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."


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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.


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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."


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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."


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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."


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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.


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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

Galaxy snap winless streak in emphatic fashion

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy snapped their 12-game winless streak in emphatic fashion Saturday, beating D.C. United 5-2 in front of a sellout crowd at The Home Depot Center. Landon Donovan netted a hat trick, including a pair of goals in the first half, to carry the Galaxy to the win.

The game didn't start that great for Los Angeles though. Just more than a minute into the contest, D.C. United scored off a corner kick, and things looked bleak. Then, just after the quarter hour, Josh Wicks was forced to make a great save on Luciano Emilio to keep things close. It definitely wasn't the start the home side was looking for.

"I was ready to walk out of the stadium when they scored off the corner kick, to be honest with you," said Pete Vagenas, who added a late goal of his own. "I think Wicks made the save of the day on Emilio, on his breakaway. Had they gone up 2-0, it would have been extremely difficult to get back into the game."

That save allowed Donovan to take over the game, scoring the equalizer, then the go-ahead goal. The Galaxy would never relinquish the lead from that point on, and created a number of other scoring chances.

"I was disappointed in the way we started the game, but I was very pleased with the way we reacted," said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. "We took a pretty impressive lead into halftime. We had a chance to take a three-goal lead. I think the effort tonight wasn't perfect, but we played as a team."

While the entire team played with more energy than seen out of the Galaxy in quite some time, it was Donovan who was the engine. In addition to his three goals, Donovan also picked up an assist, and generally terrorized the D.C. defense all night long.

"I thought (his performance) was exceptional. But I've seen that a few times from Landon," said David Beckham following the game. "When he plays like that, no one can stop him. He's a goal scorer. He's a great finisher of the ball and we needed that."

Donovan's success came in large part because he was dropped into the midfield, rather than playing as a true striker. The move allowed Donovan more space between the backline and the midfield, and he exploited that space, torching the United defense on numerous runs that began deep in the midfield.

"In watching them play, Bruce realized that they play with two center backs in (Marc) Burch who's not a true centerback and (Bryan) Namoff who's not a true center back either. The way they play in the midfield, they don't play with two side by side guys," said Donovan. "No disrespect to Clyde (Simms), but given the chance I knew I was going to win that matchup."

Donovan's first goal was a perfect example of that. He began his run in the center circle and ran right past the midfield, receiving a pass between the two center backs, before tucking home a shot past Louis Crayton. From that point on, he was running in behind the defense all night long.

His running off the ball opened up the field, and allowed more space for teammates, and the scoreline reflected that.

The scoreline also put the Galaxy within two points of playoff position and also released a ton of pressure that had been building up on a club that had been desperate for a win.

"It was an important win just to get us going again more than anything. To go so many games without a win, I've never done that before, and I'm sure a lot of those players have never done that before," said Beckham. "For confidence more than anything, it was important we started well, which we didn't tonight. But we got ourselves back into it and stayed together to win the game. We needed the three points."

Life gets more difficult for LA as they try to climb their way back into the playoffs. Up next is a road trip to Chicago; last season, the Fire ended the Galaxy's playoff run on the last day of the season. Next Thursday's match won't mathematically eliminate the Galaxy from the playoff picture, but there is no room to sit back and enjoy the win against D.C.

"You get to the point where you don't even look at other scores or standings because it's just depressing. It's nice to finally move a little, but we're still a long ways away and we realize that," said Donovan.


Two Wizards chances doom Galaxy
Player Ratings: Atlético 4-0 Schalke

Injuries, luck, cards not on United's side

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United entered Tuesday night's CONCACAF Champions League opener against Deportivo Saprissa with their backs against the wall, as the team's already-long list of walking wounded seems to grow longer with every passing day.

This week it was Jaime Moreno and Ivan Guerrero's turn to be bitten by the injury bug, further complicating head coach Tom Soehn's lineup choices and pushing two rookies into the first XI, which also included Luciano Emilio and Zach Wells, both some ways short of full fitness.

United's outlook was further darkened when Walter Centeno grabbed an early goal just over a half-hour into the match, and within minutes another unkind twist of fate was delivered courtesy of Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez. The man in the middle dealt defender Devon McTavish a harsh red card that forced the undermanned Black-and-Red to spend the rest of the evening in pursuit of the ball, the possession-happy Costa Ricans and the match itself.

"We knew it was going to be tough," said Soehn afterwards. "I think the difficult part has been having to manage getting guys on the field. You're not having to coach too much, you're patching up things and it's pretty difficult. We fought through this. Jaime and Ivan weren't available, so you deplete yourself a little bit more and when you're shorthanded, getting a red card really, really hurts. Any time you get a red card it hurts, but especially when you're shorthanded."

There didn't seem to be excessive malice in McTavish's challenge on Alexander Robinson, but Rodriguez based the ejection on his judgment that the defender continued to play after the whistle was blown for a prior foul by Santino Quaranta.

"I didn't really see much to it," said Wells of McTavish's sending-off. "The ref had already blown the whistle and I think Devon was just kind of playing, because whistles go off all the time. He was just finishing the play and I thought I saw Devon get the ball. [Robinson's] on the ground and only when the ref starts to pull out the red card does the guy really start to whine and moan on the ground, and act it up a little. ... It's just bizarre that you would get a red card that early in the game when it hasn't really been chippy or anything."

While the decision mystified United's players and coaches, their frustration was tempered by fatalism as the team ponders its long-running string of misfortune. Despite the Costa Ricans' numerical advantage, D.C. hauled themselves back into the game in the second half, only to see Saprissa netminder Keilor Navas produce two scintillating saves to deny well-hit free kick blasts by Marc Burch.

"I think we were a bit unlucky on both goals, where we poked the ball away and it winds up straight at their feet," said Wells. "It's the way our luck was going. Their 'keeper has a blinder and the ref isn't helping us at all. Playing down a man for 65 minutes, it just makes things more difficult."

While the home loss certainly represents a setback for the Black-and-Red's Champions League hopes, Soehn remains optimistic about the group matches to come -- provided some reinforcements arrive from the training room sooner rather than later. On Saturday United flies west for a league match against Los Angeles and will then proceed directly to Honduras for a CCL showdown with CD Marathon.

"There's five more games. But we need to get healthy," said the second-year boss. "We need our bodies on the field. We have to keep grinding it out until we get there."

One such body is midfielder Fred, who's recently been nagged by hamstring issues but showed well against Saprissa after coming off the bench to start the second half.

"It was a difficult match, especially with a man down for us," said the Brazilian. "We didn't have many opportunities. All we have to do now is keep working hard and hopefully we can get a good result when we go down and play them in Costa Rica."


Sinama: Agüero Is One Of The Best
United fall in Champions League opener

Rested Revs shoot for clean sheet

Forget about scoring four goals. The important number last week for the New England Revolution was zero.

As in zero goals allowed against Chivas USA.

As the fixtures piled up, teams found the Revolution more pliant. Conceding eight goals in a week isn't par for the course for a Steve Nicol-coached side with veteran defenders who pride themselves on getting stuck in week after week.

"It was really important," Revs defender Chris Albright said. "We were taking pride in our defensive performances earlier in the season. When we won SuperLiga, that's how we did that. We want to get back to that."

Defensive partner Jay Heaps said the shutout was important to return to the side's defensive principles.

"We needed to do that," Heaps said. "Defensively, we've had a couple of games we don't ever want to talk about again. We've played together for a long time. We know what we need to do."

When the Revolution head to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, putting another zero up on the board will be important. The Revs haven't had much success in the Mile High City over the years -- 3-11-3 all-time and without a point there since 2004 -- and Albright thinks that renewed defensive spirit will bolster the side.

"It's about being solid at the back and getting that early goal," Albright said.

This is the first time in a long time that the Revolution will approach a game with the proper amount of rest after a whirlwind two months of constant soccer.

"It was great to get a break," Albright said.

The extra rest bolstered the Revolution's weary legs. So too did a look at the dwindling injury list. Doug Warren didn't make the trip after injuring his elbow while Kheli Dube has been upgraded to probable as he continues his recovery from an adductor injury.

"We know we can get through when we play a game a week," Heaps said. "We're trying to go in and get something out of every game. All the rest won't get us back on the winning track. We need to get the job done."

Colorado will present a difficult task for the Revolution. The Rapids have improved since interim head coach Gary Smith took over and reconfigured the lineup. Coming off a 2-0 home victory against Chicago and sporting a 7-4-1 record at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids will have confidence.

"They had a great game last weekend to beat Chicago," Heaps said. "It's interesting to see that they've done without Christian Gomez and some of those guys."

With the Rapids tied for the third and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Albright thinks the Rapids will set aside the inconsistency that has plagued them all season.

"They've been up and down all year," Albright said. "We've been up and down for six weeks. They've been moving up in the standings over the past few weeks. We'll get their best effort."


Revs, Rapids keep playoff positions with draw
La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 3
Agüero: I Was Inspired

Chivas USA spoil Rice-Eccles finale

SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake hoped to close out the only home field they have known since their inaugural season with a bang. But Chivas USA blasted those well-laid plans for a feel-good ending to pieces.

With the third-largest home crowd in RSL history on hand to witness the final match at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Chivas handed RSL a 1-0 loss on Saturday night, the club's first loss at home this season.

The result also had a huge impact on the MLS Cup Playoffs picture. Combined with Colorado's 1-1 draw with New England, Chivas USA is now in second place in the Western Conference, with the Rapids and Real Salt Lake tied for third place and the final automatic playoff spot.

Chivas scored the game's lone goal in the 72nd minute when Alecko Eskandarian had the simplest of goals gift-wrapped to him courtesy of a RSL defensive mistake.

Defender Nat Borchers chased after a long ball driven toward the RSL goal when he crashed into Nick Rimando as the Real 'keeper came out to snag the ball at the top of the penalty area.

The ball popped free and bounced to Eskandarian's feet. With nothing between him and an empty net, it was a simple matter of guiding it in.

A steady rain did not diminish the RSL attack in the early stages of the match. The club piled up scoring chances like they were raindrops striking the Rice-Eccles turf. Turning them into actual goals proved much harder to do.

Real nearly got on the board in the second minute when Yura Movsisyan put the ball to flight on a nice bicycle kick. He angled his shot at the far post, but the ball sailed wide over the upper corner.

Javier Morales created another nice chance on a free kick in the 10th minute. The Argentinean midfielder uncorked a powerful shot that easily cleared the defensive wall. It caught a little too much air, though, and cleared the crossbar as well.

Morales came up short on an even better opportunity a minute later. Forward Robbie Findley drove into the six-yard box and ripped a nice shot. Dan Kennedy came up with a nice save, but the ball bounced right into the path of Morales. It took only a split second for him to rocket it back on frame.

The ball nearly entered the goal, but it was stopped in midair on the line by Jonathan Bornstein and cleared away.

Chivas was nearly as active on the other end. The Red-and-White had a near-miss in the fourth minute when Eskandarian clamped onto a ball fed to him deep in the penalty area. Eskandarian one-touched it right at Rimando, who blanketed the ball for a save.

Another Chivas scoring chance materialized in the 24th minute. Atiba Harris tracked down the ball in the corner and sent it back to Francisco Mendoza just outside the top of the penalty area. Mendoza fired a bullet that was perfectly on target, but Rimando stood his ground and managed to knock it away with his fingertips.

RSL looked to finally have its first goal in the 31st minute when Movsisyan cut around a defender and curved the ball inside the near post. But his would-be score was waved off after Movsisyan was ruled offside.

Movsisyan's hard luck continued right up to halftime. He had a nice volley off a header in the 44th minute that was good enough to turn into a goal. But it went straight at Kennedy, who could not have moved out of the path of the ball even if he wanted to and deflected it to safety.

RSL continued to misfire in the second half. Will Johnson fed the ball to Andy Williams on a breakaway in the 54th minute. Williams had enough space to create something, but overran Johnson's pass. He recovered and corralled the ball before it bounced over the endline. But it left Williams with an awkward angle.

He tried to curve the ball up and bend it around the near post. Instead, the ball simply banged into the post and careened away.

After getting the opening goal, Chivas hung on through the final minutes. Real's last gasp came on a near-breakaway by Movsisyan in the 85th minute. He threaded the needle between a pair of defenders, but Kennedy covered up at the top of the goal area to make a timely save.


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Wizards roll Reds, keep hope alive

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The Kansas City Wizards kept pace in the wild card race for the MLS Cup Playoffs after a 2-0 home victory against Eastern Conference foes Toronto FC on Saturday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Jack Jewsbury converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute and Kevin Souter, playing in his second game for Kansas City, scored his first goal as the Wizards moved to 32 points on the season. For the moment, it pulled them within a point of D.C. United (who played later Saturday night) and three points of the New York Red Bulls for the wild card spots.

Kansas City began the match just two points in front of Toronto FC, who have won only two matches away from their BMO Field home. Having won six of 11 at home, with three draws, the Wizards came in inspired by their 2-0 defeat of the Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend.

Each side lined up precisely as last week, Toronto especially glad their international players had time to rest from the national team duties that made a full 90-minute effort last week in a 1-1 draw at home against Columbus difficult.

Play began with each side showing a clear intention to attack on the night, both using every inch of width on the narrow CommunityAmerica ballpark field. Toronto held a slight early edge gaining the first couple of chances on goal, but none created much concern for K.C. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

A moment of defensive carelessness gave Kansas City a chance in the 26th minute as a flighted ball was allowed to bounce deep into the Toronto box. Forward Josh Wolff gained position on Reds' defender Julius James and nearly poked the ball past goalkeeper Greg Sutton.

Having escaped, Toronto captain Jim Brennan tried to give his side a massive boost with a long overlapping run down the left side. As he penetrated the Wizards box, James fed the Canadian international but too heavily, and Hartman scooped up for Kansas City.

Minutes later, K.C. had a near miss of their own as Wolff broke free on the right side of the box for a cross from right midfielder Herculez Gomez. Wolff jumped to strike acrobatically for goal but missed connecting from 10 yards out.

A minute from halftime Sutton and James played saviors for the visitors. Twelve yards diagonal from the left post, Wolff spun after receiving a pass from left midfielder Roger Espinoza and struck quickly only to see Sutton deny the chance with a deft palm save. Wolff soon endeavored again but was denied this time by an alert play by James.

Wolff found the back of the net in the 51st minute after settling and then finishing past Sutton, but the foray was ruled offside. But Wolff would return again in the 55th. Quickly cutting the ball past TFC back Tyrone Marshall, Wolff sprinted for the end line and bolted a cross that headed right for forward Abe Thompson. But Sutton floated just in front of the extended Thompson to snatch the ball.

Kansas City was in the groove yet still had nothing to show for their attacking vigor. In the 58th minute, Gomez wound up his powerful right foot from an ambitious 36 yards and came close, his low shot blazing by Sutton's right post.

Then in the 61st minute, Wolff again broke into the Reds box and was upended by Marshall. To TFC's wonder, referee Baldomero Toledo blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. A host of Toronto players surrounded Toledo protesting vehemently, but all to come was a yellow card to midfielder Carl Robinson for dissent.

Jewsbury stepped up to take the responsibility for the Wizards and confidently put his shot to the right corner just out of reach of a leaping Sutton to give Kansas City a lead that surely sent sighs of relief through his team.

Plenty of time remained and the match stayed tight despite the turn of events. But Kansas City would tighten the screws. Kevin Souter, a Wizards open tryout survivor, scored in his second appearance for the club three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Espinoza switched fields to Wolff, finding him open wide on the left wing. Wolff settled and lined in a cross that Souter put past a surprised Sutton with the outside of his right foot from 10 yards.

The only blot on Kansas City's closing out of the match was a 90th minute yellow card to Jewsbury, which means the center midfielder will miss next week's match due to yellow card accumulation.

The Wizards will travel to take on Chivas USA next Saturday before returning home for their last three matches, while TFC will play host to defending MLS champion Houston Dynamo with their backs nearing the wall.


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United hoping to add regional glory

WASHINGTON -- For several years, D.C. United have been craving regional success to match their perennial status among Major League Soccer's elite. But a trying league campaign and a persistent injury epidemic have forced the Black-and-Red to ponder difficult decisions with the advent of the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League competition.

The capital club owns the most illustrious international record in U.S. soccer history, having tasted both regional and hemispheric success in 1998 at the zenith of its late-1990s glory years. But even though D.C. took part in three of the last four CONCACAF Champions Cup competitions, a string of high-profile letdowns has seen regional honors continue to elude the four-time MLS Cup winners, to the abiding frustration of fans, players and front office alike.

United has amassed a bevy of South American talent for the specific purpose of contending in tournaments like this one, only to see Brazilian attackers Luciano Emilio and Fred, along with Argentinean playmaker Marcelo Gallardo and his compatriot, tall center back Gonzalo Peralta, atop a catalog of injury concerns as group play begins with the visit of Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa to RFK Stadium on Tuesday night.

The impact of the long casualty list could clearly be seen on head coach Tom Soehn's lineup in United's last match, a 2-2 home draw against FC Dallas on Saturday. Striker Thabiso Khumalo was originally brought in from lower-division side Pittsburgh Riverhounds to bolster the D.C. reserve squad and had just completed his loan deal the day before, only to find himself starting alongside team captain and all-time league scoring leader Jaime Moreno.

The South African acquitted himself well, but his new coach's frustration was evident as he discussed his roster limitations afterwards.

"It's very difficult right now looking and knowing you have impact players sitting on the bench and having to wait to put them in," said Soehn, who gave Emilio 22 minutes in relief of Khumalo. "There are situations in a game when you want to be reactionary of the situation but you can't. So it's difficult right now and that's why I'm encouraged to get those guys in playing. Hopefully we can push the minutes next time."

Soehn's disappointment is understandable, given the level of talent at issue. Emilio won both MLS Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot honors as league-leading scorer a season ago and leads the squad with 10 goals this year. His participation would dramatically sharpen the Black-and-Red's cutting edge in the attacking end on Tuesday.

The same goes for Gallardo. The highest-paid player in United history, "El Muneco" has missed most of the last two months with sports hernia issues and full fitness remains elusive. Last week he was hit by a case of the flu as well as an ankle complaint, and the coaching staff elected to keep him out of uniform over the weekend with an eye towards having him closer to full speed against Saprissa. The smooth Argentinean is the archetypical South American No. 10 and his vision and composure in the center of the park would be a massive boost against the Costa Rican powerhouse.

Most of the region's other leagues are just working their way into the meat of the domestic schedule. However, MLS is entering the final month of its regular season and United have failed to haul themselves into the upper echelon of the cutthroat Eastern Conference, leaving their playoff hopes at risk and deflecting attention from the significant challenge of qualifying out of the Champions League's formidable Group A.

MLS teams traditionally struggled in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a tourney which kicked off while the U.S. league was in its preseason stages. But the timing of Champions League offers a different sort of challenge and United, along with fellow MLS representatives Houston Dynamo, are entering uncharted territory as the league tries to balance its roster size and strict salary cap setup with the desire for better results in international play.

"The competition has been expanded and that has brought about a lot of questions. How do we manage this? How do we manage it as a league?" said D.C. general manager Dave Kasper last week. "So I think it's being discussed, ways the league can put teams in a position to succeed. That's being discussed right now and hopefully there will some sort of solution to that. Our immediate goal is to get guys healthy."

All told, D.C. must play 12 matches in the next six weeks and their CONCACAF adventure will have to be juggled with the ongoing demands of MLS play. But the club is open about its larger ambitions of regional ascendancy, and such aspirations require the squad to produce results regardless of the circumstances.

"That's how it's going to be this year," said defender Marc Burch. "We want to be in these tournaments and we're going to be faced with game after game. So the next two months are really, really busy and we're going to try to rest guys and get out of it what we can...We've got to just face the games as they come."


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Cunningham, Hoops shock Chicago

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Led by a pair of goals from Jeff Cunningham, FC Dallas scored three first-half goals against the stingiest defense in the league on the way to a convincing 4-1 road win against the Chicago Fire Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park.

FC Dallas became the first team to score three goals against the Fire this season. The Fire had given up just 20 goals in their first 24 games.

The victory ended a five-game winless streak for FC Dallas, which jumped out of the cellar in the Western Conference into fifth place with 30 points. The Fire remain in third place in the Eastern Conference with 38 points, nine points behind the New England Revolution.

Each of the Hoops' first three goals was significant beyond adding to the total on the scoreboard.

Cunningham scored in the game's second minute when a free kick by Andre Rocha squirted through a crowd in the box and Cunningham poked it past diving Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch. Cunningham celebrated the goal by miming rocking a baby in his arms, to signify the birth of his first child last week.

The goal was Cunningham's 17th against the Fire in his long MLS career. It was the sixth of the season overall for Cunningham, obtained a few weeks from Toronto FC.

Another free kick by Rocha led to the second goal, when his kick from 25 yards out far right lofted over the crowd in the box and landed at the right foot of Aaron Pitchkolan, who one-timed the ball to the far right corner while Busch was heading to his right toward Pitchkolan. It was Pitchkolan's first goal of the season.

The third goal was the real shocker, as Cunningham dribbled the ball off a FC Dallas counterattack down the left side, then sent it from 25 yards out to the far right side, where midfielder Bruno Guarda one-timed it out of the air to the upper right side of the goal for a 3-0 Hoops lead.

The victory was the third in the last 12 games for Dallas under coach Schellas Hyndman, who took over in June for fired coach Steve Morrow. Earlier this week, FCD general manager Michael Hitchcock reiterated his intention to retain Hyndman for next season.

The game had some decidedly chippy moments. In the first half, Guarda and Fire defender Gonzalo Segares mixed it up, with Segares putting Guarda down with a retaliatory shove. In the 55th minute, Marcelo Saragosa of FC Dallas received a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Fire second-half substitute Justin Mapp.

In the 53rd minute, FC Dallas came close to going ahead 4-0 when forward Kenny Cooper blasted a shot from 25 yards out that went over Busch's head and hit the upper right corner of the post and bounced away.

In the 61st minute, Cunningham got his second goal of the game, and his second chance to celebrate the birth of his child. Rocha sent a long clearance forward putting Cunningham in a foot race with Fire defender Lider 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.

In the 70th minute, Cooper missed a shot at a wide-open net. A goal kick by Dallas keeper Dario Sala was headed downfield by defender Adrian Serioux past the Fire defense to Cooper on the right side. Busch came out to cut off Cooper's shot, but the veteran Dallas forward dribbled past Busch. But his right-footed shot went wide right.

Seconds away from a shutout, the Fire finally got on the scorebaoard in stoppage time on a goal by Brian McBride, who headed home a cross from Justin Mapp.

The Fire remain home for an MLS Primetime Thursday match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, while FC Dallas also heads home for a match next Sunday against D.C. United.


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Revs, Rapids keep playoff positions with draw

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Trading goals on either side of halftime, the Colorado Rapids and New England Revolution battled to a 1-1 draw Saturday evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Kenny Mansally's goal early in the second half was enough to negate Colin Clark's late first-half effort and leave the teams with a share of the points.

The Revolution will remain in second place in the Eastern Conference with five matches to play after the tie, while the Rapids remain in a tie for third place in the Western Conference and the final playoff spot -- but now with Rocky Mountain rival Real Salt Lake, after they lost 1-0 at home to Chivas USA on Saturday evening.

The Rapids nearly put the Revolution down by one early. In the second minute Omar Cummings used some fancy moves to beat Jay Heaps along the end line, but his low ball across the face of the goal was just out of reach of a diving Tom McManus.

The Rapids fullbacks were pushing forward and getting involved in the offense extensively in the first half which both created Rapids opportunities and opened up opportunities for the Revolution wide players. Khano Smith especially was having success in the early going along the left flank.

Rapids defensive midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who scored the winning goal in April the last time the two teams met, nearly added another goal to his tally in the 17th minute. Receiving the ball 25 yards out, he was given lots of time by the Revolution to tee up a hard shot that New England 'keeper Matt Reis had to leap high to push over the bar.

The Rapids had the better of the play by far in the first 20 minutes, creating dangerous chances while New England was rarely able to keep the ball outside of their end of the field. In the 21st minute, Clark played a nice one-two with Cory Gibbs that resulted in a cross to Cummings. Cummings' attempt at a redirection looked dangerous, but Reis was well placed to make the save.

The Revolution had one of their few successful forays forward in the 29th minute. Smith received the ball on the left flank with plenty of space. His cross was well placed for the four New England players crashing the net, but Rapids 'keeper Preston Burpo was able fly out of his net and punch the ball out of danger.

Colorado created another chance from out wide in the 35th minute. McManus played a ball coming across the box out to Cooke on the right whose first time cross was deflected by Heaps to Clark. Clark's header was out of reach for Reis, but trickled wide of the far post.

The Rapids goal came in the 42nd minute, appropriately enough from a cross. McManus again played the ball wide to Cooke, who had as much time as he wanted to put in his cross. Clark rose above the scrum in front of the goal to direct his snap header to the back post for his fourth goal of the season.

New England entered the second half seeking to improve on their abysmal offensive performance, which saw them not record a shot in the first half. But it was the Rapids again who had the first good chance of the second half. In the 48th minute Cummings played a ball back to Cooke, whose hard shot from 20 yards looked dangerous but sailed over the bar.

When New England finally got a shot in the 50th minute, they tied the game. A Gabriel Badilla free kick from near halfway went into the box, where Gibbs rose to head the ball out but instead sent a glancing effort right to second half substitute Kenny Mansally in the penalty area. All he had to do was send a little chip over Burpo for his third goal of the season.

Colorado substitute Conor Casey came on in the 61st minute and nearly made an immediate impact on the game. In an echo of the first minutes of the game, Cummings again played a ball across the face of the goal, but it was just out of reach for Casey.

Taylor Twellman, who had had a fairly quiet night, almost broke the deadlock in the 69th minute. Deep in the Rapids penalty area, he managed to sneak between two Rapids defenders to come down with a cross. But his shot, taken while falling down, was not hard enough to present a problem for Burpo.

Twellman again made things interesting in the 74th minute, settling a pass from Mansally at the top of the box and sending a low hard shot that forced Burpo to dive to save.

