Wizards outlast Rapids in shootout

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Goals from Ryan Pore and Ivan Trujillo propelled the 10-man Kansas City Wizards into extra time and then a penalty kick shootout, and 5-3 victory there sent the Wizards into the U.S. Open Cup tournament proper after battling to a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday evening at Shawnee Mission District Stadium.

Pore gave the Wizards a lead before Herculez Gomez tied it before halftime. Jacob Peterson then put the Rapids ahead early in the second half before Trujillo scored four minutes before the end of regulation time.

Kurt Morsink beat Rapids goalkeeper Preston Burpo with the final kick of the shootout as the Wizards converted all five of their penalties to advance. The win in the U.S. Open Cup play-in match now gives the Wizards the chance to battle for a second cup this season in addition to MLS Cup.

Third-year goalkeeper Eric Kronberg started between the posts for the Wizards, his second consecutive start after shutting out CSD Municipal of Guatamala last Saturday in the inaugural New Mexico Cup. Other noteworthy changes to the K.C. starting XI included Jonathan Leathers at right back and Ryan Pore at left midfield.

The Wizards took the lead in the 20th minute. Finding Pore on the left wing, open space beckoned and the 24-year-old converted forward raced toward Burpo and slotted the ball smoothly under his left side and into the far corner of the net.

Another well-weighted through ball helped even the score 16 minutes later. Rapids midfielder Ciaran O'Brien played Herculez Gomez through on the right edge of the Wizards box where Gomez redirected the ball between closing center back Tyson Wahl and an onrushing Kronberg. As Gomez was bundled over by Wahl, the ball bounded slowly into the far left corner. Gomez, who had been the most active Rapids player on the night, stayed on the pitch for a few minutes afterward but soon recovered.

Kansas City's attack pushed the Rapids into their own end in the opening minutes of the second half where the Wizards gained a corner and often swarmed near Burpo's net. Yet it was Colorado who was opportune in the 58th minute. Nearly on the receiving end of a K.C. defensive error a minute earlier, substitute Peterson nodded home a Mehdi Ballouchy cross over a defending Pore.

Now in need of two goals for the win, Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo inserted a third forward in Eloy Colombano for Wahl and midfielder Kurt Morsink for midfielder Kerry Zavagnin in the 66th minute.

Colorado countered with the speed of frontrunner Omar Cummings, who in the 77th minute outran center back Jimmy Conrad and nearly gave K.C. the death knell with a well-angled shot to the far post that just went wide.

Three frontrunners proved better than one though in the 86th minute as Trujillo leveled the match after coming on five minutes earlier. Claudio Lopez outmaneuvered two Rapids on the left wing to serve into the box. The cross was deflected down for the 25-year-old Colombian, who made no mistake from eight yards. The goal was Trujillo's third in two games, having tallied both for the Wizards in their friendly over the weekend.

The twists and turns continued in the 90th minute as Davy Arnaud earned his second yellow card, leaving the Wizards with 10 men as regular time expired and a half-hour of overtime awaited.

The Rapids were the most dangerous in the first extra session as both Colin Clark and Brian Grazier let go from distance to challenge Wizards goalkeeper Kronberg. Clark's arrow found Kronberg while Grazier's sailed tantalizingly wide of the far post.

The second 15-minute session saw the Rapids hold much of the ball but the Wizards the better chances on the counter. Lopez led the charge for Kansas City with a shot in the 115th minute. Three minutes later it was Clark playing the same role for Colorado as he drew a free kick 25 yards out with a speedy run down the right flank, resulting in a near miss.

In the shootout, the Wizards' Jack Jewsbury and the Rapids' Rafael Gomes took their leadoff opportunities followed by Lopez and Ballouchy, then Trujillo and Grazier, respectively. Conrad scored the fourth for the Wizards, then Facundo Erpen hit the crossbar, giving Morsink the chance to win it for the Wizards. He did, and he sent the crowd home happy and the Wizards elatedly into the round-of-16 in the U.S. Open Cup.

Eager K.C. eyes Open Cup berth

Cunliffe making most of opportunity

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- John Cunliffe's first few months with the San Jose Earthquakes couldn't have been easy. As the Quakes attack struggled for goals game after game, he watched a slew of forwards get an opportunity to prove that they were the answer to the team's offensive woes. The Englishman, it appeared, was a mere afterthought.

Yet Cunliffe, who was acquired from Chivas USA back on March 28, simply bided his time, and his patience was rewarded last Saturday when he came of the bench to score San Jose's only goal in a 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake. It marked the first time that the Quakes had scored on the road in more than a month.

