathon will be keen to offer a hostile reception to a beleaguered United side which remains undermanned and short on confidence.

D.C. captain Jaime Moreno will not be able to offer much-needed reinforcement, a swollen knee forcing him to remain in Washington in the hopes of recovering in time for Sunday's league match against FC Dallas, and he'll soon be joined by defender Devon McTavish, who did not make the trip to San Pedro Sula due to suspension for his red card received in United's opening loss to Deportivo Saprissa.

The reigning Honduran Apertura champs put on a classic smash-and-grab display to stun their Mexican hosts last week and United are wary of the abundant attacking pace that made it possible.

"They have some speed," said Soehn. "I think they countered very well against Cruz Azul." Wednesday night's match at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano will likely offer the D.C. defense an opportunity to prove that they learned from their Saturday setback. While Marc Burch's controversial second-half sending-off surely did not help matters, by that time United had already allowed three goals in 15 minutes and were struggling to come to terms with the pace and movement of Landon Donovan and the rest of the Galaxy front line.

"I feel like we played into their hands sometimes," noted Simms. "Our line was a little too high, [giving] Landon a little too much space to run into." McTavish's absence means that Soehn will once again have to improvise in his selection process, and tactically, it could further encourage a conservative defensive posture.

"Probably," said the D.C. boss, when asked if his team will sit in against Marathon. "We'll have to evaluate how many minutes we can get out of some guys."

Center back Gonzalo Peralta is finally nearing match fitness and could see time against Marathon, though it's unclear whether he's ready to slot into the first XI. The alternatives include starting a rookie like Pat Carroll or Mike Zaher, or even moving Simms or left winger Ivan Guerrero -- who called the return to his home country "a special game" -- back into defense.

Moreno might represent the biggest loss. The veteran's poise and skill would be extremely valuable in a hostile setting where D.C. will need to string together possession to take pressure off the defense. The Black-and-Red are hoping that Luciano Emilio and Boyzzz Khumalo -- who scored his first United goal against L.A. -- will step up to fill the gap. "You definitely see a change in our attack without Jaime," said Simms. "But Boyzzz Khumalo played well the other night and he's got a lot of confidence right now."

The challenge facing them is a substantial one, but if United can earn a decent result in Honduras it would offer a huge psychological boost. A long, draining campaign now looks likely to go down to the wire as United try to maintain their grip on the last MLS playoff spot, and international success could help generate priceless momentum.

"You have your ups and downs through a season, and we've played more games than anyone except Houston," said Burch, still smarting from his harsh dismissal by referee Terry Vaughn on Saturday. "Everyone's got their heads up -- we've got a lot of games to go."


D.C. begins transcontinental road trip in LA
Pablo Remaining Positive
Emery: We Must Not Relax
Shorthanded United ready for Saprissa