Harvey and Clark continued to combine well along the left flank for Colorado. In the 77th minute Harvey dribbled deep into the Revolution box and played a pass across to Clark, whose shot pinged around in front of the net before Reis was able to fall on it.

Reis was fortunate to keep the game tied in the 83rd minute. Mehdi Ballouchy took a hard shot from 20 yards that deflected off Badilla. Reis made an excellent reaction save to push the bouncing ball just over the bar.

The Rapids squandered one last chance in the 87th minute. Cooke's free kick from near the end line just outside of the penalty box was placed perfectly at the back post, but Cummings' header was mishit and toward the sideline instead of the net.

The game did not end without controversy, as referee Michael Kennedy blew for full time as Clark was receiving a long cross inside the Revolution penalty area.

The Rapids take to the road next weekend, when they play the New York Red Bulls on the East Coast, while the Revolution also return home, for a Sunday evening, top-of-the-table rematch with the Columbus Crew.


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Galaxy break out in win over United

CARSON, Calif. -- Paced by a hat trick from Landon Donovan, the Los Angeles Galaxy gained a measure of revenge in another goal-fest with D.C. United, in a 5-2 victory Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center.

Donovan's three goals gave him 19 on the season to lead Major League Soccer by a large margin, and Alan Gordon and Pete Vagenas each tacked on a goal to round out the scoring for the home side, putting an end to the Galaxy's club-record 12-game winless streak and giving Bruce Arena his first victory since taking over the club's coaching reins.

The first time the Galaxy and United faced each other this season, United got the better of the game, winning 4-1 behind a pair of goals from Luciano Emilio and one from Jaime Moreno.

Saturday, the majority of the cars in the parking lot hadn't even had a chance to cool off before United scored. Just 71 seconds into the match, Devon McTavish knocked on a corner kick. Ivan Guerrero took the set piece, and sent a ball to the near post. The ball bounced in the box and found McTavish, who fired home from inside the six-yard box to open the scoring.

The game slowed down a bit, as the Galaxy found their bearings, finally getting into the offensive flow in the 17th minute. David Beckham played a long ball into the area that was poorly cleared. The ball fell to Edson Buddle at the top of the area, but the Galaxy striker's full volley skipped just wide of the post.

One minute later, D.C. nearly doubled their advantage. Thabiso Khumalo put Emilio through on goal. The Brazilian's first touch was a little heavy though, allowing Josh Wicks to cut down the angle and save Emilio's shot.

Donovan leveled the score in the 23rd minute. Chris Klein spotted Donovan making a 40-yard run out of midfield and sent a perfect through pass that split the entire United defense. Donovan ran onto the ball, took one touch into the area and then hit a deft flick with the outside of his right boot to beat a charging Louis Crayton.

The Galaxy kept the pressure on, and in the 32nd minute, Eddie Lewis played an early cross from the left flank that found its way to the back post. Beckham ran onto the ball and played it back across the goalmouth first-time, where Lewis won a header, barely missing off the outside of the post.

Four minutes later, the Galaxy took the lead. With numbers going forward, Gordon and Donovan worked a great one-two, putting Gordon in alone on Crayton. The Liberian 'keeper made the save, but United had trouble getting the ball out of their defensive third. Eventually, Donovan got the ball back, and when he realized that nobody was closing him down, he laced a shot into the side netting from 22 yards out.

LA wasted no time in building a cushion. In the 38th minute, LA was again on the counterattack. Beckham tried to feed Buddle the ball, but Crayton read the play and broke it up. McTavish failed to clear the ball though, and instead played it straight to Lewis. The U.S. international collected the ball and put a shot on target, but Crayton scrambled across his goal to make the save. Unfortunately for him, the rebound went straight to Gordon, who sneaked a shot just inside the near post to give the Galaxy a 3-1 lead.

It was all Los Angeles to close out the half. In the 42nd minute, Beckham found Buddle with a long ball over the top of the United backline. Buddle did well to round Crayton, but Bryan Namoff did a great job of tracking back to break up the play.

Buddle was at it again in stoppage time. Seemingly living behind the D.C. defense, Buddle had another 1-on-1 opportunity with Crayton. The D.C. goalkeeper saved Buddle's first effort but gave up another rebound. Buddle took a second crack at goal, but this time was denied by the crossbar.

The second half started in much the same way as the first, with a quick United goal. In the 47th minute, Khumalo beat Klein to a long ball over the top and collected it at the edge of the area. Wicks was caught out of position on the play, and when Khumalo looked up, he had an empty net to shoot into, bringing D.C. back to within one.

With United fighting their way back into the match, things took a turn. In the 63rd minute, Marc Burch was shown a straight red card for taking down Beckham while he was trying to shepherd the ball out for a throw-in. Burch took a swipe at Beckham's heels, sending him tumbling into the sign boards, and referee Terry Vaughn sent off the United center back.

Earlier in the match, D.C. midfielder Clyde Simms made contact with Beckham, who fell to the ground near the middle of the field. As United collected the ball and raced toward the Galaxy third on a quick counterattack, Beckham stood up and chased referee Vaughn, eventually seeing yellow.

Up a man, the Galaxy put their foot on the ball and tried to take some of the air out of things, picking and choosing their moments to go forward. When they finally did they looked dangerous, especially in the 69th minute when Donovan found Lewis streaking down the left flank. From a sharp angle, Lewis shot on goal, but Crayton made another save.

The Galaxy added a fourth goal in the 81st minute. Donovan tracked down a long ball from Beckham, and streaked into the area. With no real help in the box, Donovan held up the ball waiting for support. When the second wave arrived, Donovan flicked a cross to Peter Vagenas, who placed a side-footed volley just inside the left-hand post.

The Galaxy got one last goal in second-half stoppage time, with Donovan completing his hat trick. Klein played another long ball over the top, sending Donovan in alone on Crayton, and he made no mistake with his one-on-one with the goalkeeper, rounding out the Galaxy lead.

With the win, the Galaxy stay in the hunt for a playoff position, as they travel to Chicago for an MLS Primetime Thursday match with the Fire. United are still grimly hanging on to the final playoff spot, remaining on the road for a trip to Honduras for CONCACAF Champions League play on Wednesday, followed by a game at FC Dallas next Sunday.


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United host FCD side in transition

WASHINGTON -- Saturday's visit by FC Dallas is being treated as a must-win game for D.C. United, who are keen to make the most of their first and last league match at RFK Stadium in the month of September as a draining, two-part road trip beckons next week.

With new boss Schellas Hyndman's makeover in full swing, the Hoops remain a side in transition and their recent lineups have had an experimental air as the longtime SMU coach searches for the right mix. While United continues to battle through an injury epidemic and FCD's own playoff prospects remain very much alive, they've gone more than a month without a league win.

The Black-and-Red believe that with a strong performance, the full three points are there for the taking.

"It's difficult with them. They have some injuries too, they have some guys out also," said D.C. assistant coach Chad Ashton this week. "I think since the new coach has come in you haven't really seen a consistent lineup with them. They've changed at least a few guys every game and they just recently acquired [Jeff] Cunningham now, so they're finding their way a little bit right now."

Since his arrival in June, Hyndman has challenged his charges to take up a new style of play and prove themselves as worthy cogs in his system. Even putting aside the club's hunt for one of the Western Conference's final playoff spots, that reality gives everyone wearing Hoops plenty to prove on match day, as their United counterparts are quick to recognize.

"We have to get three points this weekend," said Santino Quaranta. "It's tough when you get a coaching change in the middle of the year and the situations that they've been through haven't been the best lately. But again, any game you play in this league is going to be difficult because they're fighting for their jobs and everybody wants to do well."

The well-traveled Cunningham, whose 101 career goals place him three spots behind D.C. captain Jaime Moreno on the league's all-time scoring chart, represents a proven goal threat, though strike partner Kenny Cooper's strength and skill might pose even bigger problems for the United defense.

But the makeup of the midfield behind them has been a work in progress -- a state of affairs familiar to the Black-and-Red lately, who tried out a 4-5-1 shape against San Jose last week due to a shortage of forwards but seem likely to return to a 4-4-2 look with Moreno's return from international duty.

Playmaker Marcelo Gallardo finally returned to the starting lineup against the Earthquakes, though he has yet to reach top form since undergoing dual sports hernia surgery earlier in the summer and this week a bout with illness offered yet another setback for the Argentinean. His coaches and teammates recognize the quality he offers and are eager for Gallardo to attain full match fitness at this pivotal point in the season.

"It's good for the team and if we can get him back at 100 percent that would be great, because he's an excellent player," said goalkeeper Louis Crayton. "Obviously him being present [makes] a lot of difference."

Desperate to improve their depth as the onset of CONCACAF Champions League play looms, D.C. finalized the signing of loanees Thabiso Khumalo, Greg Janicki and Ibrahim Koroma on Friday. But the most urgent concern is the speedy, smooth return of Gallardo and fellow South Americans Fred and Luciano Emilio from injury. So while Dallas' tactics and personnel may represent a bit of a wild card for United, the focus is aimed inward.

"We've scouted [FC Dallas] and we try and prepare for any kind of scenario they can throw at us," said Ashton. "[But] for us right now it's probably more important to concencrate on us, control ourselves, what we're going to come out with, what our mentality is going to be. And hopefully come out with a lot of energy at home and get three points."


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Youth being served in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- All season long, Kansas City Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo has given his younger players opportunities. And various trades throughout have seen veterans like Nick Garcia, Jose Burciaga Jr. and Sasha Victorine depart. Clearly, youth is being served in Kansas City.

As the Wizards head into their final six games of the season amidst a tight playoff battle, it is also clear that four players aged 24 and under will play a large part in delivering Kansas City's fate. In addition to 22-year-old left back Michael Harrington, a consistent starter for two seasons now, Onalfo started three other young players last Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy in a 2-0 win. Giving players who are prone to the follies of youth is a risk well worth the reward for Onalfo.

"They are in there because, one, I believe in them (so does the rest of the staff) and, two, they know what to do," said the second-year head man. "With all the guys, it's a process that involves getting minutes, playing games, sometimes making mistakes and hopefully learning from them."

Rookie Roger Espinoza, who is 21, along with 22-year-old rookie Jonathan Leathers and 24-year-old Tyson Wahl, have each been on an up-and-down path this season. Saturday they will take the next step into their most challenging journey of the season as the Wizards play host to Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

Left midfielder Espinoza has logged 929 minutes on the season, the most of the three, despite an early set of red cards that threatened to keep him on the bench interminably. The ejections got his attention, as did his coach's approach to the situation.

"That's what I've learned so far -- that coach cares about me and that I need to show him that I am learning," said Espinoza.

The reactions have been reined in and Saturday the Ohio State product will set his sights on getting on the game sheet in a more constructive way than he did when the teams last met on June 21, when he was shown his second red card of the year.

"If I can score goals for my team, that would be the main thing, to score a couple of goals to get a win, or an assist, anything I can to help the team win," he said.

Leathers' arrival in the starting 11, which comes with the Wizards currently sitting five points shy of the last spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, has been a more varied journey.

After starting the first three matches of the season in place of the injured Chance Myers -- the top pick in MLS's 2008 SuperDraft -- the tenacious Leathers was out of the lineup for two extended periods, the longest lasting from July 10 until last Saturday. A head injury suffered in a reserve match was a large hindrance during that stretch as Onalfo was hesitant to put the Georgia native into serious competition.

"He does a good job of neutralizing what happens on the right side of the field because of his speed," said Onalfo. "He has to continue with his progress of how he plays with the ball at his feet, but he's a solid contributor. The minutes he got earlier in the year have really helped him."

The 24-year-old Wahl started after Aaron Hohlbein, his season-long competitor, was injured two weeks ago. Hohlbein had locked down the spot for an extended period. Wahl's personal goal is to remain the starter from here on out.

"We called on Tyson, he made the most of it, and our team functioned properly," said Onalfo of the third-year center back. "So there's no reason to change it. As long as he continues to perform the way we believe he can, there's no reason why he wouldn't be in there."

The process of getting minutes has come full circle for the trio.

"We've spent a lot of time giving those guys minutes throughout the year," Onalfo said. "Now we're positioned where we feel confident enough to put them in, as we do with a whole bunch of other guys who aren't currently in the starting 11."

"For Roger, Jonny and myself, last weekend was pretty exciting and definitely a confidence builder," said Wahl.

Onalfo's mode of operation with his younger players is to not put too much pressure on them even as they play in games from which the Wizards must gain points.

"I just try to let them know that each one of these games is just another game. But when you're playing in games like this, often it can come down to a play or two, so you have to have excellent concentration on both sides of the ball," Onalfo said. "If you're an attacking player, can you be that guy who makes the play that changes the game?"

Said Wahl: "Each year [I've been here], we've been fighting until pretty much the last game for playoffs, so it's hard not to feel the pressure. But in my experience, teams do best when they don't start calculating out all the mathematical equations to get to the playoffs and take it game by game."

For both Kansas City and Toronto FC, Saturday's game holds much import. A loss for the Wizards and last week's triumph against the Galaxy means little. A loss for Toronto FC and their playoff hopes begin to fade dramatically.

"For them, the game is extremely important, as it is for us. I expect it to be a dogfight, no room for error, and you have to compete for 90 minutes," said Onalfo. "The team that can compete, minimize mistakes, and can take advantage of a player or two is going to win."

It's game-by-important game for the Wizards and their youthful trio, and they are ready.


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D.C. begins transcontinental road trip in LA

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United set off on an epic transcontinental road trip on Friday, leaving home behind for nearly a week as Tom Soehn and his undermanned side hunt for two crucial results despite grim shortages in key areas of the squad.

Heading to Los Angeles for a Saturday night showdown with the Galaxy, United can be forgiven for looking back fondly at their last meeting with David Beckham and company. The 4-1 win under the midday sun at RFK Stadium on June 29 marked the last time United won consecutive league matches, as well as the last time the Black-and-Red attack notched more than two goals in MLS play.

But most notably of all, it was essentially the last time Soehn was able to call on his first-choice lineup. Designated player Marcelo Gallardo would soon be sidelined by sports hernia troubles and he has not played a full 90 minutes since. Last week, United's No. 10 flew home to Argentina for a new rehabilitation regimen due to lingering complications from the injury, and will miss at least two more weeks of action.

His countryman Gonzalo Peralta has been similarly debilitated by health problems of his own (hamstring) and remains well short of match fitness. Ivan Guerrero (deep muscle bruise), Fred (hamstring) and Luciano Emilio (groin) are traveling at less than full speed, and captain Jaime Moreno has been left at home with a swollen knee, hoping to rejoin the team in Honduras for Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League match against CD Marathon.

"You have to try to play though it," said Emilio, who gutted out the first 45 minutes of Tuesday's 2-0 CCL loss to Deportivo Saprissa despite being less than 100 percent fit. "We have to try to play well, hope everyone gets healthy soon and keep moving forward."

So youngsters and new arrivals will have to carry a far greater share of the responsibilities. Rookies Ryan Cordeiro and Craig Thompson started against Saprissa and are likely to see more action in the coming week, while Quavas Kirk, who earned his first start of the year against FC Dallas, and recent signing Boyzzz Khumalo are also expected to contribute.

"The next was me -- so who else you got?" said Soehn with a chuckle, discussing his young lineup on Tuesday. "No, they did well. They came in and competed. The soccer part is going to take a little dive, but we have to make sure that the competitive side is there and I thought those guys did a great job."

Khumalo has played a significant role in both matches played since his official signing last week, a pleasant surprise for someone who only expected to help out the reserve squad when he originally arrived in D.C.

"I was just supposed to play one [reserve] game and go home," said the South African, on loan from USL-2 side Pittsburgh Riverhounds. "But when I got here, they said 'OK, we like you, if you want to stay it's up to you.' So I decided to stay. I thought I could help the team, to be honest, because I saw some of the guys and I figured I could fit into this system easily."

Soehn admits that his coaching duties are largely dominated by a sort of triage at the moment, patching together a lineup as best he can, and that situation also creates new challenges for his players. Khumalo had barely been introduced to Moreno -- who'd just returned from international duty -- before the two were partnered together in his first match, last Saturday's 2-2 draw with FC Dallas. Then the South African was handed a different role on Tuesday, roaming United's right flank.

"I'd been playing with the reserves. I know most of the reserve guys but I don't know the first team," Khumalo said. "That was the first time for me to play with Moreno up top, so it's kind of hard. We didn't have that chemistry because he'd been gone and he just came back a couple days ago, and I had to adjust on how to play with him."

Cordeiro finds himself in a similar situation, having played on the left wing most of the season but more recently used as a striker. His hard work up top was one of the bright spots against Saprissa and he hopes to notch his first professional goal in the games ahead.

Meanwhile, Kirk might be particularly motivated to play a role against his former club on Saturday night. The pacy winger started 15 matches for the Galaxy over the past two seasons, only to find his opportunities more limited in D.C. He recognizes that United presently needs all the help he can offer, though, and in the days ahead the team will have to rely on the eagerness and endeavor of young legs like his.

"I never expected in LA to actually contribute as much as I did, which was a blessing, definitely," said the Generation adidas product. "To come out here, whenever they need me, wherever they need me, I'm going to play. It doesn't matter, I just love the game and whenever they want me on the field I'm going to be ready to play."


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LA hopes continuity makes difference

CARSON, Calif. -- It's been more than three months since the Los Angeles Galaxy last tasted victory. Amazingly, despite that record, the club is only four points out of a playoff position, and will be looking to climb back into the race Saturday night when D.C. United come to The Home Depot Center.

Los Angeles isn't getting too caught up in their opponent. Right now, the Galaxy feel as though they need to sort things out internally before they can focus on any one opponent.

"What we're preparing for is our team and trying to get our team better," said head coach Bruce Arena. "We can't worry about D.C. United. Really, our preparations for this week is to try and move our team forward."

One thing that should help our Arena and the Galaxy is a sense of continuity that has finally been achieved in training. For the first time since his arrival, Arena will have his full complement of players two weeks in a row.

"Usually that makes a difference. Everyone has a full week of training. I think the international break was a bit unfortunate for us after our good game against New England," said Ante Jazic, who flew straight from Mexico City to Kansas City for last week's game. "We lost four players and lost that continuity. Hopefully with everyone in training this week we can start to win some games."

Last weekend at Arrowhead Stadium, in addition to Jazic, Eddie Lewis, Landon Donovan and David Beckham all joined the team from international duty without having trained with the team. It led to a somewhat lethargic performance that resulted in a 2-0 loss.

"In all honesty, probably the best thing to have done in K.C. was to not start Beckham and Donovan," said Arena.

The Galaxy are also counting on United suffering a bit of a similar fate this week. D.C. played a CONCACAF Champions League match on Tuesday against Costa Rica's CD Saprissa, and they are hoping that the midweek match coupled with the cross-country travel will take a toll.

"It's not so much of an advantage to us, but it's certainly a challenge to them," said Lewis. "We'll hope that it's a tough game for them."

This week in LA, the players are rested, and have been training together all week. The last time that happened, and the only time that's happened under Arena, the Galaxy went into New England and earned a 2-2 draw in one of their best performances in some time. LA will be trying to match that effort and translate it into a home win this weekend. A result like that would certainly go a long way towards relieving a lot of pressure.

"I'd be lying if I said the (winless streak) hasn't been weighing on people," said Lewis. "We want to get a win under our belt and see if we can start some sort of momentum."

Lewis was quick to put things back into perspective though, looking at the crowded playoff picture and LA's place in it.

"It's amazing. It will probably come down to the wire like it always does," he said. "For us, the quicker we can get our act together and put some points on the board, the better."


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Crew streaking into autumn

COLUMBUS -- The weather has been a major topic in the city the Columbus Crew calls home for the past five days.

First, there were the severe wind shears that tossed the team's plane on the return from Toronto on Sunday and caused nausea among the passengers before the pilot aborted a landing and flew to Cleveland. Then there was ensuing the power outage from the hurricane-level winds that blanketed nearly all of central Ohio and still has some players' dwellings in the dark.

"The guys have been great. They've been on an even keel. It's been tremendous," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said.

Finally, somebody had something nice to say about the weather following the Crew's 3-1 against New York on Thursday night in Crew Stadium that has the club on the verge of its first playoff appearance since 2004.

"We don't have an asterisk next to our name (for clinching) but we definitely have a checkmark. We're moving forward," Schmid said.

Defender Frankie Hejduk, who along with midfielder Duncan Oughton and defender Chad Marshall are the only holdovers from the Crew's last postseason qualifier, scored his first goal in a little more than three years to tie the match at 1-1 in the 41st minute then assisted on the final tally by Eddie Gaven in the 85th. Robbie Rogers also scored for the Crew in the 46th minute while Juan Pablo Angel had earlier put the Red Bulls ahead in the 21st minute.

Hejduk's 11th goal in his 161st MLS game was his first since Sept. 10, 2005, at New England. That the two came post-Labor Day might not be a coincidence.

He usually tests as the fittest player on the team and his ability to run the flank seemingly without a sweat is legendary but he admits the scorching days of summer are not conducive to his game.

"I wish every game was played in this type of weather," he said of the kickoff temperature of 74 degrees that quickly dropped into the mid-60's once the sun had set by the start of the second half. "Hopefully one day we get to play in the winter, not the summer. The game's faster, guys are more in tune with the game because they're not tired from the sun or the heat or the humidity. I felt like I could run a total another game out there. If you play in weather like that, the weather soccer is supposed to be played in, it makes it much easier.

"You saw that from everyone. Everyone had a lot more energy. The game was more exciting. I thought the fans were more into it; everyone was more pumped up and a lot had to do with the weather being the way it was. It was perfect soccer weather."

That could bode well for the streaking Crew as they head into autumn. They are 5-0-1 in the past six matches and improved to a league-best 47 points with five matches left. What's scary for the rest of MLS is the Crew have scored four goals without leading scorer Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who has been out with a hamstring injury for the last two games.

"We're a tough team to play against because you can't focus on one guy," Schmid said. "If you focus on one guy somebody else is going to be the one to come through and put the ball in the back of the net."

Four different players have scored in Schelotto's absence.

"One great thing about this team is how many great players we have," Rogers said. "(Schelotto's) a great player, he adds so much but we have some young players who can attack and be creative and do the things he does."

Hejduk countered Angel's stunning 35-yard free kick by chipping a shot with his right instep from just outside the penalty area. Hejduk took a loose ball on the right side, faked midfielder Jorge Rojas into jumping to block a shot then dribbled several times before lofting a ball that could have been misconstrued as a cross but nonetheless sailed over goalkeeper Jon Conway into the left side netting.

Rogers said it was a planned shot all the way.

"I wasn't surprised when it went in," he said. "If you look at it, you see Frankie take a look where the 'keeper is. That's experience. The 'keeper thought for sure he was going to cross it and Frankie just caught him off the line."

It was about time, said Hejduk of his long goal drought.

"It was long overdue. I ate my Wheaties this morning. Before the game I felt great. It's great to be in that weather. My body felt good. Everything felt positive before the game and I think a lot of it has to do with the way it was with the weather and how much easier it is to run," he said.

The goal gave the Crew momentum going into halftime and Rogers shocked the Red Bulls with his long-range drive just 19 seconds into the second half. It was the fastest Crew goal ever to begin a half.

Rogers took a short pass from defender Gino Padula near the left sideline and did the work from there. Rogers went past two defenders and with plenty of space; he got behind a 30-yard right-footed strike.

"My first touch wasn't great," he said. "The defender took a step and then he hesitated. He was flat-footed. I pushed it inside. That bad touch set it up for me."

The Crew are idle until playing at New England Sept. 27 and should have Schelotto back by then. However, midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi could be out after a sliding collision with Mike Magee left him with 20 stitches to repair a gash in his right shin.


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Crew storm past Red Bulls in Primetime

COLUMBUS -- Frankie Hejduk and Robbie Rogers staked the Columbus Crew to a lead with goals on either side of halftime and Eddie Gaven scored a late insurance goal as they extended their unbeaten streak with a 3-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls on MLS Primetime Thursday at Crew Stadium.

The Red Bulls had taken the lead in the 21st minute on a free kick goal by forward Juan Pablo Angel before Hejduk scored from long range in the 41st minute, then Rogers scored from even farther out in the opening moments of the second half.

Gaven added the third goal in the 85th minute for Columbus, which is 5-0-1 in the past six matches and is on the verge of clinching its first playoff spot since 2004.

Whatever Crew coach Sigi Schmid said at halftime must have worked because the Crew needed only 19 seconds to take a 2-1 lead -- the fastest they have ever scored at the start of a half.

Rogers took a short scooped pass from defender Gino Padula near the left sideline and did the work from there. Rogers went past two defenders and with plenty of space, he got behind a 30-yard right-footed strike that goalkeeper Jon Conway dove in vain to reach.

While Rogers has six goals on the season it was his first goal in 16 matches back to May 10. He also missed two games in August while away with the U.S. Olympic team in China.

Conway kept New York from going down by two with a foot save of Rogers in the 75th minute after a scramble in front of the goal, then Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer matched him less than 60 seconds later to thwart reserve forward John Wolyniec.

Hejduk helped ice the match by setting up Gaven as the Red Bulls gave up as many goals as they had allowed in the previous seven games.

The match started well for New York as it got a goal from an expected source while the Crew's counter was from an unlikely one as the teams went to halftime tied at 1-1.

Angel continued his torrid scoring with a stunning free kick from 35 yards to put New York ahead in the 21st minute. He forced the restart after being fouled by defender Chad Marshall.

Angel made the Crew pay with a curling line drive over the wall that carried past the outstretched arms of Hesmer into the upper right corner for his 10th goal of the season and eighth in the past 10 games.

It was left to Hejduk to level the score for the Crew 20 minutes later on a chip shot with his right instep from just outside the penalty area. Hejduk took a loose ball on the right side, faked midfielder Jorge Rojas into jumping to block a shot then dribbled several times before lofting a ball that could have been misconstrued as a cross but nonetheless sailed over Conway into the left side netting.

The goal was Hejduk's first since Sept. 10, 2005, and the 11th in 161 MLS games for the U.S. international.

The Crew went with the same starters that tied at Toronto 1-1 on Saturday. That meant forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto missed his second consecutive match because of a strained left hamstring. He leads MLS with 18 assists and had been involved in 10 goals (two goals and eight assists) in four games prior to the injury.