"Obviously you want to be on the field from the start, but you just have to come off the bench and show the manager you should be playing," said Cunliffe. "Getting a goal is always nice, so maybe that will help my case."

That appears to be exactly what has happened, as Cunliffe now looks set to start alongside Ryan Johnson in this weekend's match against Columbus. The Fort Lewis College product has no doubt benefited from the absence of Kei Kamara, who is away on international duty with Sierra Leone, but Cunliffe is determined to make the most of his continued opportunities.

"Whenever I can get on the field, I've got to show that I want to play, I want to win, and I can help the team," he said.

Based on his performance against RSL, the biggest contribution Cunliffe has made is just being aggressive towards goal. The Quakes are ranked dead last in nearly every offensive category, with their shots and shots on goal totals lagging well behind the rest of the league.

And against Real Salt Lake, Cunliffe showed no hesitation in pulling the trigger. Not only did his laser from 18 yards beat goalkeeper Nick Rimando in the 84th minute, but he nearly duplicated the feat from even further out a few minutes later, with his shot flashing just wide. It was the kind of performance that definitely caught the eye of manager Frank Yallop.

"[Cunliffe] has looked good, and he's looked good again in training," said Yallop. "It's amazing what a goal or a little bit of confidence does for anybody."

Given that San Jose has dropped three games in a row on the road, that self-belief is a quality that has been in short supply. But Cunliffe's other attributes are benefiting the Quakes as well. A career spent mostly in midfield allowed the Bolton, England native to develop the more creative aspects of his game, and given the lack of precision San Jose has shown in attack, Cunliffe feels he can add some new wrinkles to the Quakes' offense.

"[The other forwards] are big, strong, quick, and a bit of a nuisance for the other teams," said Cunliffe. "I play more off of the other forward, a little bit more in the hole, and I find the gaps a little bit easier than those guys. We all bring different things. It's just finding the right mix."

Yallop and the rest of the Quakes will be desperate to find that winning recipe this weekend against the Crew. If they do, chances are Cunliffe will be the primary ingredient.

Quakes disappointed with RSL result

Yallop not ready to make changes

Shorthanded Quakes stay positive

Angel's grit, goal lift Bulls past Chivas

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J -- The pain in his hamstring is still there. That was evident in the final minutes of the match, when Juan Pablo Angel limped up and down the field. But the former Colombian international still scored the game-winning goal for the New York Red Bulls in a 1-0 victory against Chivas USA Thursday night at Giants Stadium.

Angel scored with a quarter-hour left in the match, heading Dane Richards' cross past Brad Guzan from 11 yards out for his second goal of the year. Richards, whose pace down the right flank was one of the Red Bulls' lone effective threats going forward, found space on the right side of the box and sent an effective cross just inside the penalty spot.

That's where an unmarked Angel headed the ball into the net, ending the Red Bulls' three-game winless streak.

Chivas USA came into the Meadowlands having won three games in a row, but lost its first game since dropping a 2-1 decision against New England on May 11.

Jozy Altidore, whose pending transfer to Villarreal in Spain's La Liga was the topic of conversation around MLS, did not play against Chivas. The 18-year-old phenom, who addressed the media before the match, suffered a left ankle contusion in training Monday and didn't practice the rest of the week.

Also missing the match for the Red Bulls was Claudio Reyna, who was diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back in a Monday MRI.

Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio went with a 4-5-1 formation, using Angel as a lone striker.

The best scoring chances for the Red Bulls in a rather lackluster first half came from the speed of Danleigh Borman and Richards on the flanks. In the 21st minute, Borman found Richards down the right and the second-year midfielder ran at Francisco Mendoza. Richards danced around the converted Chivas fullback, but his low shot rolled wide of the far post.

In the final minute of the first half, Richards' cross from the right was pushed away by Guzan, whose flight didn't land at Newark International Airport until 2 p.m., got a hand on the ball and was able to tap it away from an onrushing Borman before finally corralling it just inside the penalty area.

Guzan didn't need to make his first save until the 63rd minute, on a long distance bouncing attempt by Borman.

Preki went with the same starting lineup for a third consecutive game after switching the starting XI up in each of the first nine games, but the Red-and-White struggled going forward.

Chivas, which had more cautions (two) than scoring chances in the first half, did nearly strike in first-half stoppage time. Off a deep throw-in, Jesse Marsch touched the ball to a striding Sacha Kljestan, who ran in on goal, but Jon Conway came off his line to make the save and the ball bounced off of Kljestan out of touch for a goal kick.