Pat Noonan, who had his first Crew goal against TFC, took Schelotto's spot up top and Stefani Miglioranzi was in for midfielder Brad Evans (groin strain) for the second consecutive match.

The Red Bulls were missing the six goals and three assists of midfielder Dave van den Bergh (sports hernia surgery), who had a goal in New York's 2-0 win against the Crew on April 5. He is expected to miss at least two games. Midfielder Seth Stammler returned to the starting lineup and defender Andrew Boyens got the nod over Wolyniec in the other departure from the first 11 during the 2-1 victory Sept. 13 vs. Real Salt Lake.

New York defender Gabriel Cichero had the first shot on goal -- a long-range strike -- in the fourth minute, but the Crew had the first quality try in the 11th when Gaven's attempt from the top left of the box was knocked away by Conway.

Both sides showed early flair and Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards put on a burst to get past defender Danny O'Rourke deep down the right side in the 13th. Richards put a solid strike toward the middle of the goal but Will Hesmer was there to grab the ball.

It didn't take long for the Crew to respond with Gaven taking a volley from 16 yards that struck the right post.

Things got crazy for the Crew shortly thereafter en route to giving up the lead. First, Miglioranzi was forced to leave in the 20th minute with a leg injury after a collision near midfield. Then, as Emmanuel Ekpo was coming onto the field to replace him, O'Rourke had to temporarily leave because of a cut to his head. While he was off the field, Angel scored.

Trailing is nothing new for the Crew, who had the best record (3-6-4) when giving up the first goal. Columbus almost got the equalizer in the 25th when Rogers' service from the left flank found the head of Pat Noonan 10 yards off goal. But once again Conway was in position for his third save.

There was little positive after that for New York -- 1-7-5 on the road -- and matters went from bad to worse in the final minute when defender Kevin Goldthwaite was shown a red card for kicking Rogers in the calf.


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Reunion on tap in San Jose as Dynamo visit

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Whenever the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo get together, the talk inevitably turns to family reunions. The Dynamo used to call San Jose home, and many of the Houston players at one time played for Quakes head coach Frank Yallop.

Yet ahead of Saturday's gathering at Buck Shaw Stadium, the vibe is different than the teams' previous encounter back in May. On that occasion, the Quakes might have come away with a 2-1 win, but they were still very much an expansion outfit. Now they bear a closer resemblance to the cousin you haven't seen in a few years that not only has grown a foot, but is sporting a Mohawk and a few piercings.

That's what an eight-game unbeaten streak will do for a team, but that's not the only explanation for the change in mood.

The Quakes' recent run has propelled them into fourth place in the Western Conference, yet there is still plenty of work still to be done. San Jose lies two points behind Chivas USA with a game in hand in the race for the last guaranteed playoff spot. For that reason talk of the past has been replaced by a focus on the present.

"I think that first time [Houston] came in, there was a lot of talk about the expansion team going up against the team that used to be here," said midfielder Ned Grabavoy. "At this point, that means nothing to us. They used to play here, but they don't play here anymore. Both teams have gotten on with it, and we're just focused on getting three points."

Of course another big difference since that May night is the play of the Dynamo. Back then they were a team short on offensive firepower, and still working past their CONCACAF Champions' Cup hangover. But head coach Dominic Kinnear once again worked some midseason magic in re-signing Nate Jaqua and acquiring ex-Quakes forward Kei Kamara, and the return to health of players like Brad Davis and Brian Mullan has the team on a considerable roll.

Houston has won six of their last seven league encounters, and opened up a seven-point gap on second place Real Salt Lake. That has left Yallop under no illusions as to the difficulty of his team's task.

"We've got to match the physical, that's the thing about Houston," said Yallop. "They're the most physical team in the league, and when I say that, that means running with and without the ball, and competing for the ball. They're all tough men down there and that's what we have to make sure we can match."

The game is the first of a home-and-home series that concludes the following weekend in Houston, and it's imperative for San Jose to win at least one of the matches in order to keep pace with the other playoff contenders.

"You can't lose two matches in a row at this point in the season," said Yallop. "And if we get a win it really tightens things up. The first game is important because then you can go into the second game a little differently."

The match should provide a good indication of just how much the Quakes have improved since reshaping their offense. In particular the impact of recent acquisitions Arturo Alvarez, Scott Sealy and Darren Huckerby, along with that of Ronnie O'Brien, will need to match that of the last few weeks.

O'Brien for one is intent on doing just that, and is firm in his belief that a victory on Saturday, as well as a spot in the postseason is in the Quakes' future.

"With the pieces that we've added and the way the team has gelled and the way everyone gets on," he said, "for us it would be a disappointment not to make the playoffs."


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Rest provides tonic for weary Revs

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A tired performance in Columbus may not have been the first time the New England Revolution had looked fatigued this season. But a 4-0 result against the Eastern Conference-leading Crew might have seen the Revs stretched to their breaking point.

"We've been tired for three or four weeks," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. "It didn't just appear in Columbus. It has been building through the end of SuperLiga."

That stretch saw the Revs slip from comfortably in first place to worryingly looking behind them to see whether Chicago had overtaken them as the team stumbled in league and CONCACAF Champions League play.

"We went through a rough patch," Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis said. "The double trip from Toronto to Trinidad messed with a lot of people. We've gotten over the hump now. We've had a little bit of time off. We've had some time to get away from each other and think about the season. It's the stretch run."

The stretch run might have started in Columbus, but the Revs would prefer to shift the focus towards last Thursday's 4-0 win against Chivas USA as a sign that the revival could be forthcoming.

An extra couple of days worth of rest and training gave New England a buffer it hadn't seen in two months to propel them past a weary Chivas USA side missing several regulars.

The reward? A long weekend to rest and a full week of training ahead of Saturday's trip to Colorado.

"It's going to be nice to get a few days off and get a full week of training," Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston said. "It's been so long that I can't remember. We'll go over some basics and some things that we need to work on."

Practice isn't the first thing most players say they want, but Reis said missing out on that practice time has hurt the team because they haven't been able to work on the bad habits that have crept into their game over the past couple of months.

"We'll get in a good week before we have to play," Reis said. "That's most important. We need to get away from each other and recharge our batteries. We need to look at this stretch run of the last six games and make sure that we're in a good position for the playoffs."

That position has been complicated by the recent three-match winless streak. The win against Chivas USA closed the gap between the Revs and Columbus to three points by the end of the weekend. The two teams meet again at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 27, a match New England will need if it aims to earn the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We'd love to get home-field advantage in the playoffs, but we need to get there first," Ralston said. "It's a long season and a lot of teams have closed the gap. Every point is important now. If we can win our conference, that would be great."

Reis said that this little break will give the team the mental break it needs to push for conference supremacy.

"The end of the season is around the corner now," Reis said. "It's just important to play better."


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D.C. United disappointed with draw

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Year after year for more than a decade, D.C. United teams have been built for aggressive, attacking soccer. This season's squad is no different, ranking third in Major League Soccer with 39 goals scored in 24 matches.

With twenty minutes left in Saturday night's see-saw clash with FC Dallas, United found themselves in possession of a 2-1 lead thanks to Santino Quarantas volley and a first-half header from Jaime Moreno. As RFK Stadium quaked with the joyful noise of 19,890 fans, a precious three points was in sight.

All D.C. had to do was close up shop and see out the games final stages.

But as the old adage goes, a tiger can't change its stripes, and on this occasion, the Black-and-Red just couldn't resist the urge to maintain the breakneck pace set by Dallas and their speedy second-half substitutes. Both sides stayed true to the match's end-to-end tempo, and ten minutes after Quaranta's strike Hoops' midfielder Andre Rocha equalized on a counterattack, providing an entertaining spectacle for Fox Soccer Channel's television audience but leaving United tired and fuming.

"I felt like the longer it went on, the more we ended up having to do, because it got so stretched out there, both ways almost like a basketball game, going back and forth at some points in the game," said D.C. holding midfielder Clyde Simms, who covered as much ground as anyone on the field over 90 minutes. "It's unfortunate to put as much work as we did in the game and give up a goal late to lose two points. We're very disappointed about that."

But in a match featuring 10 saves and a whopping 32 shots all told, the final result could have swung either way. The United back line struggled to contain Dallas' attacking tandem of Kenny Cooper and Jeff Cunningham, and later had to contend with the fresh legs of Dominic Oduro and Eric Avila as the Hoops chased the game.

"Those guys are quick," said Marc Burch, tasked with a center back role on Saturday. "They've got some fast guys up top and they did well when they came in, created some scoring opportunities. But I think we should've come away with a win there, no matter what."

D.C. netminder Louis Crayton was busy all evening and his team might have left empty-handed were it not for critical saves on shots from Jeff Cunningham and Bruno Guarda, among others. Yet Crayton's share of his postgame comments inevitably centered on Rocha's finish, which found him out of position after he was unable to cut out Avila's centering pass at the near post.

"I would term it as pure luck, because I came out of the goal knowing the fact that [Avila] was going to play the ball exactly where the ball went," said a rueful Crayton. "Unfortunately my hand could not get to it, and it went out to [Rocha] and he placed it in a very good corner."

Quaranta had even more reason to be irate. Contributing an MVP-worthy performance in the playmaking role left vacant by Marcelo Gallardo scratched from the gameday roster due to a case of the flu and a sore ankle, the Baltimore native thought his goal had snatched a vital victory for his playoff-chasing side and he pulled no punches in his post-match assessment.

"We have to start learning our lesson," he said. "If not, we're not going to be playing in late October and November. If that's what it takes, then that's what it takes, because it's just not good enough. Again, it's ten minutes to go and you have to do what you have to do to get a result at this point in the season, and we didn't do that. And it's upsetting. We have to start holding ourselves accountable, all eleven of us."

United now have less than three days to prepare for their CONCACAF Champions League opener against Costa Rican powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa on Tuesday night, and the Black-and-Red recognize that holding serve at their RFK home will be central to any hopes of qualification out of a stacked Group A.

"We don't have a long time to prepare," said Crayton. "But I think everyone is aware what is ahead of us. I think we are preparing mentally, physically, morally to go into this game after tonight's match as professionals, to be able to come out with a win to advance to the next stage of the Champions League."

United fall in Champions League opener

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United fell 2-0 to a composed Deportivo Saprissa side in both clubs' opening match of CONCACAF Champions League at RFK Stadium on Tuesday night, as the injury-plagued hosts were forced to field a makeshift first XI and were duly put to the sword by the skill and savvy of the Costa Ricans.

In stark contrast to Tom Soehn's young United side, Saprissa fielded several World Cup veterans and could have won by an even greater margin, but will be unlikely to complain about securing an uncomplicated three points on the road thanks to goals from Walter Centeno just after the half-hour mark and Jairo Arrieta shortly after the start of the second half as the home side played a man down for the final 55 minutes.

With veterans Jaime Moreno and Ivan Guerrero unable to shake off injuries picked up over the weekend, United turned to two rookies as Craig Thompson manned the left wing and Ryan Cordeiro partnered Luciano Emilio, wearing the captain's armband, up top. Further back, Zach Wells earned a surprise start in goal for the home side, making his first appearance since Louis Crayton's signing.

The visitors started brightly as Saprissa frontrunner Alejandro Alpizar crept in behind Marc Burch to latch on to a chipped pass into the D.C penalty area in the fifth minute. But he mis-hit his first-timer well wide as Wells moved out to close down his angle.

Ten minutes in, Cordeiro's good work at the midfield stripe released Clyde Simms down the right flank, and his cross into the box fell invitingly to Thompson at the back post. But Thompson took too long to shoot and saw his curling bid deflected into the path of Emilio, who also found himself closed down when his first touch ran a bit heavy.

Quaranta gave the visitors another look at goal when he was dispossessed in midfield soon after, allowing a Saprissa counterattack that went for naught when Alpizar's long-range shot skimmed over Wells' crossbar and trickled along the roof of the net.

The Costa Ricans came even closer on their first corner kick of the match, as the set piece was played diagonally on the ground for Randall Porras to run up to and the defender put his foot through the ball, uncorking a scorching shot towards the far corner of the net that was spectacularly blocked by Wells, who dived headlong to his right to parry the effort wide.

A 25th-minute Saprissa free kick from the right touchline sparked momentary chaos in the United goalmouth as a gaggle of purple jerseys swarmed Wells to reach the inswinging delivery, only for the assistant referee's flag to pop up for offside.

Saprissa had enjoyed the better of play over the first half hour, and finally converted on to a canny play by the lively Alpizar in the 32nd minute. The 29-year-old Costa Rican received a pass just inside the 18-yard box and turned to face up Devon McTavish, who poked the ball away but was slow to take possession, allowing a prone Alpizar to stab a layoff back into the path of Centeno at the top of the box.

The longtime Costa Rican international picked out the far bottom corner of the goal with a well-placed finish that gave Wells little chance and sparked celebration among the expatriate Saprissa fans in attendance.

Matters soon moved from bad to worse for McTavish and his teammates, as the young center back was abruptly ejected on a curious sequence along the east touchline just three minutes after the goal.

First Quaranta drew the ire of Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez for a foul on Alexander Robinson, only for McTavish to fly in and clatter into Robinson again in clear view of the referee. McTavish quickly earned a red card, while his teammate was shown yellow to boot. A frustrated McTavish trudged off the field, leaving his already-besieged team to play a man down for the next hour as Saprissa rejoiced at another bit of good news.

A flustered-looking United struggled just to work the ball out of their own end as the Costa Ricans took a chokehold on possession, and Wells had to make another important block when Michael Barrantes broke clear and shot from short range.

Rodriguez's halftime whistle was a welcome sound for the beleaguered Black-and-Red, but another defensive mistake pushed the hosts into an even deeper hole barely seven minutes after the break. Burch was unable to clear a loose ball and Arrieta was quick to pounce, lashing a left-footer into the top corner from 20 yards out to push Saprissa's lead to 2-0.

The Costa Ricans were bubbling with confidence now and looked to have grabbed a third goal off a beautifully executed set piece that featured three quick passes to spring an easy finish at the far post, only for the offside flag erase the effort.

D.C. tried to make use of the letoff, looking to work second-half arrival Fred into the match with plenty of touches on the ball. The Brazilian's jinking run at the heart of the Saprissa defense earned a promising free kick 19 yards out, which allowed United to finally direct their first shot on goal with a sizzling Burch blast that drew an outstanding parry out of Saprissa netminder Keilor Navas.

But the forays forward were few and far between for the shorthanded home side, with Saprissa's buzzing pressure in midfield making life miserable for Simms, Quaranta and company as the visitors turned up the attacking flair, though the Costa Ricans relaxed approach caused them to waste several good chances to pad their goal differential.

Burch got forward in the 73rd minute, picking out Simms with a booming cross to the far post, but Navas was well-placed to glove the D.C. midfielders resulting header towards the short side.

Burch got another chance to test Navas in the 87th minute when second-half sub Francis Doe was elbowed to the turf some 25 yards out from goal, and United's left back let fly with another goalbound rocket only for Saprissa's No. 1 to produce another stunning fingertip save to preserve his shutout.

The match wound down quietly as Saprissa saw out the final minutes, content with a 2-0 road win that gives them an early edge in CCL Group A.

Onalfo likes new-look Wizards lineup

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- After Saturday afternoon's 2-0 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Kansas City Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo revealed some stubbornness.

"Regardless of the result today, my intention was to try and play the same exact way next week. I saw a lot of good things in training that I liked," he said. "We're going to build on it."

The "it" is the newfangled lineup that showed sparks of promising possibilities and produced two memorable goals in the victory. Four new faces who were not in the lineup for the 3-1 loss to Houston the previous week dotted the starting 11. Furthermore, two players had a different role on the field.

Davy Arnaud teamed with Jack Jewsbury in the center of the park for the first time and the newly acquired Herculez Gomez was at right midfield where he has played sparingly.

"With all the changes we made, it took us a little time to adjust to each other," Onalfo said. "Once we did that, I thought we were pretty darn good."

One reason Arnaud and Jewsbury were in the middle, said Onalfo, was to take advantage of their ability to test goalkeepers from long range. So far so good, as Jewsbury forced a dangerous rebound in first-half added time with a rising 28-yard drive. Forward Abe Thompson nearly cashed in on the follow but was denied by an alert Troy Roberts defending for L.A.

Arnaud grabbed the limelight though with his 69th minute golazo, a 33-yard strike into the upper right corner of the goal that inspired an "are you kidding me?" out of television analyst Zoran Savic. The goal came after Arnaud earned the second assist on Josh Wolff's opener just two minutes earlier.

But Jewsbury and Arnaud were not the only ones spraying head-ducking drives around the Arrowhead field. Gomez took free kicks and corners for the Wizards in his first start since joining the team Sept. 3.

In the 64th minute, Gomez previewed the Wizards' two-goal explosion with a pacy 41-yard free kick that dipped and bounced as Wicks scrambled left to knock it down.

Three minutes later it was a low, steaming cross from Gomez that Wolff deftly spun for at the near post in the six-yard box and tucked inside the far post. Clearly the speed of the ball was critical.

"He whips in an unbelievable ball. The problem is our guys aren't used to how fast it's coming in," Onalfo said before joking that the Wizards could need some Jamaican sprinters to get on the end of Gomez's feeds. "[The crosses] are certainly dangerous."

Gomez gave a bit of credit to the Galaxy's David Beckham for inspiring his free kicks and crosses saying he had "a bit of competition in that area today." The former Colorado and Los Angeles man is ready to better learn his new position.

"I didn't get as forward as I'd like to, but we got the 'W'. I was just a small part of the big picture today," he said. "I'll play anywhere on the field. ... I know my strengths and weaknesses, and I'm just trying to just get in there and help the team any way I can."

And he is going to get that chance.

"[Herculez] is very, very good in front of the goal, so we have to work on getting him close to the goal," said Onalfo. "He has good pace and needs to get a feel for playing that position. He's more of an underneath forward, but he has a good work ethic."

Onalfo was happy with the team's wide play, his center midfielders and his forwards in the win, but he wants more.

"We can do a better job of when we win the ball having [the wide midfielders] continually causing havoc, but that's part of the progression," he said. "We can continually have better wide play, which is going to open us stuff for our forwards. The combination of Thompson and Josh was very, very good. Abe is extremely physical, very good in the air -- better than I thought he was, and Josh makes smart runs."


Tweaked lineup probable for Wizards
Player Ratings: Barcelona 3-1 Sporting

Shorthanded United ready for Saprissa

WASHINGTON -- At halftime of last week's 2-2 draw with FC Dallas, D.C. United reunited its fearsome 1998 squad, celebrating the exploits of a talent-laden crew which claimed both the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the InterAmerican Cup -- and in the process set the bar for MLS clubs in international competition.

Whether this year's side feels inspired or intimidated by that commemoration remains to be seen. Ten years later, United's desire to match that team's feats and return to those giddy heights is as strong as ever, but remains unfulfilled despite having participated in three CONCACAF Champions' Cup and two Copa Sudamericana tournaments over the past four years.

So the advent of CONCACAF Champions League this week, starting with Tuesday's visit of Costa Rican power Deportivo Saprissa, represents an exciting opportunity for head coach Tom Soehn and his charges, another chance to prove themselves on what is arguably the biggest stage available.

Last month, as Chivas USA and the New England Revolution were struggling to advance into the group stages of the tourney while also juggling league play, D.C. defender Devon McTavish was asked about the prospect of fielding reserves in Champions League to shore up their MLS Cup ambitions.

"I don't know. Knowing Tommy and knowing this organization, they're going to try to win. They're not going to let any opportunity to do well in international play pass us up," he said. "They might bring in a couple [reserves] but I don't see them putting a full squad out there."

But the ongoing injury crisis at RFK Stadium looks certain to force Soehn's hand Tuesday night, a reminder that this new regional competition is simultaneously a menacing threat, given the pressure it piles on a weary, shorthanded group which must fight to maintain its playoff prospects in the closing weeks of the regular season. That situation was hardly helped by Saturday's draw in steamy conditions at RFK, where a valuable league victory slipped through United's fingers in the dying moments.

"Man, I didn't think about it at all before this game, because this is more important right now than the CONCACAF, you know what I mean?" said Santino Quaranta after the league draw, speaking about Saprissa's visit. "We've got to start thinking about it now because it's in [72] hours and I'm really tired after tonight's game. The heat, it took a lot out of me. I was surprised -- I didn't feel that great the whole game. We have to find a way to bounce back because there's a game in [72] hours." Quaranta and his mates will have to do so without several valuable bodies. Tuesday night will come too soon for injured mainstays like Marcelo Gallardo, Gonzalo Peralta and perhaps even Ivan Guerrero and Jaime Moreno, both of whom sustained knocks over the weekend. Brazilians Luciano Emilio and Fred will be in uniform, but some ways short of full fitness.

So Soehn once again will have to conjure up as effective a lineup as he can muster, knowing that Saprissa -- one of the most talented and experienced squads in recent CONCACAF history -- will offer a stiff challenge, especially for a Black-and-Red defense that has leaked four goals in its last two games. The naivetй shown in the draw with Dallas will likely be punished if it shows itself in Champions League play.

"We definitely have some things we need to fix," said midfielder Clyde Simms on Saturday. "We were still pushing too many numbers forward, for sure. ... I just feel like we need to do a better job of just sitting in and kill off the game. We don't need to beat them by more than one. That's all you need to get the three points. We definitely need to do better with that."

With draining road trips to Honduras, Mexico and Costa Rica ahead, the team recognizes the pivotal importance of home results in this competition, even as they keep one eye on Sunday's league fixture in Los Angeles, which will be closely followed by a Champions League away date with CD Marathon of Honduras.

"It's going to be some tough games," said Simms. "It's a huge one on Tuesday, being at home. Some of the teams we're playing, their atmospheres on the road are pretty tough, with altitude and things like that. So Tuesday will be a big game for us."


Schedule not working in United’s favor
United to see different Revs this time
Cani: Competition Is Tough

Crew trying to overcome turf woes

COLUMBUS -- For all the good the Columbus Crew have done in compiling the most points in MLS -- a formidable record at home and one of just three winning records on the road -- there is one area that needs attention.

In three games on artificial turf this season Columbus has been outscored 4-0, in losses at New York and Real Salt Lake and a scoreless draw at Toronto FC on May 17.

The Crew's next opportunity to rectify the situation is Saturday at Toronto but it will likely have to do so without MLS assist leader Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who has a strained hamstring.

His potential absence adds another challenge as the Crew inch closer to their first playoff spot since 2004 and the Supporters' Shield for most points.

"It's coincidence," not a trend, coach Sigi Schmid said of the Crew's inability to score on an artificial surface.

A look at the three games reveals the Crew did not play miserably but in two of them early goals spelled their doom:

• April 5 -- New York 2, Crew 0: Dave van den Bergh scored 46 seconds into the match in Giants Stadium and Kevin Goldthwaite added another tally in the 8th minute. The Crew tried to battle back and outshot the Red Bulls 20-12 although New York doubled the Crew's four on target. Each side had seven corner kicks.

• May 17 -- Toronto 0, Crew 0: The attack never materialized as evidenced by only eight shots even though four reached the Toronto goal. TFC had 14 of the 20 fouls and six of the nine corners.

• July 12 -- Real Salt Lake 2, Crew 0: Javier Morales put RSL ahead in the third minute. While the Crew pressed and were unlucky to hit the post a couple of times, Robbie Findley iced the match in the 78th minute. RSL outshot the Crew 17-14 and had five on goal to two for Columbus. The Crew had 10 of the 14 corners.

"The first game on turf was the second game of the year. We didn't have a good game," Schmid said. "We had a horrible first 15 minutes and found ourselves behind the 8-ball and never got ourselves untracked. We had some chances when you look back on that game but didn't put them away.

"The second game on turf for us was in Toronto. That game took on a unique nature and we were just hanging on. The other one in Salt Lake was a little bit similar to the New York game where we put ourselves behind the 8-ball by giving up that free kick early and then again you look at the game and we had some chances."

Forward Jason Garey noted that Schmid had broached the topic of not scoring on turf in the days leading to the match at Toronto.

"We'll be able to score on turf. No problem. There's no mental block -- we've done it before," Garey said.

The Crew have won four in a row but that was with Schelotto, who assisted on 10 consecutive goals during the winning streak. It stands to reason that the goals will be hard to come by on the FieldTurf at BMO Field.

It really makes no sense that the team should have trouble on turf. The Crew are 5-4-2 in away matches after a 4-6-5 mark in 2007. However, Columbus was 2-1-2 on turf last season even though it was outscored 10-8.

"I've scored on turf. Alejandro's (Moreno) scored on turf. Everyone has. It's not a big deal," Garey said. "If we have a good performance like we did the other night against New England (4-0 win on Sept. 6) we'll score goals on turf or any other surface you put us on."

One theory for the Crew's struggle is that an artificial surface is not conducive to its style.

"We can't really play our game on that because we're not as used to it as they are. We're going up there and probably play a little differently," defender Chad Marshall said. "It's tough to play the type of soccer we like -- knocking balls around. You get bad touches, the ball hops up on you. You never really get a smooth roll out of it. It's probably going to be a lot of counterattacking. It's a tough place to play, anyway, so we'll probably sit back and pick and choose our times to go."

There aren't many who like the surface but fortunately for the Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven is one of them, having spent his early pro years playing his home games in Giants Stadium.

"I don't think it's a huge difference because I played on it for three years when I was with the MetroStars. I actually don't mind playing on it, which most guys on the team do," he said. "The ball rolls a little different. If it's a really dry turf the ball just stops. If it's wet, it takes off and skips like crazy. I don't know if they're going to have it dry or wet prior to the game."

As much as the Crew would like a point or three in Toronto, they can also receive a psychological boost just by scoring. After Toronto, the Crew also play on turf in games at New England and New York among their final three road matches.

"We definitely talked about that. We want to break that (scoreless streak) and show we can score on turf because to get through in the East at the end of the day you're probably going to have to play on turf at some point," Schmid said.

The Crew know positive results will be harder to come by down the stretch no matter where the match is played.

"We've got to be able to raise our level and play wherever it is so if we're in the playoffs on the road on turf we can deal with it," midfielder Brian Carroll said. "There's going to be a challenge whether it's on turf or not."


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Bhoys Playing Like Barça - Crosas
Crew pad MLS lead with win over Revs

Two Wizards chances doom Galaxy

KANSAS CITY -- The Los Angeles Galaxy continued their slide at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, managing just one shot on goal as they were shutout by the Kansas City Wizards, their winless slide now reaching 12 games.

"It was one of those games where one team was going to jump on an opportunity," said Galaxy coach Bruce Arena.

The Wizards certainly did that, scoring in the 67th and 69th minutes to break open a scoreless draw. There were plenty of possible reasons for the Galaxy's woes.

A week ago, the Galaxy were without four internationals as their winless skid set a then-club record. The national teamers were all back for the Wizards match, but David Beckham made the trip from Croatia after playing with England on Wednesday, and Landon Donovan had two full matches with the U.S. national team against Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago.

"It was a tough game for us again," Beckham said. "No one likes losing and we've gone a long time without winning a game. Today's another tough one to take. In the second half they just had a little bit more in them than we did."

One thing the Galaxy did well was limit the Wizards to few chances. Despite the two minute flurry, the Wizards forwards didn't get many looks at the goal.

"(Josh) Wolff and (Abe) Thompson had very few chances," Arena said.

The Galaxy has plenty of firepower in Beckham, Donovan and forward Edson Buddle. But there were too many missed connections, too many missed opportunities for goals.

Arena thought the match came down to a quarter-hour in the second half. It was in that stretch that Wizards midfielder Herculez Gomez engineered two dangerous chances. One resulted in Josh Wolff scoring in the 67th minute, then Davy Arnaud blasted a 35-yard shot in the upper right corner of the net to double the lead in a goal sure to garner attention for MLS goal of the week.

"The difference in the game was a 15-minute segment in the second half. I thought Kansas City brought more energy to the game in the second half than we did," Arena said. "We were suspicious going into the game that we were going to have some issues with fatigue and that showed. But give Kansas City credit. They deserved to win the game."

The reality that comes with the loss is a bleak outlook for the playoffs for the Galaxy. But at least one player is keeping a stiff upper lip.

"I think we realize it's going to be very tough, but it's possible. I think once we get that first win mentally it will be better," Beckham said. "Even today, you could see we were a little bit down. I'm not sure we had the belief that we could win this game. That's obviously part of the mental side of it. Once we get over that, once we get our first win I think it'll be all right."


Galaxy still clinging to playoff dreams
Poll Results: Robinho Made The Wrong Choice

Wizards strike twice, down Galaxy

KANSAS CITY -- The Kansas City Wizards made a big step toward fulfilling their playoff dreams, getting a pair of goals in two minutes in the second half for a 2-0 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy at a soggy Arrowhead Stadium.

Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud scored two minutes apart in the second half to bring victory for Kansas City.

Both sides came into the match sharing last place in their respective conferences and six points out of playoff contention, the Wizards winless in their last four and the Galaxy winless in their last 11, a club record.

The Wizards lineup took a new look with recent acquisitions Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson starting and Claudio Lopez having a seat on the reserves' bench for the first time all season. The Galaxy were fortified with the return of Beckham and U.S. internationals Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis.

The match began evenly as the sides probed all parts of the field looking for an opening. Forwards Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan of the Galaxy took the first shots of the match in the ninth and 12th minutes but Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was not troubled.

Arnaud, playing attacking midfield for the first time all season, provided initiative for K.C. as his forays nearly loosed frontrunners Wolff and Thompson on different occasions and wide midfielders Gomez and Roger Espinoza who pushed high on the outside.

Action in the penalty areas increased in the last 15 minutes of the first half through an increase in direct play and more physicality. In the 41st minute, Donovan was fouled 29 yards out and a bit to the left of goal. Beckham stepped up for the free kick, but his attempt sailed well over the bar.

The last 10 minutes featured the strongest chances of the first half as the Galaxy threatened again in the 43rd minute when Donovan chested down for Buddle at the top of the Wizards box, but the 27-year-old floated his attempt high. Kansas City countered in the next two minutes through Thompson who received a pass from Wolff eight yards out and shot into the gut of L.A. netminder Josh Wicks.

Wicks then gave up a long rebound of a Jack Jewsbury blast from 24 yards. On the doorstep was Thompson, but he was foiled by Galaxy defender Troy Roberts, who safely cleared.

Beckham nearly broke open the match 10 minutes into the second half with a 25-yard blast from the middle that swerved to the left of Hartman's goal. The willingness to fire signaled an increase in attack that promised to show results soon.

The 67th minute produced. Gomez sent in another blistering cross from the right wing, this time for Wolff who pulled the ball with the sole of his right boot while twisting away from his defender. The ball rolled quickly past a floundering Wicks and hit the back of the net at the far post. The goal was Wolff's second of the season after rejoining the Wizards in July from 1860 Munich.

The match now turned another gear, and it was Kansas City who pushed it further with a second goal just two minutes later. With space and time just off center 33 yards out, Arnaud drove for Wicks' left post and found it with a powerful drive that bolted into the upper corner. Kansas City could now see the light in their playoff hopes that three points would bring them.

As the Galaxy picked up possession in the latter part of the match, the Wizards held strong and countered when possible, a formula that allowed them to see out the match and look to next week where they could take their next step in their effort to make the postseason.

The Wizards will play host to Toronto FC next week in the next game that will loom large while the Galaxy will entertain D.C. United with their playoff hopes dwindling.


Senna: We’re Still Adjusting To Del Bosque
Sevilla Narrow Victors After First Half Goalfest
Two Wizards chances doom Galaxy

Galaxy still clinging to playoff dreams

CARSON, Calif. -- The term parity is often used to describe the balance in MLS. In other leagues, when two teams that are at the bottom of their respective conferences meet this late in the season, it's chalked up as a meaningless game. However, both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Kansas City Wizards are just barely on the outside of the playoff picture, and win for either in Saturday afternoon matchup at Arrowhead Stadium could put either team right back in the hunt.

"We're at that point in the season where we have to start putting points together. Kansas City is in the same position," said Chris Klein. "I think the time is now for us really. Going into Kansas City is a tough game, but hopefully we can go in there and impose our will on them."

That is the task that faces the Galaxy as they head to the road to play Kansas City. While the Wizards have struggled lately, LA won't be taking them lightly. There are still plenty of quality players on their team that can cause trouble.

"Jimmy Conrad is having an all-star season, (Kevin) Hartman has been good in goal," said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. "The combination of (Josh) Wolff and (Davy) Arnaud and (Claudio) Lopez certainly makes for some good attacking options."

One possible advantage that the Galaxy could have heading into the weekend is that Arena was an analyst for Kansas City's local TV broadcasts earlier in the year. Arena, however, was quick to downplay that role.

"One would think that would help, but certainly I know all the teams in the league. I'm just a little more familiar with the names (in Kansas City)," said Arena. "It doesn't take long during an MLS season to figure out each and every team. Certainly my experience in Kansas City helps a little bit, but I don't think it's a factor in the game."

There will be one definite leveler over the weekend. Because of the draw of David Beckham and the Galaxy, the game has been moved from CommunityAmerica Ballpark to Arrowhead Stadium in order to meet the ticket demand. It will be the first time this season that Kansas City has played at Arrowhead, and LA sees that as a potential advantage.

"The field becomes a better issue for us. I haven't been to the ballpark there, but Arrowhead will be bigger," said Klein. "There will be more space for both teams to play. Hopefully that will benefit us."

While the visit of Beckham is the main reason why the match is being moved into a larger arena, it still remains unclear whether he'll be available to play.

The Galaxy were without four regular starters this week in training because of World Cup qualifying. Beckham himself played sparingly in England's two qualifiers, but faced a grueling travel schedule to get back from Croatia. In addition, Ante Jazic is flying in from Mexico. Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis have the shortest flights as the U.S. played in Chicago on Wednesday, but Donovan went the full 90 minutes, leaving his status in question as well.

Arena is preparing for the worst-case scenario.

"We won't know anything until (our internationals) show up in Kansas City on Friday," said Arena. "It's hard to tell right now if we'll be able to utilize one of them, all of them, or whatever combination. We've gone a whole week of training without them here, so we might as well plan on not having them."

The Galaxy are unquestionably a different team with the like of Beckham and Donovan roaming the field. It also gives Arena more options off of the bench should changes be needed during the game. The road has been less than kind to the Galaxy this season, but perhaps a trip to face a struggling Kansas City side is exactly what they need to make a late-season playoff push.


Poll Results: Robinho Made The Wrong Choice
Tweaked lineup probable for Wizards

Hoops' Ricchetti primed for United attack

FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas names a team MVP for the 2008 season later this year, Pablo Ricchetti's name is sure to be at the top of the list of candidates. For most of the campaign, the veteran Argentinean has played the defensive midfield spot and has been a stabilizing presence for FCD in that role.

However, last Thursday, he started at center back for the first time since he played there some years ago. With captain Duilio Davino set to miss his fifth consecutive game with a toe injury and Drew Moor serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation, Ricchetti will likely start there for a second game in a row on Saturday when the Hoops face D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

Ricchetti admits he prefers the central midfield but will play anywhere FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman needs him.

"I'm more comfortable in the middle," he said. "It's my position and where I like to play but I can play anywhere. If the coach needs me in the back, I can play there. I did it against Colorado and think it went pretty well."

Hyndman was pleased with how well Ricchetti fared in his backline debut and expects to see even more against United.

"I think Pablo did a pretty good job (against Colorado)," he said. "I was pleased at his acceptance of the role and embracing that position. It wasn't like we got beat by Colorado because of a mistake by our defense. We had a second where somebody got free on a corner kick.

"I think what Pablo does for us is he brings a lot of communication, a lot of maturity, experience and he's a player that can bring the ball out of the back through the center. I think all those things are great benefits," Hyndman continued. "But make no mistake, we're going to miss him in the defensive midfield role. All those things I just talked about being his strengths, he was a little bit more in touch with the team by being in the midfield."

While Ricchetti was pleased with his performance in the 1-0 loss to the Rapids, he knows that United, who have better offensive players, present a different kind of challenge.

"This is a better team than Colorado," he said. "They have very good forwards and we have to be concerned with them. We have to do the same work that we did against Colorado but can't make the same mistakes. They didn't have a lot of chances to score. As a team, we have to have better passes, first touches and hold the ball better every time we have it."

He and goalkeeper Dario Sala are two of the elder statesmen on the FCD roster, so Ricchetti admits even though he knows what to do at center back, it's still good to have a fellow veteran such as his countryman in goal.

"He (Sala) is always talking and everything but when I play, I know what to do," Ricchetti said. "I played before as a center back in Argentina and in Spain, so I know what I have to do. But it's always good to have an experienced goalkeeper behind you telling you what he sees and giving you some instruction in the game. It's always good to have Dario there but I have to play like I know I can."

The versatile Ricchetti is quick to credit his fellow defenders for their strong play alongside him.

"I think we are pretty good in the back," he said. "(Aaron Pitchkolan) has been good back there and Adrian (Serioux) is pretty experienced too. It's my work but it's easier when you have players around you who are playing well. They have done really well. I don't have to talk to them too much."

Ricchetti might enjoy playing in a new spot but has no illusions about returning to his old spot once Davino and the rest of the other central defenders are available in the near future.

"I'm sure it's not a permanent move," he said. "Duilio (Davino) is coming back and we also have Adrian and Drew who can play there. So, we have a lot of choices there. I think I will move back (to the midfield) once everyone gets back."


Pablo Remaining Positive
Hoops facing must-win vs. Rapids
Player Ratings: Atlético 4-0 Schalke

Hoops confident in Cooper's health

FRISCO, Texas -- On Saturday night, FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper scored his 14th goal of the season, putting FCD ahead in the ninth minute of an eventual 2-2 draw with D.C. United. It was his first since Aug. 3, and the strike is up for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week honors.

However, just after halftime, Cooper suffered a left ankle sprain and in the 56th minute was taken off for Dominic Oduro. While Cooper didn't train on Monday, head coach Schellas Hyndman called that merely a precautionary measure, meaning he should return to training on Tuesday morning.

"I think he will be fine," Hyndman said. "I really do. He's such a competitor and such a fighter. He took a shot and his footing went out on him. He twisted his ankle pretty bad on his planting foot, so we took him off. The positive sign is that he didn't want to come off. He said he was fine but we could see him limping and the lack of aggression going for the ball. We just thought that it may behoove us to make sure we protect him. He's getting treatment today. From what the trainer said to me, he should be all right."

Had it been Cooper's call, he would've stayed in the game. But Hyndman wanted him to come off because he was less than 100 percent, which was why Oduro took his spot.

"We felt like we didn't need to give him an opportunity to make it worse," Hyndman said. "Again, we also felt that we needed somebody at 100 percent. The thing Dom brought to us was instant 100 percent speed along with Jeff (Cunningham). Then, with Eric (Avila) out there, our strike force became more aggressive."

Cooper spent Monday's training session inside the facilities at Pizza Hut Park icing his ankle and doing other work.

"I feel a lot better today," he said. "I hope so (that I can return to training on Tuesday). I feel significantly better today."

Even after leaving the game, Cooper could be seen on the bench cheering and rooting his teammates on enthusiastically. Like his fellow Hoops, he was pleased to leave the nation's capital with a well-earned point in the draw.

"I think at the end of the day, it was a great result for us," Cooper said. "It felt great to get a point there, especially coming back from behind. My teammates showed so much character in coming back and pulling the result out of the game. D.C. is a difficult place to go play. They have incredible fan support. It's also a fun place to play because of the atmosphere. It was great to get a point out of the game."

He also heaped considerable praise on Oduro for his performance in his place.

"I respect Schellas, (assistant coach) John (Ellinger) and the coaches' decision to pull me out," Cooper said. "I thought Dom went in there and did a great job. I thought everyone really played well. At the end of the day, we pulled out a great result and I'm happy for the guys that we were able to do that."

Hyndman wasn't coaching FCD when Cooper broke his right leg last June against the LA Galaxy and missed much of the rest of the 2007 season. But that doesn't mean that the Hoops' boss didn't get a little nervous when his top scorer fell to the field at RFK.

"Of course, any time a player gets hurt, you always have a nervousness about how long is this going to be?," Hyndman said. "It was good to see him excited on the bench and very supportive of his teammates. He couldn't be any happier for the tie as if he would've scored the goal."

When asked last week about Cooper's scoring drought, which had reached four games, Hyndman commented that he felt his striker might be putting too much pressure on himself to score, expectations that Hyndman has helped temper a bit.

"You can't control the players' expectations on themselves and the demands they put on themselves," Hyndman said. "But what you can do is let the player know that you're supporting them and that you know he wants to be a difference maker and he wants to score the goals to help the team win. You just let him know that because you're not scoring, you're not coming out. You tell him that he's been unlucky to take the pressure off himself and that it will come. That was a great goal he had, a great early goal."


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Crew prepping to go minus Schelotto

COLUMBUS -- With forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto missing a second consecutive day of training Thursday and expected to miss the match Saturday at Toronto FC because of a hamstring strain, the onus will be even greater on the defense to play to zero as the Columbus Crew look to extend a four-game winning streak.

That also makes coach Sigi Schmid's choice to pair either rookie Andy Iro or veteran converted midfielder Danny O'Rourke with Chad Marshall in the middle even more critical.

"Competition brings out the best in everybody and he (Iro) wants to stay on the field. His focus and concentration the last two games have been very good," Schmid said.

Schelotto has two goals and eight assists in the past four games to lead the Crew to the top of the overall standings. He had a stretch of contributing to 10 consecutive goals snapped on the Crew's final goal against New England on Sept. 7 while he was on the bench.

He and central midfielder Brad Evans have been bothered by nagging leg injuries this week and playing on the artificial turf at BMO Field might not help, said Schmid. Evans status for Saturday is unclear.

"Sometimes if you have someone with a little knock or injury you hold them off the turf," Schmid said.

Pat Noonan could take Schelotto's spot in the lineup although, obviously, he doesn't have the playmaking ability of Schelotto, the MLS assist leader with 18. It could be more of a traditional two-forward look if Schmid goes in that direction. Schelotto is a withdrawn forward or hybrid midfielder.

Another possibility is putting either Jason Garey or Steven Lenhart up top with Alejandro Moreno, assuming Moreno has no problems after playing 90 minutes Tuesday for Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier.

A more likely scenario if Evans is sidelined is a 4-5-1 with Stefani Miglioranzi his possible replacement. The fifth midfielder could be Noonan or Emmanuel Ekpo.

It could get complicated for Schmid and his staff but that's the luxury of having depth without a big drop in skill. The same is true on the backline where the pieces fit nicely the previous two matches but movement is afoot for Toronto.

At FC Dallas on Aug. 30, the back four consisted of Gino Padula on the left, Frankie Hejduk on the right with Marshall and Iro as the center backs. The Crew won 2-1 while O'Rourke served a suspension for yellow card accumulation.

With Hejduk away with the U.S. national team last week, O'Rourke replaced Hejduk. Iro had a goal in the 45th minute as part of a 4-0 win vs. the Revolution.

"Iro the last two games has played very well," Schmid said. "Chad Marshall has to be a candidate for defender of the year the way he's played all season."

Now that Hejduk has rejoined the club (he did not play Wednesday in the U.S. win against Trinidad and Tobago), Iro is once again on the bubble.

"He's making a case to hold on to it. That's one thing we have to look at and see how it goes. Right now the team is playing well. We've had two good results the last two weeks," Schmid said. "We've had good results with Danny O'Rourke in the middle of the defense as well so from that standpoint we're confident whichever way we go."

Iro, who hails from Liverpool, England, and the University of California-Santa Barbara, welcomes the challenge.

"When you're playing well then you don't really mind competing for the spot because you have confidence at least in your own mind that you're doing the right things," he said. "When you're not playing so well and things aren't going well and you're not in the starting lineup it's more frustrating on the personal front because you think you can be doing better.

"It's a long season. There's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of injuries and suspensions so you have to stay positive through it all. The fact I'm playing well, I'm happy whether I'm in the starting lineup or a role player."

Marshall is having his best season since being the second pick in the 2004 SuperDraft despite having to break in Iro and O'Rourke, who was moved from the midfield in the offseason and has played at left and right back as well.

"I know each of their tendencies and they know mine so we work together no matter who's in there," he said.

O'Rourke received accolades from Marshall. "He's made a lot of progress. It's definitely different going from being in the middle of the park to the middle of the back and organizing stuff," Marshall said. "He's always had that leadership quality about him so it wasn't going to be too difficult a task."

Meanwhile, Iro (6-5) and Marshall (6-4) present an imposing presence at both ends. Iro's header off a Schelotto free kick last week was his first goal.

"He's become a lot better player," Marshall said of Iro. "Obviously, he has the physical attributes but his understanding of the game has gotten a lot better and it shows in the last two games. He's been lights out against some of the best forwards in the league."

Although Marshall, who turned 24 on Aug. 22, is only three months older than Iro, there is a teacher-pupil relationship because of Marshall's experience in the league.

"Chad, as the season goes on, has started talking a lot more and starting to pull people into position a lot more. As a younger guy you need that kind of guidance. Strangely enough, we're the same age but he's a vet," Iro said. "As long as he's talking and directing me I can hopefully talk and direct people in front of me and then it works."


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Revolution turn 4-0 mark in their favor

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Four-nil has plagued the New England Revolution for the past week.

A 4-0 loss at home to Joe Public FC, to send the team crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions League.

A 4-0 loss at Crew Stadium to watch Columbus build a five-point cushion atop the Eastern Conference.

Combine those two losses with two road losses in Chicago and San Jose by the same scoreline and the Revolution were fine with not seeing that particular numeral grouping for quite some time.

Then again, 4-0 looks a lot better when the four goals are in your favor. Goals from Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Khano Smith and Jeff Larentowicz ensured the Revs would hang their dreaded result on a battered Chivas USA side.

"The important thing for us today was to win the game," Revolution coach Steve Nicol said. "Four-nil has become the flavor of the month for us."

Flavor or not, the role reversal felt good to a team that had been hammered twice in the past week.

"It was good to put four on someone else," Larentowicz said.

The win snapped a season-high three-match winless streak in the league in emphatic fashion.

"It's been a while for us to be on this side," Ralston said. "It's a much better feeling. We wanted three points. We feel like we're getting our legs back and we think we can get something going moving forward."

Ralston helped propel the team forward following his return after missing three games with back spasms. With the veteran midfielder shifting between forward, midfielder and defender during the night, Ralston's versatility was missed almost as much as his ability to find his way onto the scoresheet.

"It's incredibly important," Larentowicz said. "If you saw tonight, you saw the many things that he does. He started up front and ended up at left back. He's kind of our heart and soul. He's our most controlling player out there besides Shalrie. It's great to have him back."

One goal and two assists announced that Ralston had returned and his form hadn't dipped.

"It felt great to be back," Ralston said. "Watching is so difficult when you have an injury. You want to participate and be a part of it. It was great to be back tonight."

Nicol lauded his captain for his ability to spark the team out of its tired stupor.

"He's a huge influence on and off the field here," Nicol said. "To have him back on the field is great with the quality he brings. The couple weeks' layoff has energized him. He has his legs back."

Legs were found all around the field as the Revs looked sharper in possession and more dangerous in the attacking third, but Nicol warned that the team still needed to improve in order to continue its playoff push.

"It was certainly better," Nicol said. "I think certainly we're far from the way we can play. But it was better. It was nice to get a wee bit more legs back after a few days off. We'll be off a few more days, so hopefully we'll be back even better before Tuesday. We still have a long way to go to where we can be."


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Unkind twist hits at RSL's depth

SALT LAKE CITY -- An unkind twist of fate -- or, more accurately, flip -- has left Real Salt Lake shorthanded again as they hit the road to take on the New York Red Bulls this weekend.

Star forward Fabian Espindola will be sidelined for 4-to-8 weeks after severely injuring his ankle when he did a series of backflips on an early goal that was ultimately disallowed because of an offside call in last Saturday's 2-2 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"I had no solid footing when I came down," Espindola told reporters after the game. "They told me that it was possibly fractured and I knew that was probably what had happened."

While it turned out to be a sprain rather than a fracture, it doesn't offer much solace for RSL. Espindola's injury fits squarely in the pantheon of bizarre sports injuries. And it could not have come at a worse time for RSL.

The return of the Argentinean forward had given the Real offense a finishing boost it had lacked while he rehabbed an MCL strain for much of the summer. Now with Espindola sidelined once again, RSL must dig into its cadre of forwards to find yet another combination that will work.

It is a turn of events that leave both the club and its fans feeling frustrated. But RSL can take solace in knowing that its success or failure doesn't hinge on the status of a player or two.

Real coach Jason Kreis feels like he has a much bigger talent pool to compensate for the untimely loss of one player.

"Our top players are better than they have been in the past," Kreis said. "Also, I think we are really buying into the team mentality. Our guys really fight for each other, work hard for each other and have an understanding of what we are trying to do."

RSL will look to build on its draw against the Galaxy against the Red Bulls on Saturday, but it won't be easy. Los Angeles seemed to offer a golden shot at earning three points, simply because the Galaxy were missing a wide array of their top players coming into the match.

But things did not stick to the script Real hoped for. Los Angeles snatched an early lead after Espindola's ill-fated would-be goal and then successfully rallied from a 2-1 deficit midway through the second half when Edson Buddle cleaned up a loose ball and sent it home.

"He's a great player," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "If you give him an inch, he's going to bury it."

Buddle's goal undid all the progress RSL's offense had shown since its last pair of road outings. Yura Movsisyan, in particular, continued his late-season blossoming. Movsisyan came up with Real's first goal in the 21st minute and played a nice give-and-go to Will Johnson for the club's second tally in the 52nd minute.

Given all that it accomplished offensively, RSL felt disappointed by claiming just one point on the road. But, at the same time, it has become apparent to a player like Beckerman that Real have come a long way since he was first traded to the Utah-based club in 2007.

In the past, Beckerman said, teams could expect an automatic victory when RSL came up on the schedule. That is no longer true since Kreis took the helm.

"We've tried to clean that up right away," Beckerman said. "We seem to have done that at home so far. It's just a different mentality in the guys."

Now the next stage for RSL is to see that winning mentality finally translate into a road environment as well.


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Tweaked lineup probable for Wizards

KANSAS CITY -- Last week at Houston, the Kansas City Wizards had to "improvise" when it came to their lineup after fullback Matt Marquess came down with cramps before the match and again when center back Aaron Hohlbein pulled up lame and was forced out at halftime. This Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Arrowhead Stadium, the lineup will be more planned but likely just as new.

Marquess continues to have intestinal difficulties and Hohlbein and veteran midfielder Sasha Victorine will likely both be held out by hip flexor strains.

Of the starting 11, Wizards' head coach Curt Onalfo said, "We're tinkering with some things and will make some final decisions [Friday]."

That tinkering also revolves around incorporating recent acquisitions Abe Thompson and Herculez Gomez into the attack, whether up front or wide in the midfield.

Onalfo said the chances were "very good" that each would be in the lineup and tried out the following lineup at training this week: Michael Harrington, Tyson Wahl, Jimmy Conrad and Jonathan Leathers across the back; Claudio Lopez, Jack Jewsbury, Davy Arnaud and Gomez in midfield; and Josh Wolff and Thompson up front.

One could wonder whether that offensively-loaded lineup will actually become a 3-4-3 formation as Kansas City played in the second half in Houston last Sunday in an eventual 3-1 loss. The possibility would fit with both the expected wet conditions and attacking a Galaxy defense that is statistically the most giving in MLS, while keeping the ball away from Beckham, Buddle, Donovan and company.

"[The forecasted rain] will make the game fast, and that makes for a good game to watch from a spectator perspective," said Onalfo.

Holding up the ball for others to get into the attack will be Thompson, who is very familiar with the Galaxy. With his former side, FC Dallas, Thompson felt the full brunt of L.A.'s attack in a 5-1 loss at home back in May and then taking them to task with a 4-0 table-turning in July.

"The first game we played them, we had a couple of chances early that we didn't put away that perhaps would have changed the outcome of the game," said Thompson. "The second time around, we were much more clinical with our finishing early on, then we were more alert in the back in stopping their chances: shutting down things earlier than we had before, putting pressure on them. We need to make sure that we're sharp, physical, alert, and that we don't give up anything soft."

Neither side has played a more important match this season as they look to make up six points on the teams each trails for a playoff spot. Hopefully, Onalfo will happen upon a lineup that can get the job done and earn three points.

"It's a pivotal [game]. We want to take the game to them and make sure that we do a good job of neutralizing their attack," said Onalfo. "[We're] going to put it all on the line Saturday."


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U. S. outmuscles Trinidad & Tobago

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Another stout defensive effort by the U.S. national team Wednesday was complemented by the first multi-goal game in a while, and Bob Bradley's squad came away with another three points in World Cup qualifying.

Michael Bradley scored the first goal of the game nine minutes in, Clint Dempsey added a second nine minutes later and Brian Ching put the game away as the U.S. cruised to a 3-0 win Wednesday against Trinidad & Tobago at Toyota Park in suburban Chicago.

With another shutout, the United States has not been scored upon in World Cup qualifying in the last six games, dating back to its final game against Panama back in October 2005.

But after scoring 1-0 wins at Guatemala and Cuba in the semifinal round, the United States finally found the back of the net more than once, and scored three times on only six official shots on goal.

"We had not had a game like that in a while," said Bradley, who coached across the field from the banner that signifies his membership in the Chicago Fire's Ring of Fire, the club's Hall of Fame. "It's always better to win 3-0 than to win 1-0. We did a good job finding the seams in their defense."

"People don't understand how difficult it is to score in those other countries," said the Houston Dynamo's Ching, who scored in the 57th minute. "We came out tonight with the mission of putting this game away early and scoring a lot of goals. Being in the States, I think we did a great job."

Trinidad & Tobago, which came into the game with a 1-0-1 record after the first two qualifying games in the semifinal round, played five back in an attempt to keep the game tight. But with the early goal, the U.S. changed that game plan and the game opened up from there.

"In the first half we did a good job moving the ball around, finding the opportunities," Ching said. "Clint (Dempsey), DaMarcus (Beasley) and Landon (Donovan) found those gaps between their fullbacks and halfbacks and wreaked havoc on them."

"We were excellent tonight," Donovan said. "We were good all over the field. We put pressure on them. We came out well, all over them, and it felt like it was just a matter of time."

Bob Bradley made some changes from his lineup against Cuba Sept. 6. Steve Cherundolo started at right back in place of Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), and Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA) played in the midfield instead of Maurice Edu.

With the five defenders, the Soca Warriors played with just one forward, former Major League Soccer striker Cornell Glen, but Glen did not get a touch on the ball until the 33rd minute of the game, an indication of how much stronger the U.S. effort was.

The first goal came right at the nine-minute mark on a free kick by Donovan, who was standing 25 yards out and to the far left of goal. He sent the ball to the edge of the six-yard box, where Michael Bradley broke free and pushed a right-footed shot to the right corner of the net.

"I don't know how it got through," Donovan said. "I got a good touch on it and it just went (over) body after body."

The second goal came in the 17th minute and was started by a great pass by former Fire midfielder Beasley. Beasley sent a pass through the legs of T&T defender Keyeno Thomas right to the foot of Dempsey, who had a clear shot on goal for his fourth goal in this World Cup qualifying period.

With a 2-0 lead, the U.S. began to put on a show. In the 29th minute, goalkeeper Marvin Phillip's goal kick was met at midfield by Carlos Bocanegra, who headed it sharply forward to Donovan, who snuck behind the T&T defense. Donovan placed one dribble on the ball then passed it right to Ching, whose shot went directly into Phillip's arms.

The second half saw a dramatic change in the game, as the Soca Warriors became far more aggressive offensively. Glen got off his first shot in the first minute of the second half, although he sent it far over the net.

In the first six minutes of the half, Trinidad & Tobago took three corner kicks, although it never got close to scoring.

The U.S. scored its third goal in the 57th minute. Beasley sent in a free kick from 36 yards out, and defender Oguchi Onyewu got his head on it, sending it forward to Ching, who broke free to score on a header into the right side of the net.

"That was one of the easiest goals I am going to score," Ching said. The visitors thought they had a goal in the 60th minute when Glen took a sharp shot at U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard. Second-half substitute Anthony Wolfe got to the rebound and put it in the net for what would have been the first goal against the U.S. in this year's qualifying, but Wolfe was ruled offside.

Not knowing about the offside call immediately, Howard was visibly upset that the scoreless streak had been broken. After the game, he praised the defense that limited the Soca Warriors to two shots on goal.

"We haven't had a performance like that in a while," Howard said. "We put them on our terms. We had two or three guys around the ball. We really dictated the play. I don't think they were able to do what they wanted to do."

In the 67th minute, Bob Bradley substituted Eddie Johnson for Ching and Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo) for Michael Bradley. In the 78th minute, Bradley put Eddie Lewis (LA Galaxy) into the game for Dempsey.


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Schedule not working in United's favor

WASHINGTON -- For MLS players, early fall's shorter days and cooler temperatures signal the advent of the campaign's final sprint, where playoff berths must be consolidated and crucial late-season momentum built.

But for D.C. United, this year's stretch run is looking more daunting than ever. CONCACAF Champions League action has essentially doubled D.C.'s schedule over the next seven weeks, piling heavy demands on a tired, injury-hit side presently clinging to the league's final postseason slot.

The hard realities of geography are a leading factor. Following two home games, Saturday's league match against FC Dallas and Tuesday's Champions League opener against Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica, United's journey begins in earnest. After a cross-country trip to take on the Galaxy in Los Angeles, Tom Soehn's squad will spend a recovery day in California before flying directly to Honduras for a Sept. 24 clash with CD Marathon in San Pedro Sula. Then it's back to Washington for just two days before a visit to north Texas for a return date with FC Dallas.

"Indeed, it's going to be extremely busy and we're hoping and praying that all of our players will get back physically, mentally and morally, because we're going to be on the road for almost a week," said goalkeeper Louis Crayton.

Santino Quaranta admitted that his first look at the transcontinental itinerary, finalized on Tuesday, prompted a double-take.

"It's not going to be easy," he said. "I've never seen a schedule like that before, where you're traveling so many miles in such a short period of time. But it's a good opportunity for us as well. It's a big tournament. It's not like we're doing this for friendly games or there's no reward for it."

The Black-and-Red are in no position to look beyond that voyage, but mid-October also portends another long journey with back-to-back road ties in Costa Rica and Houston over a 72-hour span. So while the Champions League is a central cog in the club's international ambitions, there's little denying that CONCACAF's new-look competition has arrived at an awkward time for a team shorn of crucial contributors -- and thus well short of full speed -- for a variety of reasons.

"We'll have a better barometer after we come out," said assistant coach Chad Ashton, discussing the tourney's implications. "But going in you just don't know, and the scary part for us is, we're not healthy right now. How are we going to become more healthy through an even longer and harder grind right now? It's literally going to have to be a day at a time, evaluating guys and being smart as possible with guys' [playing] time."

Up front, Luciano Emilio will have to go through the latter stages of his recuperation from a groin injury while on the road, while Jaime Moreno's recent absence while on Bolivian national team duty inevitably adds some uncertainty to his status.

Playmaker Marcelo Gallardo continues to work his way back to peak match fitness gradually, while influential Brazilian Fred has experienced fits and starts on his recovery from hamstring problems. Similarly hamstrung, Argentinean defender Gonzalo Peralta remains a missing link in the heart of the back four and midfield terrier Joe Vide hopes to contribute as well. Each injury requires what Ashton calls a "delicate" evaluation process.

"Are we pushing them too much? Are guys coming back ready to go? We've got to make sure we don't bring them back too early, and they get hurt again and we lose them for the playoff push, late-season MLS games, stuff like that," he said.

Psychology plays an important role, too. The technical staff has taken extra effort to make the longer trips as comfortable and relaxing as possible, and more experienced heads try to emphasize the correct mental framework to their teammates. Many players would even contend that they prefer match days to training days.

"I'm excited to play every game and that's the way it should be. Hopefully we'll keep a positive attitude about this situation," said Quaranta. "Saturday-Wednesday [scheduling] is nice because you do recovery and then you're back at it. It's not bad. But the travel is the problem."

United are extremely wary of collapsing down the stretch, a fate that has befallen them more than once in recent years. So hard choices regarding squad selection will inevitably crop up as the rigors of the Champions League compete for prominence with the quest for a fifth MLS Cup.

"I think Tommy's talked about that and he's given his priorities of what he expects and what he's going to put at the top, and so on and so on," said Ashton. "Last week Soehn specifically mentioned that his focus is on domestic success.

"At the end of the day, we're going to have to rely on and count on guys who aren't typical starters to see time and do well for us. They're going to have to step up and do a good job, and hopefully those guys will come through for us."


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First XI: Soca Warriors

It's sort of a tradition, every so often First XI examines a U.S. qualifier by taking a look at players from a CONCACAF opponent who have played in MLS. So, this week, with the U.S. and Trinidad & Tobago set to kick off at Toyota Park just outside of Chicago, let's take a look (in no particular order) at some of the Soca Warriors who've gone to battle on the fields of MLS.

11. Shaka Hislop (Dallas -- 2006-07)
A star at Howard University who went on to greatness in England, Hislop's MLS career was short and not so sweet. He came to the States after a triumphant performance for Trinidad in Germany 2006, but he could not maintain his health or his good form and managed to make only 10 appearances for FC Dallas before calling it a career. I do not know enough about T & T football history to call him that country's greatest player ever, but I do know that I saw Hislop play some amazing matches over a long period of time, both in England and for Trinidad. And when I got the opportunity to interview him during the World Cup, he was a really fine gentleman.

10. Leslie "Tiger" Fitzpatrick (Salt Lake -- 2005)
I remember seeing Tiger play for Columbia University in the Ivy League. A very fast, tough, left-footed player who, frankly, I'm surprised did not get more of a look in MLS. After seeing him play against the U.S. in a qualifier back in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup I was convinced that Tiger would be somebody's left back in MLS. He got a brief look from Real Salt Lake and that was it. Still plying his trade in the USL for the Rochester Rhinos so, who knows, maybe we'll get another look at him.

9. Ansil Elcock (Columbus -- 1997-2001)
A semi-regular for the Crew for five seasons, all I can really remember about Elcock is that he could deliver some of the hardest, most reckless, late tackles in league history. Yeah, he was a guy who always seemed close to breaking a leg out there. The coaches in Columbus must've seen more in Elcock because, like I said, he is the tied for being the longest-tenured T & T player in MLS history.

8. Evans Wise (Tampa Bay, New England -- 1996-98)
A dribbling maniac is what I recall. And from what I understand, the left midfielder from the inaugural season's best regular season team, the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Wise is still dribbling his way around Germany, playing for SV Waldhof Mannheim. He was actually, in the league's origin, a really fun player to watch.

7. Avery John (New England -- 2004-07)
Perhaps it's because I so vividly recall John getting sent off in Trinidad's World Cup game vs. Sweden in 2006 that I was surprised to see that he was only sent off in one MLS game in his four-year stint with New England. Like Elcock, Avery John was prone to the hard, late tackle, but he was clearly a tough enough defender that MLS forwards did not look forward to their encounters with him. John came to New England with Steve Nicol because they actually worked together for the USL's Boston Bulldogs and now finds himself back in the USL playing for Miami FC.

6. Gary Glasgow (Kansas City -- 2000-02)
In 2000, Glasgow looked like a great find by the Wizards when he hit for three goals and two assists in just 479 minutes. In fact, I recall some calling him the next Stern John (more on that later). However, Glasgow would score only two more goals for K.C. in two more seasons and fade into the sunset. For those wondering, yes, Glasgow is still an active player for CONCACAF Champions League giant-killers Joe Public FC.

5. Cornell Glen (MetroStars, Columbus, Colorado, Los Angeles -- 2004-06)
Another player who hoped to be the next Stern John, Cornell Glen became one of the most-traveled players in league history, jumping from the MetroStars to Columbus to Colorado (by way of Dallas) and Los Angeles before heading out. In between, Glen managed to show spurts of brilliance, including a great stint as a reserve for the Soca Warriors in their dramatic 2006 World Cup tie with Sweden. If you wonder why people expected more of Glen, just watch this clip (apologies to my friend Steve Jolley).

4. Brian Haynes (Dallas -- 1996-2000)
I was not a huge fan of the Dallas Burn back in the early days of MLS (for reasons I do not have to divulge), but I always admired the work of Haynes for coach Dave Dir's teams. Particularly in the early years, when most teams had a revolving door of players, Haynes was pretty much a lock in the Burn's lineup. He was a player at tiny Erskine College (the Flying Fleet) in South Carolina and went on to play a number of years in the indoor circuit before moving to Dallas. No other word to describe Haynes but "solid."

3. Stern John (Columbus -- 1998-99)
In Columbus, they can forever sing "There's only one Stern John" because much as MLS coaches went searching for the next one, he never emerged. A product of Mercer County Community College in New Jersey (the Vikings), John was signed by the Crew prior to the '98 season and proceeded to tear the league up, scoring 44 goals in two seasons. Many of John's goals were what we'd call "Youtube quality" today. What I remember most about John was his hunger around the box and his ability to turn half-chances into blistering goals. Still banging around in England -- now for Southampton -- there's always been a suspicion that Stern would one day resurface in MLS. He is now 32 years old, so we shall see.

2. Scott Sealy (Kansas City, San Jose -- 2005)
Probably the best Trinidadian striker in MLS since John, Sealy has 29 career goals to his credit in the league and, at 27, still appears to have some years left in the league. His July move to San Jose could be a big move in keeping those numbers piling up as he had fallen into a bit of a rut in Kansas City. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacons standout has not quite delivered on the promise he displayed in 2006, but he's still got time to prove himself.

1. Mickey Trotman (Dallas, Miami -- 1998-99)
It is hard to believe that seven years have past since Mickey Trotman died so tragically in a car crash in Port of Spain. I cannot say I knew Mickey well, but those members of the 1998 Dallas Burn who I interviewed following his death all said he was a great teammate and a solid player. In Trinidad, Trotman is most remembered for scoring the golden goal in the Soca Warriors 2000 Gold Cup triumph over Costa Rica.


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Wizards look to Thompson for goals

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A vital role has gone unfilled in the Kansas City Wizards attacking scheme this season. Missing has been a player who is consistently able to be a target for entry passes up front, who can hold the ball up while others take positions near and in the opposition penalty area.

Striker Abe Thompson understands that, and scoring goals, is the part he is to play with his new side.

"Where he can help us the most is keeping the ball in possession going forward. Hopefully, he can fit that role and help us this weekend," said midfielder Jack Jewsbury, who will likely be feeding Thompson from center midfield Saturday afternoon as the Wizards play host to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 26-year-old Virginia native was acquired from FC Dallas last Friday in exchange for allocation money in the Wizards' second move to bolster their attack in as many days, first obtaining Herculez Gomez from Colorado.

"I understand the reason they brought me in was because I'm a striker and my job, first and foremost, is to score goals and that's something they felt like they needed help with," said Thompson. "That's why they brought me in here: to score goals and to help other guys score goals. I'm going to enjoy the challenge, and, hopefully, it will prove to be a savvy move."

And although integration into a new side takes time, Thompson played the whole second half in last Saturday's 3-1 loss at Houston despite a surely dizzying turn of events. Now having more time to adjust to a new coach, teammates and city, Thompson says he's "into the rhythm of things."

The sentiment couldn't be more true. After all, with FC Dallas, Thompson was in the same situation as the Wizards: needing to gain major points to grab a playoff spot. At the moment, both teams share identical 6-9-8 records, seven points from one of the two wild card playoff spots.

"I know exactly what their mentality is right now and what they are fighting for. [Having been] in a similar situation will only help," Thompson said.

Thompson recorded three goals and one assists in 13 appearances with FC Dallas before the trade. The best of his three seasons in MLS came last year where in 25 appearances he put away five goals and served up four assists. He is excited for his new challenge and sees the same wherever he looks in Kansas City.

"Everybody's upbeat, trying to stay positive. It's a tough situation to be in, but it's also a challenge. We wouldn't be playing the game if we didn't want to challenge ourselves," Thompson said. "[Head coach] Curt [Onalfo] and the coaches have kept practice pretty light as far as mood goes -- cracking jokes here and there. ... We want to be able to play and embrace the challenge and have fun with it."

Thompson's current four-year contract expires at the end of the season, but the Wizards surely hope he can be the missing ingredient in their attack for now and the long term.

"Just watching him in practice, he's very good at getting in front of the goal and finishing opportunities," said midfielder Sasha Victorine. "What we need is somebody who can put the ball in the back of the net. Hopefully, with his and Herculez's contributions, that will happen."


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

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

1. Looking at the playoff picture: In examining the playoff positioning in the chase for eight postseason berths, Columbus, Houston, New England and Chicago are in excellent shape. Considering that 10 other teams will spend the next six weeks taking points from each other, it's hard to see any of the frontrunners spiraling into the danger zone.

So, let's assume for now that all four are playoff-bound -- barring some highly unlikely collapse, of course.

D.C. United and New York are in the next best spots. Each has a possible 21 points there for the taking, with seven matches remaining for each. Eight or so points should probably be enough to do the trick.

That essentially leaves eight teams chasing two spots. Of the pursuers, who has the most favorable schedule? San Jose, on an eight-game unbeaten streak, enjoys the best luck of the calendar. Kansas City has a good opportunity, too, for climbing back into postseason contention.

At the other end of the schedule equation lies bad news for all BMO loyalists. Toronto manager John Carver wants his team to play with more "grit." Well, they'll need it, because the schedule is none too kind.

Frank Yallop's Earthquakes have four of their remaining seven at home. After this weekend's date with Houston, the Earthquakes' remaining home matches feature Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA and Toronto. The way Ronnie O'Brien, Darren Huckerby and Joe Cannon are pacing the expansion side, nine points is not a bit out of the question from that closing threesome. On the road, San Jose has matches against FC Dallas and Kansas City, as well as a tougher matchup with Houston.

The Wizards get to play five of their remaining seven in the Midwest, including Saturday's match at Arrowhead against Los Angeles. Toronto comes into Kansas City next week, so Curt Onalfo's team has a big chance to grab six points by the end of the month.

Real Salt Lake can't feel too badly about things. Jason Kreis' team is currently second in the West, with winnable matches upcoming at home against Chivas USA, FC Dallas and a New York Red Bulls team that struggles to score on the road. The men from Utah finish with an Oct. 25 date at Colorado.

It's a mixed bag for Colorado, Los Angeles and Dallas. They don't have the opportunities some of the others have ... but they don't quite have it as bad as Toronto. Or Chivas USA.

Preki's team splits six remaining matches between home and the road. But the sequence is problematic: The next four weeks bring matches at Real Salt Lake, D.C. United and San Jose. Sandwiched in there is a home game against Kansas City, an absolute, positive must-have for the Goats. Otherwise, the sweet spot in the remainder of the slate, the last two weeks, which bring home matches against Colorado and Houston (which could have the West in pocket) could be irrelevant by the time they kickoff.

Then there's Toronto. The league's second-worst road team (six of a possible 33 points, minus-12 goal difference) plays four of its remaining seven away from BMO. They do get three on the waterfront at Exhibition Place -- but it's probably against the three you'd least fancy facing in MLS.

First up to visit Toronto is Columbus, the league's top club. Next up after that, the two-time defending league champs -- and currently very hot -- Houston Dynamo. After that, Chicago, the league's best road team. Whoa.

Carver's bunch will need lots of that grit -- and maybe a small miracle to find its way into the postseason.

2. Injury dents assist record chase: Guillermo Barros Schelotto's chances of doing something truly amazing and reeling in Carlos Valderrama's season assist record took a big hit this week. Columbus' playmaker, enjoying one of the best stretches ever for an MLS playmaker, will miss Saturday's match in Toronto after picking up a slight hamstring strain during last week's statement-making 4-0 win against New England.

More troubling still, Schelotto, with two assists in each of Columbus' last four matches, might be forced to miss his club's contest the following week against New York.

Obviously, the concern for Crew manager Sigi Schmid is keeping the 18-assist man healthy over the longer term. Schmid is not focused on records.

Still, it would put the proper packaging on Schelotto's magnificent season if he could, at least, become the league's second player to reach 20 assists. So what are his chances now that Schelotto can match Valderrama's 26?

Not great, to be honest. Following the Sept. 18 home date against the Red Bulls, the club plays three of its final five on the road. More significantly, the three road matches happen to be against three of the league's top defenses, New England, Chicago and New York. (Statistically, the Red Bulls might not look overly formidable. But three recent defensive-minded additions have surely helped solidify the rearguard at Giants Stadium.)

The Crew's two remaining home matches feature Los Angeles and D.C. United. So, the Oct. 4 contest against the Galaxy, the league's worst defense, looms large in Schelotto's chase. And who knows? With a big night there and a few other assists scattered about, he could still catch "El Pibe's record." It's just a bit more of a long shot now.

3. Houston -- where goal-scoring careers go to flourish: If you're an agent, and you've got a promising forward who seems to be on or approaching a plateau, move ye heaven and earth to get that young man down to Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo. The evidence is mounting that this is a place where young strikers go to grow.

Nate Jaqua had 22 goals in 102 MLS matches when he was traded from Los Angeles to Houston last year. In two stints with the Dynamo (he left for a few months to play in Austria) Jaqua has 10 goals in 22 matches. Do the quick math and you'll notice that his production rose from scoring roughly once every fifth match to scoring nearly every other match. That's a jaw-dropping increase.

What about Kei Kamara, a recent Dynamo acquisition? The statistical sample isn't as great for his time in Houston, but Kamara is certainly trending the right way, at least. The young Californian struck seven times in 48 matches before landing at Robertson Stadium. Now, with Kinnear's club, he has two goals in six matches already.

Last year, Joseph Ngwenya brought these five-year totals to Houston: nine goals in 65 matches. That's now awful, but it's hardly show-stopping stuff. For the Dynamo, he struck seven times in 25 matches, which is prodigious by comparison.

4. Slight decline in MLS influence: Perhaps it's a sign of the times, or perhaps there's been a philosophical shift in national team management. Either way, there's a little less MLS influence in the important World Cup qualifiers during this cycle.

Former U.S. manager Bruce Arena once made it part of his player selection doctrine: those prospering and getting minutes in MLS would be favored ahead of European bench riders.

Now, with ever more Americans earning their paychecks abroad -- even if they aren't necessarily getting into the starting lineup, or even getting on the field for their league sides -- current manager Bob Bradley seems to have moved off that platform. He seems more concerned with retaining lineup consistency -- essentially using the same players, whether they are starting for their European clubs or not -- and less concerned with finding players in peak form and fitness due to league play.

Hard to argue the results, with the USA just halfway through second-round qualifying and sitting pretty with three wins in as many matches.

But neither is the evidence difficult to assess. For whatever reason, players from Major League Soccer just haven't had the same influence in terms of occupying starting spots. Four years ago, in the first three matches of second-round qualifying, Arena deployed five starters from MLS clubs in each of fixture.

This time around, Bradley used four starters from MLS sides in the opening match against Guatemala, then put three on the field in subsequent matches against Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago.

5. Cunningham's partners can flourish, too: Funny thing happened when Jeff Cunningham joined FC Dallas' starting lineup four games back: Kenny Cooper stopped scoring.

Cooper had 13 goals in 19 matches before FC Dallas traded for Cunningham and inserted him immediately into the starting lineup. Since then, the well-traveled veteran has two goals for FC Dallas, while Cooper remains stuck on 13 goals.

The knock on Cunningham's game has always been that he sometimes struggles to combine with other attackers. His passing in areas outside the penalty area isn't always the best.

But he does have 58 career assists to go with those 101 MLS goals. So, that's not too bad. And his history suggests that players around him can certainly score. Strike partner Stern John connected for 18 with Columbus back in 1999. Edson Buddle hit for nine as Cunningham's partner at forward for the Crew back in 2002. Two years after that, Buddle led the duo with 11 goals, while Cunningham scored nine times.

In 2006, Jason Kreis scored eight times for Real Salt Lake as Cunningham scored 16.

FC Dallas manager Schellas Hyndman said there's no issue that should prevent Cooper and Cunningham from being an effective two-headed strike force. He said they were linking better than ever in practice this week. "It's just a matter of us getting Kenny scoring again," Hyndman said.


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Victory eases pressure for U.S.

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Let us count the ways the U.S. national team helped itself in its 3-0 World Cup qualifying triumph against Trinidad & Tobago Wednesday night:

• The most obvious way was the fact the U.S. found itself on the verge of qualifying for the final CONCACAF round. A win against Cuba in Washington, D.C. Oct. 11 will clinch a spot for the Americans.

• The goal production certainly did not hurt the USA's confidence, especially since they had scored exactly three goals in their past three qualifiers.

• And if the U.S. doesn't have to put out an 'A' team against Trinidad & Tobago and Guatemala in its final two Group 1 matches, it will make a lot of people happy, and not just coach Bob Bradley.

MLS coaches gearing up for the playoffs will be happy because they won't miss key players for the regular-season stretch run for the Oct. 15 game in Trinidad & Tobago. And with the Nov. 19 match in Guatemala only four days prior to MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23, Bradley would not have to call in any key players from the MLS teams or anyone from a European club.

And it will make some younger players an opportunity to play and impress Bradley.

So, it was a win-win-win proposition for the U.S.

"It builds depth on our team and a lot of guys are not flying back and forth across the pond to Trinidad and Denver at the end of the year," said forward Landon Donovan, whose ninth-minute free kick set up Michael Bradley's nifty three-yard volley for the USA's first goal. "It makes it nice. But we've got to get through Cuba first."

If the U.S. continues what they did at Toyota Park, that should not be a problem.

"Goals are not important," he said. "The most important thing was to win. Whether we score one or score five, a win's a win. You get the same points. The most important thing is that we put ourselves in a good position that we are almost guaranteed a spot in the next round."

But it certainly helped the U.S.'s confidence and sent a message to the rest of CONCACAF.

"It's good to have a decisive win," Dempsey added. "We're looking to make the next round and qualify for the World Cup."

That ultimate goal, of course, is South Africa in 2010.

Wednesday's win was the U.S.'s best performance of its qualifying venture. The first game, an 8-0 trouncing of Barbados, doesn't count because the game was so lopsided.

Then came 1-0 wins against Barbados, Guatemala and Cuba. The U.S. did not have to be motivated in the second Barbados match because it was a total goals series. The Guatemala affair was one of survival since it was in the cauldron in Guatemala City. The Cuba 1-0 result was a bit disappointing because the Cuban team is an amateur side, playing in amateur leagues on the Caribbean island.

"I still think that people don't always understand how difficult it is sometimes playing in these other countries, the fields and whatnot," said forward Brian Ching, who connected for the third goal, a three-yard header, in the 57th minute. "We came out tonight with the mission of putting this game away early and scoring a lot of goals and I think with the field being the way it is and with being in the States."

Added Donovan: "We were excellent tonight. The first half was one of the most dominating performances I ever have been a part of."

Trinidad began the game throwing as many as eight players behind the ball. The U.S. was patient and quickly broke down the defense with goals in the ninth and 18th minutes.

"We knew we had to come out with a high tempo and keep the ball moving fast," defender Steve Cherundolo said. "That was the key -- put pressure on them. It was just a matter of time."

Trinidad came out and tried to make a game of it in the second half. The Caribbean side threw just about everything it could at the U.S., forcing four corner kicks in the opening 10 minutes. But the team was never a factor after Ching's goal.

"It killed the game off," Donovan said.

One key to the U.S.'s success was midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, whose speed confounded the T&T defense and whose well-timed pass set up Dempsey's goal in the 18th minute. Beasley recently came back from a hamstring injury he hurt in July.

"DaMarcus had a very good game for us," Bradley said. "He's always been a two-way player, and his energy really adds to the rest of the group. He's a player who has the ability to find good spots on the field. He's capable of coming inside, and he can drift wide and get by people. He also works hard when the ball turns over. He's the whole package and coming back from injury he hasn't played that many 90-minute games since coming back from injury so I think it's good to see him contribute in the way he has."

It's easy to forget how well the U.S. has played on the other side of the ball as the Red, White and Blue recorded a record sixth consecutive shutout, going back to the scoreless tie with Argentina at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. June 8.

"I hadn't seen a defensive effort like that in a long time," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "We just put them on our terms. We had two and three and four guys around the ball. We really dictated the play. I don't think that they were able to do what they wanted to do. Our midfield did great in terms of defending. We know what they did, attacking-wise. Defensively these guys are really playing well."

But despite a 3-0 win, Cherundolo was far from satisfied.

"We're still not maximizing our potential," he said. "We need to keep plugging away."

The USA are not maximizing their potential and they're 3-0 and leading their group. Not exactly what the rest of CONCACAF wants to hear.


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LA earns positive result despite absences

CARSON, Calif. -- Despite missing several key players, the Los Angeles Galaxy managed to battle back for a 2-2 tie with Real Salt Lake at The Home Depot Center. With David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis all absent for World Cup qualifying, it looked as though the Galaxy offense was going to struggle. Instead, L.A. worked two very nice goals in a match that couldn't be seen as anything other than positive.

Two weeks ago, the Galaxy were in a similar position when they played Chicago, missing the same three offensive weapons. In that game, Los Angeles never looked dangerous offensively, eventually losing 1-0. Against RSL, the team showed a lot of character in coming from behind in the second half to earn a point.

"Overall I'm obviously pleased. We went into the game with some issues in terms of the roster and trying to fit some of the pieces together and it was a challenge," said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. "Given some of our limitations tonight, I'm really pleased with our effort and the result."

One of the keys to the performance was the play of Bryan Jordan. The rookie scored a goal and picked up an assist in the match, and was a general terror all night long running down the right wing.

"He had a great effort tonight. I don't like to single out any one or two or three players, but it sticks out in my mind that the performance of Bryan Jordan was excellent," said Arena. "In terms of Bryan getting continued minutes, we'll have to wait and see, but that performance tonight certainly didn't hurt his cause."

Jordan was making his first regular season start. He had been loaned out to the USL-1 Portland Timbers near the beginning of the season and wasn't called back into the Galaxy squad until Monday. He didn't really get a firm indication that he'd be starting until Thursday. To say he made the most of his chance would be an understatement.

"I came out here to work hard and got a great opportunity. I just tried to play as hard as I can and create some dangerous opportunities," said Jordan. "I've been waiting for the opportunity, and now that I've got it, I felt I did very well. We do have key players that are missing that might take over my role, but I'll still be fighting hard and trying to get out there."

Even with the positives that were taken away from the match, it can't be ignored that the Galaxy extended their winless streak to 11 games, matching a club record. The other results in the Western Conference didn't do the Galaxy any favors either, adding a little pressure to find the win column again.

"You definitely want to win at home. Unfortunately it didn't work out for us," said Edson Buddle, who also picked up a goal and an assist. "Getting something down the stretch with these games is definitely a plus. I think a win would turn things around. Hopefully we got rid of the bad spell and we'll start winning."

It's that reality that made the result against RSL a little bittersweet. The draw was a moral victory, but time is running out on the Galaxy.

With just seven games left in the regular season, the Galaxy now have the worst record in MLS. Still, amazingly, they are only five points out of a playoff position. There isn't much time left, though, for moral victories. A repeat of the effort against RSL coupled with a full compliment of players could spell the difference for the Galaxy this season.

"I really could care less about whether the streak is 11 games or 18 games or whatever it is. The point is we're still in the position where if we win some games we can move up the ladder and perhaps qualify for the playoffs," said Arena. "That's the only thing that's important right now. Is there pressure? Of course. We want to position our team to make the playoffs so obviously that pressure is there."

Shea settles into new position

FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas drafted Brek Shea second overall in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, team officials saw him as either a forward or midfielder. So far this year, the 18-year-old rookie has played up top, in the midfield and also at left back. But more recently, FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman has found a new spot where he feels Shea will thrive: center back.

Shea's debut at his new position came in an August 27 reserve game against Houston. His first start there was rocky as two of his mistakes led to Dynamo goals. However, he returned last Friday against the Colorado reserves and performed better. But on Sunday, he got an even bigger test when Hyndman gave him the starting nod in a friendly against Mexican side Club America, a game FCD won 2-1.

"We've been training him at center back for two weeks but (Sunday) was his big test," Hyndman said. "He's played in a couple of reserve games and his first one wasn't great because he had a couple of mistakes that led to goals. In the next reserve game, there was a big improvement and I thought he did well yesterday. It's a big improvement considering where he came from and where he is. I was very pleased with him. He won head balls and was marking (Alfredo) Moreno, one of America's best strikers."

For Hyndman, Sunday's solid performance from the lanky rookie was further reinforcement of the various strengths that Shea brings to the field.

"I think Brek (Shea) is a player that could offer so much because of his size and speed," Hyndman said. "For a big man, he's got a great first touch and he's got a lot of things going for him. What we tried to do is simplify it for him by putting him into a position where he can see the game in front of him. So, I thought what would be the best place to put him that would help his growth as a player? Where is a place that we need help?"

For Shea, the adjustment to the new position comes on top of the learning curve every rookie goes through.

"It's a new position and basically the opposite of where I have played before," he said. "Every day (in practice) I learn new things. Pitch (Aaron Pitchkolan), Drew (Moor), Duilio (Davino), Dario (Sala) and coach have all helped me by talking me through practices and helped me during the game with things I should do better and things I should always be aware of." However, the Hoops rookie conceded that the competition level associated with facing America was much higher than in the two reserve games he had played at his new spot.

"(It) was at a whole new level compared to the reserve games," Shea said. "Their forwards are really good and I had to always know where they were and not lose focus for a second because they would get in behind me or beat me."

So far in 2008, Shea has seen time in only two games with FCD's first team. But he has gotten considerable action with the U.S. Under-20 national team, traveling to the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland, the Campos Verde International Tournament in Portugal and a friendly against Mexico in July.

Shea was also with the U.S. under-23 team for the Toulon tournament in France in May and was summoned for the June 22 World Cup qualifier in Barbados but did not play.

But in all of his time playing soccer, the big Texan can't recall a time when he ever played center back until recently.

"I've jumped back there a few times for the national team but have played left back mostly," he said.

Much of his rookie season has been spent moving around the field to find the best spot for him to play, a process Hyndman labels as basic.

"I think it was a process of elimination," he said. "If he would have excelled in one of those other spots, then we would have left him there. But my comment to him was that if he was a $100,000 player and learned to play this position right, then he could be a million-dollar player anywhere in the world. He has everything coaches look for."

Hyndman even went so far as to compare Shea to a current star of the English Premier League.

"When you look at John Terry of Chelsea, he and Brek are very similar," he said. "They've come through the youth program but somebody took them and told them what their strengths are. You've got to be a ball winner, a team leader and this and that. Now, (Terry) is one of the best defenders in the Premier League. Whether (Shea) is able to reach that level or not reach that level, I think that's a great role model for him."

Shea admits that there were times during the year when he wondered when he would find a set position.

"You always have doubts and uncertainty but I think it's been good," he said. "If you can play a lot of positions, that can be good. I think he likes me at center back, so I probably will be playing there for a while."

He also realizes that his size and pace help him a lot in his new position. "My size and speed help me a lot," Shea said. "If I can body up on a guy, win head balls or beat people to the ball, then that helps a lot for a center back."

While he has no complaints about his new position, Shea thinks back to when he was drafted and admitted he never thought he would be playing center back this year. "No, it never crossed my mind," he said. "I thought that I had a chance of ending up a left back but at center back, never."

The opportunities for a center back to get involved in the attack are somewhat limited, something that Shea misses about playing other places on the field.

"I definitely miss that," he said. "I love going forward, attacking and making things happen. Center backs can't really do that as much. Yes (I still like getting involved on set pieces with my size) but it's not the same as attacking."


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Weary Revs refuse to lose heart

COLUMBUS -- The New England Revolution might have felt like they were running in quicksand instead of the plush green grass of Crew Stadium, except even that would have been too much for the heavy-legged club.

Dogged by a schedule of international and domestic competitions and injuries that have sapped the team's strength, the Revolution were outpaced by the Columbus Crew in a 4-0 defeat and fell five points behind the Eastern Conference leaders.

"One thing we have to do is understand where we are. When you can't run, you can't compete and at the present time, we can't run," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "We can't close the ball and when we do get it, we can't go past people. When you go to make challenges, you're a half-yard short. It's an impossible task. They played well, give them the jury -- they closed us down real quick, made some chances -- but as I said, if you can't run, you can't compete, and we can't compete at the present time."

Columbus got a goal and two assists from forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto, two goals from reserve Jason Garey and a header off a free kick by defender Andy Iro. His score gave the Crew a 2-0 halftime lead.

"4-0 is unacceptable, we know better than that," Revs defender Chris Tierney said. "We just have to get back to practice, battle and get after it. Day in and day out we've had a rough couple weeks, but that's not really an excuse anymore. I think we've just got to get back to what we've been doing to that's made us so successful in the early part of the season."

New England has played 32 matches in all competitions, five more than the Crew, and was coming off a 4-0 loss to Trinidad and Tobago's Joe Public on Tuesday that eliminated it from the CONCACAF Champions League.

The weariness showed. The Crew jumped on the Revolution from the start and had three chances hit the goalpost in the first 20 minutes. The Revs were outshot 27-4 for the match and their lone shot on goal was from 18 yards by Taylor Twellman in the 28th minute. The Crew had 14 shots on goal but didn't get on the board until Schelotto scored in the 39th.

"Obviously, it wasn't the result I would have liked," Tierney said. "It was a tough game; No. 1 vs. No. 2, and it was a battle out there."

The Crew know the Revolution will present a different look when the teams play again Sept. 27 in Gillette Stadium.

"They're a team right now, more so than physically, they're mentally tired," Columbus coach Sigi Schmid said. "Passes are off, combinations are off and as a result it made it easier for us. But again, we did what we needed to do. I don't want to take anything away from them. They're a great team but they're a tired team.

"They're a great team. You don't stay on top in this league; you don't have the tradition they have without being a great team."

New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph does not see the recent bad results as having long-term consequences.

"Our confidence is still sky high, we just have to look at ourselves in the mirror and take a gut-check," he said. "I think we're only five points out of it and we know there are seven or eight games left. We can still make a run. As I said, we're not far away from the top, we just have to put this one behind us and look forward to the next one."

While Nicol knows the veterans on his three-time defending Eastern champs will remain positive through this rough patch, he realizes others may need some guidance along the way.

"The only problem with (confidence) is with the young guys, the old heads will understand the situation, but it's tough on the young guys," he said. "You always have a tough time at some stage of the season and we're getting it now. They have to realize what it's all about. This is when they really learn to keep their confidence and myself, the staff and the older guys have to help them as well."


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Undermanned Galaxy plan on victory

CARSON, Calif. -- Real Salt Lake have picked up just one win and one draw on the road all season in 2008. The Los Angeles Galaxy are in the midst of the longest winless streak in club history. When the two clubs meet at The Home Depot Center on Saturday, something will have to give.

Los Angeles plays host to the surprise team of the Western Conference in what is undoubtedly a must-win game. LA is currently on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, and a win against a conference foe would vault the Galaxy right back into the postseason picture.

"We certainly need a win, I wouldn't argue with that," said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. "We're in the lab right now experimenting and mixing things up. We're stepping on the field Saturday with the expectation of winning."

Beating Real will be no easy task, however. RSL is currently second in the Western Conference, and have been playing some great soccer, thanks in large part to the performances of Fabian Espindola, Javier Morales and Kyle Beckerman. The trio have all been brought into the club under head coach Jason Kreis, as the former U.S. international and MLS sniper has turned the Utah-based club around.

Chris Klein was a former teammate of Kreis' at Salt Lake before being traded to the Galaxy, and he is one individual who isn't surprised with where RSL sits in the table.

"It's a completely different team. Jason (Kreis) has overhauled them and has done a good job of getting them to play well together," said Klein. "They've got good players at every position and they're very organized when they come out to play. They've struggled on the road a little bit, but I don't thing that's any indication of the team we're going to play on Saturday night."

While Kreis will have all of his major weapons available to him, the Galaxy are going to have to make due without several key players. Eddie Lewis and Landon Donovan (U.S.), David Beckham (England), and Ante Jazic (Canada) are all away with their respective national teams for World Cup qualifying. It leaves the Galaxy very shorthanded and looking for an offensive spark.

"If you look at our team this weekend, we lose four players in our first 11," said Arena. "That's a factor, and it is for other teams. Obviously there needs to be a reexamination of the schedule."

The absence of some key contributors on offense means that the defense is going to have to step up its game and not let Saturday's game turn into a shootout in which they are seriously outgunned.

"I think the real engine of their team is Morales in the middle," said Arena. "He's the guy that provides their service and creativity. Obviously they're very sound defensively, and going forward you have Morales and Espindola. Those are two of the guys we can key on for Saturday night, but they seem to get production from all the guys on their team."

Josh Wicks, who will be making his first MLS start in goal, is taking a much more comprehensive approach.

"I'll be keeping my eye on all ten of them. I don't want to fixate on just one person," said Wicks. "I'd rather fixate on my backline and make sure that they don't get any chances. If they get an opportunity, I hope I'm there to shut them down."

The term "must-win" gets thrown around a lot in sports, but there can be no denying that at this point in the season, the Galaxy need to turn things around immediately if they want to avoid missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season. A win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday would be a step in the right direction.


Mathis makes return to Real Salt Lake
Guardiola Weighs Up His Captain

Crew try to balance attacking surplus

COLUMBUS -- One is tied for seventh in MLS with eight goals. Another is a rookie who had two tying goals off the bench and the winning score in his first start. The third Columbus Crew forward is averaging a goal every 28 1/3 minutes.

Meet Alejandro Moreno, Steven Lenhart and Jason Garey. Playing as the lone target in front of MVP candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the league's top assist man with 18, the trio has made life difficult for coach Sigi Schmid in a good way.

"It's good to have competition and everyone's producing for the team," said Lenhart.

Lenhart, a first-year player from Azusa Pacific, got the start Sept. 7 against New England when Moreno, the club leader in goals, was away with the Venezuelan national team. Although he did not score, Lenhart's run through the box in the 39th minute created enough chaos that Schelotto was able to move unmarked onto a loose ball to score the first goal in a 4-0 victory that cemented the Crew's position atop the Eastern Conference.

Garey replaced Lenhart in the 66th minute and used his frustration at not starting to score the Crew's final two goals.

"Obviously, I was disappointed I wasn't starting because I thought I had a good chance to but that was the coach's decision," Garey said. "When he puts you out there you have to do the best you can and give him a reason to play you the next time. I thought I did a pretty good job of that last week and we'll see what happens and go from there."

He has three goals despite playing only 85 minutes in six substitute appearances.

"Jason came in and had a big impact by scoring two goals," Schmid said.

Yet, that performance doesn't guarantee him more time when the Crew plays at Toronto FC on Saturday. Moreno has rejoined the team and most likely will make his 23rd start this season.

"We have all three options," Schmid said. "We'll see how training goes. We made our decision last week to go with Steven and, obviously, Jason made his case by scoring two goals."

Moreno is a tireless worker who knows how to get in the right position and is not afraid to mix it up with the defenders to get to the ball. Lenhart is of a similar nature but less refined. He keeps a frenetic pace but is still learning to control his emotions. After getting late equalizers at Los Angeles on June 21 and vs. Chicago on July 5, he had his third goal in his first start July 27 at Colorado but was ejected in the 42nd minute for throwing an elbow.

He received a two-game suspension and did not play again until last Saturday.

"I'm not going to tone anything down; keep my elbows down, maybe," he said. "One thing I do is work hard. I can't tone it down or I'm not the same player. I got to step in and fill a role and do my best for the team for that one game."

Schmid cited his reason for starting Lenhart instead of Garey against the Revolution.

"It was really close trying to decide between Jason and Steven. We knew both were going to play," he said. "We felt Steven is sometimes a little more physical in his approach to the game. He's a little stronger in the air and we know (Michael) Parkhurst doesn't like physical play against him so we figured that might be a good way to start."

He likes that the three forwards have different attributes. Garey is who Schmid wants for a one-on-one matchup because of his final touch.

"I like to think that's something I pride myself on," Garey said. "I work really hard on one-on-ones with the 'keeper. I practice finishing almost every day because that's what I bring to the team. I may not do some of the other stuff better but hopefully finishing I'm able to do."

While Lenhart and Moreno do more checking to the ball and flank work, Garey has a different approach.

"They're trying to get those through balls that Guillermo likes to play and other guy's like to play," he said. "They hang a little more on the last defender. I might not do as much work on the wing as Alejandro does because he gets out there a lot of times. I'm more in the middle and in the box trying to stay in front of the goal. I bring a very different element."

Schmid said Lenhart's strength besides getting up for headers is his quickness.

"Alejandro's the best one at holding up the ball," Schmid said. "Everybody brings something a little bit different. They're all improving. The competition is good for all of them."

Actually, the Crew go deeper than those three when attacking midfielders such as Robbie Rogers are taken into account.

"We usually play with the one target forward so we've got three, four, five guys that can play that position," Garey said. "The competition is definitely pretty stiff for it when you've got me coming in and Steve coming; Pat Noonan contributing. Manu (Emmanuel Ekpo) didn't start last game. We have all these options."


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Top Twenty Transfers Of The Summer (Aug 18)
Crew rally in second half to beat FCD
Cunningham scores goal No. 100

Schelotto continues torrid play in win over Revs

COLUMBUS -- Even though the Columbus Crew increased their lead in the Eastern Conference, expanded their advantage for the Supporters' Shield and placed themselves the cusp of clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2004, Columbus head coach Sigi Schmid knows his club's 4-0 win against New England is not what it appears to be.

The Revolution came to Crew Stadium with a chance to move into first with a win but left five points back and exhausted from their busy summer of SuperLiga, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League matches. Their 32nd game was a 4-0 loss Tuesday to Joe Public of Trinidad and Tobago that eliminated the Revolution from the Champions League tournament. Meanwhile, the Crew played their 27th match in all competitions on Saturday and was clearly the fresher squad.

"If you can't run you can't compete," New England coach Steve Nicol said. "We've traveled 20,000 miles the last three months. We played every fourth day. ... It's a physical impossibility."

Schmid agreed.

"Let's understand that New England is a team, as Stevie mentioned, that has played a lot of games and has guys injured. They're a quality team," the Crew coach said. "Our goal going into the game, our mantra for the last two days was to get into the game -- make it a 90-minute game, don't let New England off the hook. Don't let a tired team have a 45-minute game. We stuck to the gas pedal right from the start of the game.

"We were fortunate a bit that we got to play a tired team but there's also a thing that when you go into a game like that that you're supposed to win that it's difficult to accomplish. I was very proud of them because they came out and did the job."

The Crew pounced on the Revolution and received another brilliant effort from forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The 35-year-old maestro scored the first goal and assisted on the next two to continue his streak of contributing on Crew goals.

Over a four-game stretch, he had two goals and eight assists on the Crew's 10 goals. The run ended while was he resting on the bench and the Crew added their fourth goal, the second of the match by Jason Garey, in the 90th minute. Former Revolution midfielder Pat Noonan picked up his first Crew point on the play in his first appearance against his former club since being traded Aug. 6.

"They (New England) were worn down and the game was kind of over at that point but it was good to get out there and get a couple of minutes," Noonan said.

But the story continues to be Schelotto. The August MLS Player of the Month picked up where he left off. He scored the winning goal in the 39th minute, set up rookie defender Andy Iro's score in the 45th minute off a free kick and added another helper on Garey's goal in the 67th.

"Guillermo looks like he's 28 out there. He's everywhere," Iro said.

The Crew had a 27-4 shot advantage and had 13 of the total 14 shots on goal as the Revolution were unable to get anything going. Garey credited central midfielders Brian Carroll and Brad Evans with stifling the New England attack.

"We came out so hard, especially Brad and BC, the guys in the middle," Garey said. "They really didn't give New England a chance to get into the game at all. They were all over it. It was great."

The goal by Iro, a snap header from a Schelotto freekick, came at an opportune time and spelled the end for the Revolution.

"That gave us a good little boost into halftime and the third goal was the dagger," Iro said. "Again, good timely goals, a good team performance working hard.

"We knew that they'd be tired. We knew if we stepped on them early they would kind of tire. Luckily, we got the early goals that gave us the cushion and they tired toward the end."

The Crew knew New England might struggle but Noonan said that should not have affected how his team played.

"You still have to go out there and get results and we did that," he said. "Sure, they're tired but that's no excuse for us not to come out and play. We were all over them all night long and got a great result not only winning but putting the game away."

Schmid knows that despite stretching the lead ahead of the the Revolution, the final seven matches, including a rematch at New England on Sept. 27, will test the team.

"Obviously, you can tell I'm very proud of my team," he said. "Am I going to say we're the toast of the town and the best team ever? No, I'm not going to say that, but I think we can start talking about and thinking about that we want to win the league now. We want to win the Eastern Conference. It's not so much the playoffs, we've got a chance to do a little bit more, maybe we want to grab onto that thing called the Supporters' Shield.

"If we think we're there; we pat ourselves on the back, we're not going to do it. We've got to continue to keep our feet on the ground and do what we do which is work hard and make sure everybody fights for each other."


Crew rally in second half to beat FCD
Bayern edge seven-goal thriller
Good start for Karlsruhe

Rapids earn big road win at Dallas

FRISCO, Texas -- With both teams desperately needing a win to stay entrenched in the playoff picture, Mike Petke got the game's only goal to lead the Colorado Rapids to a 1-0 victory against FC Dallas on MLS Primetime Thursday at Pizza Hut Park.

Petke rose up completely unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box to head home a well-placed corner from Terry Cooke into the far side of the net for the eventual game-winner.

For the moment, the victory pulled Colorado all the way from last place in the Western Conference into a tie for third with Chivas USA, though Chivas plays at Toronto FC on Saturday. FC Dallas is now in fifth place, a point behind Colorado and Chivas.

Colorado interim head coach Gary Smith made several changes to his starting 11. In the back, Jordan Harvey got his first start since a 2-1 loss at Columbus on June 28 and Kosuke Kimura was in the first team for the first time since June 14.

In the midfield, winger Cooke returned after missing last week's 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake with a left hamstring injury and up top, Tom McManus returned for his first start since July 12 at San Jose.

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman, who was coaching his 10th game for the Hoops, also made some alterations to his starting 11. Defensively, Pablo Ricchetti moved from holding midfield to center back as captain Duilio Davino continues to be sidelined with a toe injury that has forced him to miss four matches.

With Adrian Serioux away with the Canadian national team for a World Cup qualifier, Drew Moor moved from the middle to right back. In the midfield. Michael Dello-Russo got just his second career start on the right side, in place of Andre Rocha. The Brazilian midfielder was not in the 18-man gameday squad in what was called an internal decision by the coaching staff.

FCD rookie Bruno Guarda got his second straight start at the attacking midfield spot while Marcelo Saragosa, who filled in for Ricchetti last week while he was on suspension, returned as the holding midfielder. Another surprise came on the left, where Anthony Wallace got the starting nod, his first action since May 24.

A quiet first half saw neither team greatly threaten their opponent's goal. In the 28th minute, Cooke struck a perfect corner that found McManus. The Colorado striker's shot might have gone high but Sala still got a hand on it in an acrobatic dive.

The home side came close in the 33rd minute when Kenny Cooper whistled a shot from about 25 yards out that brought a save out of Chivas USA goalkeeper Preston Burpo.

In the 35th minute, Jeff Cunningham found himself staring at an empty net when a bid by Burpo to strip him of the ball near the arc resulted in the Rapids 'keeper falling to the ground. Cunningham recovered the ball wide of the goal, and with a trio of Rapids players streaking back toward the goalmouth, the FCD forward sent an off-balance effort that bounced off the corner of the right crossbar and bounded harmlessly over the endline.

After neither coach made any changes to start the second half, Colorado nearly drew first blood in the 47th minute. After the ball bounced around the FCD area for what seemed like an eternity, Casey got possession about eight yards from goal but Aaron Pitchkolan was there at the right post to deny Casey's bid.

Cooper was heard from again in the 49th when he struck a nice ball from about 25 yards out from the right flank. The shot was aimed just inside the near post, but Burpo was there once again to deny the Dallas native.

Both coaches went to their respective benches not soon after. Hyndman summoned rookie Eric Avila for Wallace in the 52nd while Smith brought on John DiRaimondo for Pablo Mastroeni at the same time for the visitors.

In the 60th minute, Cooke swung in a from the right. Kenny Cooper appeared to have the responsibility for marking Petke, and when he got tangled with another player, Petke was left all alone to calmly head the ball back inside the right-hand post for his first goal since Sept. 8, 2007. For Cooke, it was his team-leading eighth assist of 2008.

After Petke's goal, Pitchkolan made a bid to draw the Hoops level in the 61st minute, but his effort was right at Burpo and the Colorado 'keeper was on point for the easy save.

Hyndman called on Dax McCarty in the 65th for Dello-Russo, and from the moment he came on the field he sparked the FCD attack. From a corner in the 80th minute, he found Moor inside the Rapids box but the FCD defender's shot sailed high. He later found Moor with a skipping ball through the box, but Moor put his diving header from close range just outside the left-hand post.

In the 83rd, McCarty again provided a spark when he spotted substitute Dominic Oduro open inside the Rapids area, but Oduro's attempted header went high over the goal.

In the 90th, Moor was whistled for a hard tackle on Colorado's Colin Clark. That gives the FCD defender five yellow cards, which means he will miss the Hoops' next match at D.C. United on Sept. 13.

Even with some five minutes of stoppage time to end the match, the best chance in the end went to the visitors when defender Facundo Erpen found himself wide open just outside the FCD box, but his shot curled wide of the left post.

FCD doesn't return to league action until Sept. 13 when they take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium, though they will play Mexican side Club America in a friendly at Pizza Hut Park on Sunday. Colorado next plays on Sept. 14, when they face the Chicago Fire at home.


Good start for Karlsruhe
Earthquakes shake, rattle Revolution
Houston holds on to beat RSL

Espindola injured in RSL draw

CARSON, Calif. -- On a night when Real Salt Lake remained in sole possession of second place and avoided a ninth road loss, RSL suffered many key losses in Saturday's match against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Just six minutes in, Real Salt Lake lost out on a chance to take an early lead when Fabian Espindola's goal was waved off for offside. Espindola, however, celebrated by doing a backflip and wound up breaking his leg.

Still, Real Salt Lake held a lead with 22 minutes remaining before the Galaxy pulled even and the two teams eventually split a pair of points following a 2-2 draw at The Home Depot Center.

"We're a bit disappointed in that result. We came into the game knowing that they were missing a lot of key players, a lot of important players and we were confident enough to come here and think we could take away the full three points," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "Having said that, we haven't been very good on the road this season so I think we have to do take some positive stuff out of the game."

The positives certainly kept Real Salt Lake in an advantageous position in the Western Conference table. With 31 points, RSL is atop all but Houston in the standings. The point also avoided another road setback as RSL improved its road record to 1-8-2.

Yet RSL had much more in its grasp. The Galaxy played without four players, including David Beckham and Landon Donovan, as they were away on international duty.

"A result on the road is something that has been hard for us this year and we were feeling that we were going to win that one so sure it gets us a little bit in the gut," RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. "It's still a point, we're still in second place and I guess we've just go keep our confidence up."

It looked like RSL would take advantage of the Galaxy's international absences early on. Espindola capped an early rally with an apparent goal after he re-directed a Kyle Beckerman shot from distance into the back of the net. Espindola glanced at the referee's assistant, who did not have his flag raised, and raced toward the middle of the field. Before his bench, Espindola did a backflip but landed awkwardly.

He crumpled to the ground while the match officials conferred and eventually took the goal away from the visitors.

"My initial indication from upstairs was that it was offside so I can't complain," Kreis said. "I wish they would have been a little quicker because then my player wouldn't have celebrated the goal and broken his leg."

For Espindola, the pain was immediate even if the realization of what had happened was not.

"I heard a little noise and I felt my foot give way. I had no solid footing when I came down," Espindola said. "They told me that it was possibly fractured and I knew that was probably what had happened. I didn't realize until way later (that the goal was disallowed). I thought I had scored and thought that for a while."

Instead, as team personnel tended to Espindola, the Galaxy took advantage. Edson Buddle placed a shot on goal that Rimando turned away, but the rebound fell to Jordan who scored the game's first goal.

Yura Movsisyan, who replaced Espindola in the ninth minute, equalized 12 minutes later. Movsisyan found the back of the net as RSL was rewarded for its attacking persistence.

"The Galaxy is known for giving up goals so we knew we'd get chances," Beckerman said. "It didn't affect us at all. We just kept playing and tied it up which we expected and took the lead which we expected."

RSL went up 2-1 when Will Johnson scored in the 52nd minute. Movsisyan combined with Johnson on the goal as Movsisyan slipped a return ball to Johnson on a one-two inside the area that Johnson did well to bury.

Coming off the bench for RSL, Movsisyan contributed a lot to his club.

"He's been very bright over the last few weeks and really making good decisions and scoring goals," Kreis said of Movsisyan. "Wednesday night he scored a goal against Tigres so I wasn't surprised to see him play well (Saturday) and score."

But RSL showed why the club owns one of the worst road records in the league. Ahead 2-1, RSL squandered the lead when Jordan found Buddle in front of the net. Buddle slipped free from RSL's backline easily knocked the equalizer into the back of the net.

"You give him in an inch and he's going to bury it," Beckerman said of Buddle. "He got two inches and he buried it. It was tough."

Still, the point earned could prove useful down the line.

"At the end of the day we did pick up a point on the road which is better than most of our road games this year," Kreis said.


Bayern edge seven-goal thriller
Rocchi ruled out for six weeks
Houston holds on to beat RSL

Americans outlast Cuba in Havana

HAVANA -- It is the eternal question not just for the U.S. national team, but for any team that is involved World Cup qualifying: What is more important? Playing pretty soccer or playing winning soccer?

Through the first two games of the CONCACAF semifinal round, the United States will tell you playing winning soccer, especially on the road. Despite not having played near to their potential, the USA won its second consecutive game, a 1-0 result against Cuba Saturday night.

It was an historic match for many reasons. It was the first encounter between the two sides on this Caribbean island since 1947. It also was the USA's third consecutive qualifying win on the road, a record, after Clint Dempsey's decisive goal in the 40th minute.

"Exactly where we wanted to be," striker Brian Ching said. "Two tough road games."

"It wasn't much soccer played in either game," U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra added. "Obviously two road games, two wins. You can't get much better than that."

Actually, the U.S. probably can. The USA certainly can produce more scoring chances. Their defensive backline of Frankie Hejduk, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyweu and Heath Pearce played well in front of goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was forced to make a spectacular stop on a deflection off Bocanegra in the dying minutes of the match before an estimated 10,000 spectators at Estadio Pedro Marrero.

The CONCACAF Group 1 semifinal encounter certainly will not go down in the books as one of the prettiest in U.S. soccer history. But it kept the U.S. (2-0) on track to reach next year's final round of qualifying. They play host to Trinidad & Tobago in Bridgeview, Ill. Wednesday.

The Cubans (0-2), however, moved a step closer to elimination as they face an uphill battle after losing two consecutive home games. They hit the road in Guatemala Wednesday.

They can thank Dempsey for part of that. Defender Oguchi Onyewu sent the ball in from the right side to Dempsey, who had two defenders on him. Cuba's Carlos Francisco got the ball but headed it off Dempsey and it went to Ching. Ching dumped the ball off to Dempsey, who then fired a 12-yard shot into the lower left corner past goalkeeper Odelin Molina.

"Brian Ching did a good job holding the ball up and laying it off to me," Dempsey said. "I tried to get a good first touch to open myself up to the goal and just hit it hard and low to the near post. That was a difficult one for the keeper to save." Howard, a former MetroStars netminder, made a diving, one-handed save to his right on a deflection off of Bocanegra, who was trying to clear a dangerous ball into the area in the 87th minute.

"It just got headed back in and I half went to clear it," said Bocanegra, who said the ball hit off his leg or shin. "It just skipped up on me. ... I stopped and I was in between it. It went for the goal and Timmy made an unbelievable recovery."

Added Howard: "We got away with it."

The last time the full U.S. national team played in Cuba, in 1947, it suffered a 5-2 loss. Much has changed, certainly politically, since then.

While there was some concern that the crowd would be hostile, the crowd actually cheered the U.S. during pregame introductions, although the public address announcer mistakenly called Maurice Edu, Freddy Adu. Adu was not with the team.

"Definitely a surprise," Dempsey said of the cheering. "We never experienced that, sometimes even playing at home."

In fact, many spectators started to file out in the 78th minute, obviously disappointed with their team. After referee Joel Antonio Aguilar called the game, the U.S. players appeared to be applauding the Cuban fans, who returned the praise. However, it wasn't as it seemed.

"There was just an American flag and some people there," forward Landon Donovan said. "We were just applauding them."

Due to severe travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba, U.S. soccer fans were few and far between. If any were at the game, it was because they were on special business here or entered the country in violation of the U.S. government. At least three Americans did make it down, although they apparently did it illegally since their faces were masked by red, white and blue flags to hide their identities. They also had a U.S. flag draped around their shoulders with a green Cuban hat with a mini-flag on it.

The quality of the game certainly wasn't helped by a field that had a good two hours of rain dumped on it prior to the match and for most of the second half.

Neither team had many chances. The USA, heavily favored entering the match, did not produce very many dangerous opportunities. Its lack of offense allowed the Cubans, who played with a lot of heart, to stay close. The opportunistic play of Roberto Linares and Jensee Munoz gave the hosts the ball in the attacking third, but they couldn't solve Howard.

"They actually played well," Donovan said. "They were a better team than what we thought they were. ... They did a pretty good job of making it hard on us. I don't think they ever took the chances to get back in the game."

Added Bocanegra: "They got tired towards the end."


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Champions poor on the road
U.S. dominant in World Cup qualifier
Buddle adds dimension to Galaxy

Wizards look to make move in West

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- When the Kansas City Wizards visit what promises to be a very steamy Robertson Stadium on Sunday afternoon, they believe Houston's aggressive play going forward leaves the two-time defending champs susceptible to counterattacks -- which could bring an all-important victory as the final two months of the season begin.

"At home they really come out and press the game. They want to pressure you," said forward Davy Arnaud. "[We've been] working on shape the last couple of weeks and how we want to approach the games on the road and going forward. It's important, especially this time in the season."

The Wizards have little wiggle room as they are presently seven points short of qualifying for the MLS Cup Playoffs with eight games remaining. Playing the Dynamo, currently top of the Western Conference, in Houston, is never a dream situation at anytime. Keeping the appropriate team shape to create turnovers and to attack quickly when taking possession will be imperative.

"Everybody knows that it is tough to go down and play in Houston," said Arnaud. "But we still feel like it's a place we can go and get points from, and that's the approach we're going to take."

The Wizards will be without midfielder Sasha Victorine due to injury, but their attack will be supplemented by Wednesday's addition of forward Herculez Gomez from the Colorado Rapids. It is unclear whether forward Abe Thompson, acquired Friday from FC Dallas for allocation money, will be on the gameday roster.

Houston's lineup will be shuffled on a grander scale though. Attacker Dwayne De Rosario and goalkeeper Pat Onstad (Canada) and forward Brian Ching and midfield enforcer Ricardo Clark (USA) will be on World Cup qualification duty. The loss of the four lynchpins is not as crippling as it might seem: a similarly depleted Dynamo team had no problem defeating Chivas USA 4-0 on Aug. 20.

The Dynamo still sport the second-lowest goals against average in MLS and are still deadly on restarts, thanks to the precise left foot of midfielder Brad Davis. For the Wizards, restarts remain a focus.

"We have to defend to the death when [they] have them. We've done better than last year in defending those, and, certainly, we've been very good on our attacking set pieces all year," said head coach Curt Onalfo.

Success on set pieces is underscored by central defender Jimmy Conrad topping the Wizards scoring chart with five goals. The team captain picked up a knock during the week but will be with the side in Dallas.

If the Wizards can keep their shape and take advantage of their opportunities on net, they are capable of taking a full three points, an accomplishment that would likely invigorate their run toward the playoffs as the Wizards return home for five of their final seven matches.

"This is the time where we need to get away from anything else but winning the game. We put ourselves in to a position where we have a long road to haul but it's in a short period of time if we're going to get to the playoffs," said technical director Peter Vermes. "If we're going to make some things happen, it has to be now. There's no more, 'Hey, we'll wait until the next game and hopefully we can get it there.' It's got to be now. So we have to make it happen."


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Tough stretch looms for Dynamo
Wizards secure must-win game
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United relish Open Cup victory

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United's quarters at RFK Stadium sounded every bit like a championship locker room in the wake of their U.S. Open Cup Final win on Wednesday night. A drumbeat of salsa and reggaeton thumped from the stereo as goalkeeper Louis Crayton's screams for champagne occasionally punctuated the happy chatter of a victorious team and its technical staff.

Relying on the quality of their South American contingent -- with the help of an unexpected bit of invention from a heretofore marginalized youngster -- United had held off a spirited Charleston Battery side to secure another piece of hardware for their dedicated fans and give themselves a timely dose of inspiration during a draining phase in their long campaign.

"This is a great boost of confidence for the group, because it was a difficult tournament," said defender Gonzalo Martinez. "At the beginning we struggled a little bit and it was very difficult for us. But this lets us know that we were able to overcome that, and obviously it's a very special moment right now. It gives us the security and confidence to keep working hard because we know that we can achieve great things when we work hard together."

The scoresheet will show that United's Brazilians did most of the damage, with Luciano Emilio and Fred finding the net on either side of Ian Fuller's well-taken equalizer. But Fred's gamewinner was made possible by one of the team's most mercurial talents, Rod Dyachenko -- and ironically enough he did so without even touching the ball.

Entering the game just seven minutes in when Emilio re-aggravated a groin strain, Dyachenko struggled to unlock the Battery back line in the first half. But his dummy of Clyde Simms' 50th-minute pass opened up the space that Fred used to craft United's all-important second goal.

"We talked about it at halftime," said Dyachenko afterwards. "I was looking more for balls over the top because they were sitting in so much in the first half. We talked about secondary runners like Fred and Santino [Quaranta] and Ivan [Guerrero] coming in behind like that. It's one of those plays where Clyde played a ball in and I realized that Fred was coming in diagonally to the middle and it was just going right into his path, so I just let it go. Fortunately it worked out for us."

United have long been enamored of Dyachenko's touch and vision, even giving up a first-round SuperDraft pick to reacquire him from Toronto FC last year, and he's been an understudy to smooth playmakers like Christian Gomez, Jaime Moreno and now Marcelo Gallardo in the hopes that he'll someday step into the role. But his stock dropped as this season unfolded and even he admitted some surprise at being head coach Tom Soehn's first option off the bench.

"It feels good. I didn't know I was going to step in but I felt good, helping my team win," he said. "Hopefully this is our first step in our quest for the [MLS] Cup, you know?"

Indeed, the larger tone of the evening was set by a few worn-looking veterans who sat quietly and absorbed the moment, savoring the club's first trophy in four years but also fully cognizant of its fleeting nature.

"It's a great feeling," said Simms. "It's my first championship as a professional. So it's great. We're going to enjoy it for a couple of days but then we've got to concentrate on the season."

Thursday afternoon brings a transcontinental road trip for another crucial league match in San Jose on Saturday, and soon this Open Cup triumph will be a memory. United's next task is to ensure that it becomes the springboard for a late-season push, and not a consolation prize for a season of underachievement.

"Getting a chance to run around with a trophy in front of our fans, who deserve it more than anybody, is a great feeling," said Soehn. "You remember that stuff. There are a lot of things you forget but situations and moments like that you remember. You want to taste that again. I hope they all got a great taste of it because there are other things that we still have to accomplish."

But for a club that resides at a facility steeped in U.S. soccer history and consistently nurtures some of the loftiest ambitions in MLS, Wednesday evening offered a welcome reward for months of toil.

"It's another one that goes in the case," said captain Jaime Moreno of United's 12th major honor, every one of which he has been of. "They keep adding [up] and that's what we want, that's what we work for. It's a tradition. The team always tries to be in the big picture of big tournaments of MLS. ... Right now we're glad that this is over and we've got a championship."


Guiza would relish Roma move
Fred, United spoil McBride’s return

Noonan ready for former mates

COLUMBUS -- Pat Noonan was eyeing Saturday's match in Columbus as he was set to join the Crew on Aug. 6. When it became apparent at the time that his return to Major League Soccer after six months in Norway would not be with the club he had spent the previous five seasons with, he looked at the schedule and saw two Crew games against Eastern Conference rival New England in September.

Noonan's first meeting with his former team is here this Saturday but the midfielder's focus is on the tight race, not renewing acquaintances. The front-running Crew hold a two-point advantage ahead of the Revolution with eight games left.

"It's a very big game, a possible six-point swing," he said. "We see them one more time (Sept. 27) and a lot of other Eastern Conference teams as well. To be playing at home against the team right behind you is a big win to get. It will be great to see them before and after but for the two hours we're playing in the game you forget about the friendship and you be competitive."

He opted to go overseas after the Revolution offered him a contract below the $225,000 he made in 2007. Noonan, who had 37 goals and 29 assists in 119 appearances for New England, signed with Aalesunds FK of Norway's Tippeligaen. He appeared in only 11 matches for Aalesunds and let his agent know in June he would be willing to return to MLS.

The Revolution still retained his rights and resigned him before trading him to Columbus for the Crew's first pick in the 2009 SuperDraft and allocation money.

New England was two points ahead of the Crew with two games in hand when the deal was struck but has had to endure an arduous schedule of U.S. Open Cup, SuperLiga and CONCACAF Champions League matches in addition to its MLS fixtures.

"They'll be ready to go," Noonan said. "They're exhausted -- anybody who plays that schedule would be -- so maybe we'll get a chance to take advantage of some tired legs. But at the same time maybe they get a little burst of energy going against the team ahead of them and find a way to win. We've got find a way to come out of the gate quick and put them under pressure and wear them down."

While the Revolution were eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday following a 4-0 loss to Trinidad and Tobago's Joe Public, Crew coach Sigi Schmid is still wary.

"They're an experienced team and obviously by what happened on Tuesday they showed MLS their emphasis is on MLS," he said. "They could care less about the CONCACAF tournament. They obviously had some injuries but they rested key people to play in the MLS games.

"They've won a lot of big games but they haven't won the ultimate crown, which is the MLS Cup. That's something those guys feel very, very hungry to do. They are still the team to beat in the East."

The Crew have won three in a row to take the lead in the chase for the Supporters' Shield. Noonan, though, has seen little of the field as tries to regain top form after a lack of playing time in Norway.

He started and went 58 minutes in his Crew debut Aug. 16 but was a substitute in the next two matches. He has no shots in 101 minutes.

"Obviously, I'd like to be out there from the get-go but I wasn't fit in the first game and you could tell. It was smart to bring me off the bench," Noonan said. "The two games I came off the bench we were winning so it was more defensive-minded so there's not going to be a whole lot of offensive output in those types of games, late in the game. I understand the decision and I'm behind it because I wouldn't be starting, either, if I wasn't 100 percent fit. As long as we're winning games, that's all that matters."

Schmid is not concerned, either.

"He's a good player and good players find their way on the field," the coach said. "It's not so much the fitness. It's the sharpness. When you don't really play first-team football for awhile -- he was really spot playing a little bit -- it takes awhile to get your sharpness and timing back and emotionally what he went through probably takes a little time.

"It's not like he's struggling with any of that but I've found that if you're rushing a player at that point that what you usually get is a guy that's injured or not performing the way he wants to and gets frustrated. That's not good for anybody."

Noonan admits being in the starting lineup against his ex-teammates would be special.

"Absolutely. You want to play against them and battle against them the entire game and have a laugh afterwards but whether it's 90 minutes or five minutes at the end it would still be nice to go out there maybe kick somebody or be kicked," he said.

His quest for more minutes could be met because forward Alejandro Moreno (Venezuela) is out of the first 11 because of national team duty. Schmid could start Jason Garey or Noonan up top.

"Pat's one of the options even though that's not necessarily one of his strongest positions," Schmid said. "He's still getting his feet wet with our team. We're still trying to get him into the rhythm of playing and training. Every day he is getting better and sharper. His time will come. I have no worries about that."

Schmid also has to make a change defensively because right back Frankie Hejduk will be in Cuba with the U.S. national team for a World Cup qualifier. Danny O'Rourke, who returns after a one-game caution points suspension, could get the nod.

"It's going to be a battle. Those guys really want this game because they've been in a rut just because of the number of games they've played," goalkeeper Will Hesmer said of the Revolution. "It's a big game for us. It's not only a six-point game but we can keep them down. We don't want to give them any confidence in the race for the Supporters' Shield and playoff position."

Playoffs? Columbus has not made the postseason since 2004 but Schmid said a match like Saturday's is exactly what's needed to gauge the progress.

"If the players feel a little bit of pressure from it I'm OK with that because if you want to win championships you're going to have to play some pressure games," he said. "That's the next stage of our evolvement. We have to be able to step into pressure games and the pressure's going to make us perform better and not make us nervous. That's the real test."


Crew look to Noonan for scoring spark
Owen Reiterates Praise For Keegan
“Couldn’t deal with the pressure”
High Noonan: Crew acquire forward

Kamara shines in rare set-up role

HOUSTON -- Houston Dynamo striker Kei Kamara was well aware of one glaring statistic that was arguably one of the most surprising on his personal tally sheet.

Entering Sunday's match against the Kansas City Wizards, Kamara, an MLS veteran of 54 matches, had never recorded a single assist in his career. Before the match he told a few friends of his that he wanted to get rid of that donut that, to some, makes him look like a selfish player.

But that zero is now gone, and gone for good. On a hot and sunny Sunday afternoon at Robertson Stadium, Kamara set up the Dynamo's first two goals of the game en route to a dominating 3-1 win.

"I promised myself that I needed to get one," Kamara said. "I was out there today to get one for sure and I was trying to do it and it all turned out perfectly."

In the 28th minute, Kamara had only Wizards 'keeper Kevin Hartman to beat, but he was at a bad angle, making a goal next to impossible.

That is when Kamara heard Brad Davis calling for the ball. Kamara slowed down and sent a perfect pass back to a trailing Davis, whose rising shot hit the back of the net just under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead.

"I did hear him calling for it and I couldn't be selfish," said Kamara, who now has two goals and two assists in six games since joining the team in a trade from San Jose in late July. "I knew Brad was going to have a better look there and with the way he has been going lately, it was an easy decision."

Davis has two goals and six assists in his last seven MLS games and is quickly moving up the Houston stat sheet. Davis now has three goals and seven assists overall.

Kamara helped make it 2-0 early in the second half when he made a nice play to keep the ball in bounds on the right flank after taking a long pass from Richard Mulrooney. Kamara fed the ball to a sprinting Stuart Holden, who tapped the ball over to Nate Jaqua for the team's second goal in the 54th minute.

"The way this team is going right now, we just have really good chemistry," Kamara said. "The way we are all moving the ball, I don't think it really matters who is in or who is out ... and those of us who have to spend some of the time on the bench, when it is our time to play, we are ready."

The next seven weeks are going to be difficult. With group play in the CONCACAF Champions League starting in 10 days, the Dynamo will be playing twice a week through Oct. 12. Houston is used to being shorthanded, though. They made Sunday's win look easy even without the services of Brian Ching (USA), Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad (both Canada), who were all out of action while helping their respective national teams in World Cup qualifying matches. Jaqua, who now has four goals and three assists in seven matches since his return to Houston, was happy with his two-goal performance and said the team was never worried about having to play without three of its biggest stars.

"Sure we are missing those guys, who wouldn't," said Jaqua. "We just have a real deep team and half of our bench could be starters elsewhere in the league. It is nice having that luxury, but at the same time we all know what we have to do to go out there and get wins."

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear was all smiles after his team's fourth consecutive home win. Sunday's start time had him concerned up the week before, but less than a half-hour after a dominating win in 90-degree heat, he was calm and more than happy to talk about the tough stretch that lies ahead for his team.

"The guys were really excellent today," Kinnear said. "We had a number of chances early in the first half. We deserved to be up 1-0 at the half and I told them at the break just to keep attacking, keep attacking.

"Today, I thought with the heat down there, that possession would be real important. With the upcoming schedule, it is important for us to get successful at home and we are. We have played some great attacking soccer in this stadium, and we have done it both with our best and while missing some key players."

At 8-1-3, the Dynamo have one of the best home records in the league. They will practice Monday in advance of next Saturday's match at San Jose, a team that has vaulted out of the Western Conference basement.

"We are having a lot of fun right now," Kamara said. "We are good at home, the team is as deep as I have ever seen, and everyone is feeding off each other."

And with two assists Sunday, Kamara is right in the middle of it for a team looking to become the first back-to-back-to-back MLS champion.


Houston holds on to beat RSL
Bentley shines in Spurs romp
Dynamo look for boost in SuperLiga

Wizards miss chance to gain ground

HOUSTON -- With the Houston Dynamo without four starters because of international duty - including leading scorers Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario - Sunday's match could have been a prime opportunity for the struggling Kansas City Wizards to steal a result against the Western Conference leaders.

However, the Wizards gave up a first-half goal to Brad Davis that started them chasing the game, then on the strength of two goals from Nate Jaqua, Houston put the game away early in the second half, handing the Wizards their fourth defeat in six games.

After the Wizards struggled to mount a coherent attack in the first half, Wizards coach Curt Onalfo made some aggressive substitutions at halftime, bringing in midfielder Carlos Marinelli and forward Abe Thompson for midfielder Kerry Zavagnin and injured defender Aaron Hohlbein. The move paid off initially - the Wizards got off three shots in the first six minutes of the second half, as many as they had in the entire first half.

"Aaron Hohlbein had an issue with his quad," Onalfo said. "I didn't want to put another defender in, because I knew I was going to need the subs at the end, so I decided to switch to a 3-4-3 so we could kind of take the game to them. I thought it worked - I thought we started getting momentum."

But the move left Kansas City vulnerable to counterattacks, and Houston took advantage twice in a 15-minute span, with Jaqua beating a defenseless Kevin Hartman twice from close range.

"For us, it was a basically a day of having to improvise - we go in with a game plan and a certain group of players. Then during warmup we have an issue with one of our players, so we have to make a change, and at halftime we have another issue, so all of a sudden we're forced to change some things," Onalfo said. "I thought it was a hard-fought game - the only thing I was pleased about with my team was that they didn't give up. And at the end of the day, I thought the better team won."

Onalfo was proud of his team's effort, as Texas native Davy Arnaud salvaged a goal for the Wizards, with his persistence in the penalty area allowing him to score in the 87th minute. Midfielder Claudio Lopez almost narrowed the deficit to 3-2 two minutes later, when he fired from close range off the near post.

"Our guys showed enormous grit to never give up, and we end up sneaking a goal at the end," Onalfo said. "And we could have had another one when Claudio hit the ball off the post."

With their defense already shorthanded after Matt Marquess cramped up in pregame warmups, the Wizards had an early scare when captain Jimmy Conrad had to leave the game briefly in the third minute after being shaken up on a hard challenge. Kansas City's best scoring chance in the first half came a few minutes later, when a professional foul against a streaking Josh Wolff gave the Wizards a free kick about 40 yards from goal.

The resulting service resulted in a good look at net for Lopez, about 10 yards out on the left side, but goalkeeper Tony Caig made a good save on the near-post shot, and the Wizards could not convert on the resulting corner. Lopez said the Dynamo did a good job of playing within themselves.

"They did everything they could to put us at a disadvantage, and they made it so they could have an easy game," Lopez said.

The result left the Wizards still tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with Toronto FC, both teams with 26 points. But with all the teams they are battling for the final spots in the MLS Cup Playoffs race also losing, the Wizards feel they can still reach the top eight.

"I'm disappointed but I can't worry about this," Onalfo said. "We have to worry about the next games - we have five of our last seven games at home and we have to make the most of that."


Wizards secure must-win game
Iraola Strike Sees Athletic Edge Villarreal
Wizards frustrated by missed victory

Galaxy, Real battle to draw in LA

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy managed to come from behind in the second half, but still saw their winless streak reach a club-record 11 games in a 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.

Bryan Jordan and Edson Buddle picked up a goal and an assist each as the Galaxy took an early lead, only for Real to go ahead on goals from Yura Movsisyan and Will Johnson on either side of halftime.

From the start, the visitors looked to take advantage of a Galaxy team missing the linchpins of its attack in Landon Donovan and David Beckham. Just five minutes into the game, RSL's talismanic striker, Fabian Espindola, made a nice run down the right side before cutting inside and unleashing a good shot on target. The shot however lacked the placement required to beat Josh Wicks, making his first career MLS start.

Less than a minute later, RSL were back on the attack and looked to have drawn first blood. A poor clearance floated to Kyle Beckerman at the top of the Galaxy penalty area, and Beckerman hit a full volley that Espindola flicked on past Wicks.

But Espindola was in a offside position, and although referee Michael Kennedy originally allowed the goal, the Galaxy immediately protested and some 40 seconds later the goal was ruled out.

In celebrating his apparent goal, Espindola did a backflip and injured himself on the landing. He had to be replaced, and left the field on crutches at halftime.

With Espindola still on the sidelines, the Galaxy took advantage very shortly thereafter. In the ninth minute, Buddle collected the ball in midfield and ran at defender Jamison Olave, beating him with a number of stepover moves. Buddle shot to the back post, just under Nick Rimando's hand, where Bryan Jordan ran onto the ball and tapped it home.

After the goal, it was Salt Lake putting on most of the pressure again. In the 17th minute, Javier Morales received a long ball over the top of the Galaxy back line. Morales rounded a charging Wicks, but pushed his shot wide of the open net.

Two minutes later, Morales sent a free kick in from the right flank that found a wide open Nat Borchers inside the area. The center back put a powerful header on goal, but right at Wicks, who made the save.

Real Salt Lake finally leveled the score in the 21st minute. Will Johnson played an early cross to Kenny Deucher at the penalty arc, and the Scotsman flicked the ball onto the back post where Yura Movsisyan was running free. Movsisyan, who had come on for Espindola, collected the ball and tucked it past Wicks.

Even though RSL enjoyed the majority of the possession, it was the Galaxy who generated the last scoring chance of the first half. Just past the half-hour mark, Buddle found Greg Vanney pushing up from the midfield. Vanney shot from 20 yards out, but his effort skipped wide of the back post.

Seven minutes into the second half, Real took the lead. The attack came from a great 1-2 move between Johnson and Movsisyan. Johnson wound up with the ball in the box, and curled a right-footed shot past Wicks, off the inside of the right post and into the back of the net.

In the 57th minute, the Galaxy went looking for an answer. Chris Klein took a free kick from deep in the midfield and his cross made its way to Alan Gordon. But the Galaxy striker's header sailed over the crossbar and out for a goal kick.

The Galaxy finally found the answer in the 69th minute. Josh Tudela received a long ball on the left flank and played a cross to the back post where Jordan collected it, beat a defender to the end line, and crossed the ball along the edge of the six. Aimed for Gordon, the ball deflected to Buddle, who got a touch to the ball, got his body squared and fired home the equalizer from close range.

Following the Galaxy goal, the game turned into a defensive stalemate as neither team generated much in the way of offense. Neither side generated a shot on goal over the final 20 minutes of the game, leaving the Galaxy still searching for the full compliment of points with Bruce Arena at the helm.

The Galaxy's next chance will come next Saturday when they take on the Kansas City Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium, while Real Salt Lake remain on the road, traveling to take on the New York Red Bulls.


Real Salt Lake roll past San Jose
Fulham held in final friendly

Defense key part of Quakes' streak

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- No MLS team has had a longer unbeaten streak this year than San Jose's current run of eight games, and while their offense, powered by newcomers Darren Huckerby, Francisco Lima, Scott Sealy and Arturo Alvarez, has been getting plenty of the credit, the Earthquakes strong play on the defensive side of the ball has been just as critical to their climb toward a playoff spot.

Going into Saturday night's 2-1 win over D.C. United, San Jose sported the second lowest goals-against total in the league (tied with Houston). In the 10 games since a 3-1 loss at D.C. on June 22, the Quakes have allowed just seven goals.

"We don't seem to give up many easy chances. That's the sign of a good back four and goalkeeper," Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop said. "But the team defends as a team. It starts with the guys up front, and then the guys in midfield have to work real hard to make it difficult for the opposition to play. Then obviously our back line is solid and strong and brave, and we have probably the best goalkeeper in the league right now. Things are good at that end."

From the day the Quakes were reformed in the expansion draft, the club's defense was expected to be its strong suit. That is now coming to fruition.

"I think Frank (Yallop) and (general manager) John (Doyle), from day one, wanted to put together a good defensive unit," defender Nick Garcia said. "Defense is what's going to lead us to a championship. I think we've had it all year, we've finetuned it, and we've done better and better. Tonight, we would've liked to have shutout, but a win's a win, as pretty or as ugly as it might be."

San Jose controlled the run of play for the first 75 minutes Saturday night, and enjoyed a 2-0 lead through goals by Alvarez and Huckerby before a late goal by Santino Quaranta got United back in the match.

"Darren could've scored five tonight," Yallop said. "We should've scored more before halftime to see the game out. We didn't, and then they get that one goal and it makes a difference. At 2-1 they were throwing everything forward and were a little unlucky not to squeak something. I thought D.C., to be fair to them, could've gotten a draw out of the game in the end."

With the win, San Jose now has 28 points and sits in fourth place in the Western Conference, just two points shy of a playoff spot.

"I'm probably the worst guy to talk to after a win like this because I'm a little disgruntled and upset we didn't get the shutout, and we made it so hard on ourselves," goalkeeper Joe Cannon said. "It's good that we got three points, but at the same time, I expect perfection out of this defense. These guys are all professional and I think we all understand that defense is first and foremost the strength of our team. I demand even better than what we've been seeing, not only from them, but from myself."

The Earthquakes next face the division leaders, two-time defending MLS Cup champions Houston, in a home-and-home series.

"Since the new guys have come, we've played great at home. And now we've got an absolute war with the best team in our league coming up," Cannon said. "It's good to test what we're about against the best and see what we can do at home against those guys. They're playing really well right now, and we're playing pretty well right now.

"But I'll tell you what, if we come out like we did tonight against a Houston team that's on all cylinders, it's not going to be pretty. So this week, we're going to have to get back to our blue-collar ways, spend a little more time at the office, and win some games."

At the start of August, the Quakes were firmly entrenched in last place, eight full points out of a playoff spot. Then came a 3-2 win against arch-rival Los Angeles at home, and the forward surge began.

"We control our destiny," Garcia said. "We have two important games coming up, Houston home and away, and for us, two big games. Our destiny is in our hands. We've got the guys to do it. We've got to keep on fine tuning things, and work hard. If we do that, we should be in the playoffs."


Jose has Arshavin doubts
Quakes encouraged by road ahead
Liga Isn’t Over Yet - Schuster

Jaqua's double fuels Dynamo victory

HOUSTON -- The Houston Dynamo are starting to run away from the competition in the Western Conference. On a hot afternoon at Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo increased their lead to seven points ahead of Real Salt Lake with a 3-1 whipping of the Kansas City Wizards.

Nate Jaqua scored two second-half goals, Kei Kamara added the first two assists of his MLS career and Brad Davis scored his third goal in the last seven games to help the Dynamo win for the fourth consecutive match at home.

And the Dynamo did all this without the services of three key players. Brian Ching (USA), Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad (both Canada) were all out of action while helping their respective national teams in World Cup qualifying matches.

Tony Caig filled in nicely in goal for the unflappable Onstad. Caig made one save, and nearly shut out the Wizards for the second time this season. Caig improved to 3-1-3 while filling in for Onstad this season and allowed just a goal by Nederland, Texas native Davy Arnaud in the 87th minute.

Houston dominated the first half, but thanks to bad luck and great goalkeeping by Kansas City's Kevin Hartman, the score was just 1-0 at the break.

Stuart Holden got free and took a perfect cross from Waibel in the 10th minute. Holden's header was a bit high, but Hartman got a hand on it to keep the game scoreless in the early going.

Ten minutes later, Kamara broke free and fired a shot on goal from about 23 yards out, but again, Hartman was there to make a stop.

In the 24th minute, Brian Mullan got around the K.C. defense and saw Kamara with room inside the box and to the right of the Wizards goalkeeper. But midfielder Kerry Zavagnin slid into the pass, knocking the ball out of harm's way.

In the 28th minute, the Dynamo finally broke through. Kamara raced ahead of the defense to corral a long flick-on in the left corner, stopped and slid a pass back to a trailing Davis, who blasted a left-footer just under the crossbar inside the near post to make it 1-0.

Davis is one of the league's hottest players at the moment and has recorded two goals and eight assists in his last seven MLS matches.

The goal was a beauty, but Kamara's work on the play cannot be discounted. Instead of forcing a shot, he held up the ball and set up an unmarked Davis and his midfielder delivered. For Kamara, it was his first career MLS assist in 54 matches.

Before the break, the Dynamo had two more chances to double their lead, but Davis bounced what could have been an easy goal off the turf and over the crossbar in the 41st minute.

Two minutes later, Kamara got control of a loose ball and fired a shot on goal from 17 yards out only to be denied yet again by Hartman.

Putting the heat and home-field advantage to good use, the Dynamo finally put the Wizards away with a dominating second-half performance even as Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson made their respective debuts for Kansas City.

Before leaving to a nice ovation in the 83rd minute, Jaqua cut the K.C. defense to pieces, getting open twice to break open what was a close match.

In the 54th minute, he found room just inside the box, took a square pass from Holden and fired a shot underneath Hartman. Kamara made a nice play just to control a long pass on the right flank, and the Dynamo were rolling.

Just under 15 minutes later, Craig Waibel, getting the start with De Rosario gone, sent a beautiful long through ball to Jaqua, whose shot from inside the box flew just under the crossbar in the 68th minute, effectively ending any and all hope for the Wizards.

Arnaud provided a late consolation for the Wizards when he charged down a clearance attempt by Wade Barrett, fought off the Dynamo fullback to reach the deflection and powered the ball home from close range.


Salt Lake play Kansas City to draw
Houston holds on to beat RSL
DAVIS IN FOUR-WAY TIE FOR LEAD

Crew pad MLS lead with win over Revs

COLUMBUS -- Behind the play of MVP candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the Columbus Crew downed the New England Revolution 4-0 at Crew Stadium on Saturday night, their fourth consecutive win while increasing their lead in the Eastern Conference to five points ahead of the Revolution.

Schelotto, the MLS Player of the Month for August, continued his string of contributing to Crew goals with a goal and two assists on the first three scores. It gave him two goals and eight assists on 10 consecutive Crew goals over the past four games.

With Schelotto resting on the bench for the final seven minutes, his streak ended when ex-Revolution midfielder Pat Noonan set up substitute forward Jason Garey for his second goal of the match in the 90th minute.

The Crew took a 2-0 lead into the break thanks to Schelotto. He put Columbus ahead in the 39th minute with his sixth tally of the season and added his league-best 17th assist in the 45th minute when his free kick was headed in by rookie defender Andy Iro for his first goal.


Disastrous stretch dooms Crew
One touch per minute
Crew rally in second half to beat FCD
The Bundesliga’s goal-machine

Cuba hosts U.S. in World Cup match

HAVANA -- With nearly five decades of political tensions between the governments of two countries as the backdrop for an historic match, the U.S. national team players and coaches say that their World Cup qualifier against Cuba Saturday will be business as usual.

Much is at stake for both sides.

The Cubans, who were beaten at home 3-1 by Trinidad & Tobago in their first qualifier, desperately need a victory in the CONCACAF semifinal round encounter to keep their already flagging hopes alive.

"It is difficult, but not impossible," Cuba's German coach Reinhold Fanz said.

A second consecutive road win would boost the U.S., 1-0 winners in Guatemala Aug. 20, into the drivers' seat in their quest to reach the final round and eventually their sixth consecutive World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

"First and foremost, it's a World Cup qualifier," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "The way we go about preparing for these games doesn't change."

But it is a rare opportunity for a U.S. sports team to play in a country that hasn't hasn't formal relations with the states in almost 50 years. The only time the full U.S. national team played here was in 1947.

"I understand the significance of the fact here we are Americans coming into Cuba to play a game," defender Danny Califf said. "More than anything we are concentrating on the game. It is a little difficult to remove yourself a little for all of the other reasons why we're here."

Not many players were about to shake the status quo when they spoke to the media after practice at Estadio Pedro Marrero Friday evening.

"It's as same as any game," defender Frankie Hejduk said. "I try to take every game the same. Everyone is a professional. Everyone has to take the game as serious as possible. It doesn't matter who it is against. At the end of the day it's about qualifying for the World Cup, not the individual teams we have to beat for the World Cup."

Some U.S.-based journalists have written that the U.S. team will receive a hostile reception from the crowd. But a number of local sports fans and Cuban Soccer Association president Luis Hernandez said that would not be the case.

A capacity crowd of 17,000 is expected for the match. A number of people and government officials have been invited to attend the match for free while the general public will be charged one peso to enter the stadium -- which is the equivalent to 10 cents. An association official said the peso was a symbolic form of payment.

"You can see that you have been very well welcomed in the country," Hernandez told U.S. journalists Friday morning. "Your best players will be cheered by the spectators. Our spectators identify with this discipline. You have a very warm welcome not only following that discipline, but by our spectators."

The match is a big deal for the Cubans to foster goodwill and public relations with the United States and the rest of the world. Stadium officials certainly were sprucing up the grounds, giving the outside of the stadium another coat of blue paint. While workers inside replaced parts of the roof near one of the goals (one of the pieces of the slate roof fell late afternoon, but no one was injured). On one side of the stadium, workers were building scaffolding for the ESPN crew -- announcers, cameramen and other cable network officials.

On the field, two men with hand-held gas lawnmowers cut the grass.

Beyond the track that surrounded the field was the scoreboard that will need to be updated by hand. It already had some important information: abbreviations of the names of the participating teams -- CUB and USA.

Hernandez said it was not known whether Cuban president Raul Castro, the brother of former president Fidel, would attend the match.

But he did praise the progress of U.S. soccer. "It has been an amazing development," he said. "It can be appreciated with all the work you have carried out with your players at different times. We respect what you have been able to do with your discipline in your country. ... For us, the best way to respect you is to defeat you on the pitch."

While baseball is king here, Cuba has been involved in soccer for some time. Its only World Cup appearance was in 1938, when it did not have to qualify for the World Cup; the country entered the competition and was accepted to play. In those days, the world's greatest sporting spectacle were in its infancy and hardly given the respect it gets now.

The Cubans acquitted themselves quite well. They played Romania to a 3-3 draw in the first-round knockout competition. In the replay, Cuba prevailed 2-1 against the European side, only to lose 8-0 in the quarterfinals to Sweden, the team's worst defeat in history.

As it turns out, Bradley has a family connection to Cuba. As a Marine, his father Gerry served in Guantanamo Bay around 1950. Bradley has black-and-white pictures of his father taken at the U.S. naval base.

"It's a very beautiful place," he said. "I'm sure it's different now, but it will be really interesting to see [Cuba] in person."

When he first heard the U.S. was playing in Cuba, Califf was hoping he would be selected for the team.

"I was excited," he said. "I was hoping to be part of the game to be here and be apart of it and to see a place that is mythical."

U.S. forward Landon Donovan wasn't surprised on the little he had seen in his first two days. "I didn't have many preconceived notions," he said. "I think it's mostly what you expect from a Caribbean island country. The people have been fantastic. Everybody is very friendly and it seems they are very excited for us to be here."

Due to the U.S. embargo and the lack of communication between the two countries, many U.S. citizens don't know about this Caribbean island.

"You know, I really didn't know what the expect, to tell you the truth," Califf said. "It's kind of a mysterious land for Americans and for me. But I heard that the've got old cars and stuff like that. But that's about it. I really felt like I stepped out of a time machine. It's just surreal. The buildings and the cars and just how everything is."

Califf bought some Cuban shirts for his son and daughter.

"It was a huge market," he said. "People were hawking things everywhere. There was some amazing art there and a lot of cool things that I wish we could bring back."

According to U.S. regulations, citizens can bring back education material, books and art. Cigars, of course, are forbidden. Each citizen is allowed to spend about $180 a day.

The U.S. team's hotel is just off the water. But there there wasn't enough time to check out the waves for Hejduk, an avid surfer, to take advantage of it in his short time here.

"It's very beautiful," he said of Cuba. "The water's beautiful. No, I haven't seen a wave. I don't think Bob [Bradley would] want to hear of [that] ... I was hoping there would be some leftover waves from the hurricane. It's pretty flat."

If the U.S. winds up qualifying for the Cup, Hejduk could be rewarded if the Americans wind up playing in Cape Town near the Cape of Good Hope, where the surf is up all the time.

But as the U.S. team said, first things first: they need to beat Cuba.


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Wicks set to make first MLS start

CARSON, Calif. -- Josh Wicks will make his first-ever MLS start on Saturday for the Los Angeles Galaxy when they take on Real Salt Lake at The Home Depot Center. While Saturday's game will be Wicks' first start, it isn't his first taste of MLS action. The Galaxy 'keeper played the entire second half against New England last week after regular starter Steve Cronin left the match with a fractured hand.

Cronin could miss as many as six weeks while recovering from his injury, giving Wicks a chance to shine.

"It's towards the end of the season and I want to show what I can do and show the reasons that (the Galaxy) brought me here," said Wicks. "I want to let the fans know that there is more than one 'keeper that is able to perform. I want to go out there and have fun, have a blast."

Thankfully for Wicks, he feels he won't be overwhelmed by nervous tension thanks to the minutes that he saw against the Revolution. But he admits there will be some anxious energy to burn as Saturday's kickoff approaches.

"(Last Saturday) got my feet wet. It took a little bit of the nerves off. It helped to shake off some of the nerves and getting rid of some cobwebs a bit," said Wicks. "I'm looking forward to Salt Lake. I think if you don't get nervous, there's something wrong. Everybody wants to do well, everybody wants to play well. Nobody wants to make a mistake."

Despite his lack of experience, head coach Bruce Arena is giving Wicks his seal of approval. Outside of training, Arena hasn't seen much of his backup 'keeper, but he has been able to rely on his staff to key him in on what to expect.

"Josh has trained hard and my understanding is he's done well in the preseason and throughout year," said Arena. "I think he's prepared to play."

With the Galaxy's third string 'keeper, Charles Alamo, also on the injured list, the Galaxy will be calling in a backup from the league's emergency pool of goalkeepers as a backup this weekend. To say that Wicks is the de facto starting 'keeper due to the circumstances would be an accurate statement. It also wouldn't be a fair one. Wicks was the USL goalkeeper of the year last season with the Portland Timbers, so he does have some impressive credentials.

"(MLS) is sharper (than USL). I wouldn't say it's extremely better, but it's better," said Wicks. "(MLS) is not as direct. The finishing is a lot more clinical in MLS."

Wicks will be relying on his defense to limit the opportunities for RSL this weekend. However, it's likely that he will be called upon to make some saves, and Wicks feels he's ready for that challenge.


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Hoops facing must-win vs. Rapids

FRISCO, Texas -- FC Dallas has been a tough team to figure out all year. There were flashes of something special early in the year but the Hoops have also been second-best on a number of occasions in 2008. One thing is for sure, if they are to make the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, their ESPN MLS Primetime Thursday match with the Colorado Rapids at Pizza Hut Park qualifies as a must-win.

That's how FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman sees it.

"I think this is one of those games that we must win," Hyndman said. "When we were at the 10-game threshold, we talked about winning all of our (remaining) home games and then trying to steal some points on the road. Winning all those home games would have given us 15 points but we just lost to Columbus. So, now we've got to win the next four home games and try to steal some points on the road. Our future is in our hands. We have the ability to put ourselves in the playoffs. It's really coming down to character tests, scoring goals and not giving up soft ones."

The Hoops come off a 2-1 loss to Columbus on Saturday in Frisco. FCD took an early lead off Jeff Cunningham's second goal with his new side but surrendered their edge in short order and were trailing not soon after in the loss. Two momentary mental lapses led to the Crew's goals, something Hyndman wants to see quickly corrected.

"Part of it is the leadership and players on the field," he said. "We have Duilio (Davino), Marcelo (Saragosa) and Pablo (Ricchetti). I think they're all experienced players who keep talking and keep people focused. I think that's one way (to help avoid these lapses). I think another way is to do training where we're up 1-0 with five minutes left to work on staying focused to put them back into that mentality.

"What we have to do is develop a culture of winning. We don't have that and haven't had that here," Hyndman continued. "In my time with the team, I don't think we've developed that, which is if you show up on the field, we're going to win the game. If they're up 1-0, we're going to find a way to win the game. We're trying to develop that culture of winning."

The FCD backline will look a bit different against Colorado. Adrian Serioux is away with the Canadian national team and Drew Moor will slide over to right back from the middle to fill his spot. And Hoops captain Duilio Davino could return to the middle alongside Aaron Pitchkolan after missing the last four games with a toe injury.

Moor spent much of the year on the right flank, so Hyndman clearly feels comfortable with him in that spot.

"He is versatile and can play center back or right back," Hyndman said. "It's a different position. At center back, you're dealing with more of a physical game, more of an air game. On the flanks, you're dealing more with one-v-one and trying to deny services. You're also looking at a player that releases the defense in the attack and has better passing qualities. Those types of things are more the characteristics of a wide player."

At the holding midfield spot, FCD gets Ricchetti back after he missed the Columbus game on suspension.

"It's not just having his presence, the qualities of leadership and communication are also important," Hyndman said of the veteran Argentinean. "When you go with young players, they will make inexperienced mistakes. What Pablo and Duilio both do is have a rich level of experience and are able to share that through experience. Having him back is good for us."

For each of the last two games, Dax McCarty has played on the left of midfield, a position unfamiliar to him since Dutch international Victor Sikora is sidelined with a knee injury.

"There are two issues with Dax but I think he's done average," Hyndman said. "The first issue is embracing the position. It's a mental thing and I don't think he's done that. I think he's embraced the fact that he's in the top 11 and he'll play anywhere you put him but he'll always gravitate back to where he wants to play, in the center.

"The other thing is that he doesn't really have the characteristics that flank players naturally have. Everybody has different qualities, so we're asking him to play a position that's not to his best. Characteristics of a flank player are that they take people on one-v-one and serve quality balls," Hyndman continued. "I think he can do that just not from the left side. Flank players also need to get forward, be part of the strike force and penetrate. I don't think those areas fit him perfectly but we're trying to get our better players on the field."

FCD has yet to beat the Rapids this year. On June 1, the sides met at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and the home side prevailed 2-1 getting goals from Conor Casey in the first half and Tom McManus in the second.

On July 19, the two squads faced off in Frisco and finished in a 2-2 draw. Colorado drew ahead early when Herculez Gomez connected in the fifth minute. FCD answered with goals from Kenny Cooper and Juan Toja but Casey bailed out the Rapids with a strike in the 67th minute to secure the draw.

That draw was only the second time that Colorado has left Frisco with a point. In fact, the Rapids have a six-match winless streak against the Hoops away from home. Their last win in Dallas came on May 18, 2005 at the Cotton Bowl.

No matter the setting, the FCD players know to expect a battle every time the Rapids pop up on the schedule.

"It's always a tough game whenever we play Colorado," McCarty said. "I think I described them as a scrappy team and they like to grind out results. It's always a battle against them. We're in the same conference and it's an important game for both teams. We expect a tough game. We're both kind of fighting for our playoff lives right now, so it's going to be a tough game."

Moor agreed. "Colorado is a tough team to play," he said. "I feel like most games we have against them are one-goal games and could go here or there. It's just about outworking them. We have to match their intensity and play good soccer. If that happens, things could take care of themselves."

Like his coach, McCarty calls Thursday