Preki made the first change of the game in the 59th minute, bringing on the second all-time leading scorer in MLS in Ante Razov, for Jorge Flores. Seven minutes later Anthony Hamilton came on, replacing Justin Braun.

In the 70th minute, Razov found a bit of space, but blasted his shot from distance well over the crossbar. In the 83rd minute, Atiba Harris cut inside of Kevin Goldthwaite, but his shot from 16 yards out was saved by Jon Conway, who made four saves to earn his third clean sheet of the year.

Osorio brought on John Wolyniec for Mike Magee in the 65th minute for his first change of the game. Less than two minutes after entering the match, the veteran forward had a scoring chance, sent into the box on a Dave van den Bergh header. But the ball was well wide of the net.

Osorio brought on Luke Sassano for Borman in the 77th minute for defensive cover and then Carlos Mendes came in for Richards in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for the Red Bulls' final substitution.

The win was big for the Red Bulls, considering they're next two matches -- at D.C. United and at New England -- are in stadiums where they've struggled mightily over the years.

Angel delivers first goal, win for NY

Young Dynamo key in win over Bulls

HOUSTON -- Before the Houston Dynamo played the first of two matches this week, most of the talk in the locker room centered on their tough schedule and how five matches in less than 21 days would affect a team looking to get back on track after a slow start.

All that chatter changed to how a bunch of young guys were going to respond to the challenge of carrying the team when two call-ups, an injury and a suspension took four more players out of the lineup.

After the Dynamo's hard-fought 1-0 win against the New York Red Bulls Saturday night -- the third shutout of the 2008 campaign for the Orange -- those young guys can walk around a little bit taller this week.

Geoff Cameron, Stuart Holden, Corey Ashe and company all came through at Robertson Stadium, helping the Dynamo to their third win in five matches and a temporary stop at the top of the Western Conference standings.

The young Dynamo players started in place of some of the team's biggest names. Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad were called-up to the Canadian national team for a Saturday-night friendly against Brazil in Seattle. Eddie Robinson was suspended after he was sent off in Wednesday's 2-2 tie at FC Dallas. Team captain Wade Barrett was not available with a left adductor injury.

Holden and Cameron assisted on Brian Ching's game winner and the effort of Houston's young core of talent helped the team keep its undefeated record at home (2-0-2).

"Tonight, it was just all heart and effort," said Cameron. "I mean we just went out there and worked our butt off. We won the 50-50 balls and finished a play when we needed to."

Ching sent the Dynamo faithful into a frenzy when he cashed in the team's fourth scoring chance in an eight-minute spurt midway through the second half.

His one-timer just out of the reach of Jon Conway was all the offense Houston would need on night when the team improved to 2-0 when the starting temperature at game time was above 90 degrees.

"Stewie [Holden] made a real heads-up play to get the ball through and I think he caught their defense sleeping a little bit," Ching said. "Their back wasn't even paying attention to the ball and Geoff made a really good play too. He put a great ball across right there in the box and it was a real easy play for me to finish.

"Our mindset was to go out there and play and put them pressure on them and try to get a goal."

And they did.

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said the second half was much better than the first, and he was pleased to see his squad rewarded for stepping things up and taking advantage of a team playing without its star player.

With Juan Pablo Angel at home sick, his crew of young players made the difference as the game wore on.

"I think our young guys really worked hard tonight and ... the average age of our midfield was something like 23. You had Corey [Ashe], Geoff [Cameron], Stuart [Holden] and then Rico [Ricardo Clark] was the elder statesmen of the group at 25.

"Just the effort we got from them tonight was great."

The Dynamo will enjoy a day off Sunday before training Monday and Tuesday. After practice Tuesday, the team will fly to the nation's capital in advance of Wednesday's game against D.C. United.

Later this week, the team will visit the White House in honor of winning the second of two titles since moving to Houston before the 2006 season.

In the meantime, it looks like a sense of normalcy will be restored as Onstad, De Rosario and Robinson will be available to play Wednesday. Barrett, who was a game-time decision Saturday, could be ready to go as well.

Ching, looking in the direction of Holden as the two prepared to leave the stadium Saturday, said the team is finally starting to play like he knew they could all along.

No matter who is in the lineup, he said, the team should be able to compete with anyone on the field. And that Saturday was a big step for a team looking to establish itself as one of the toughest to beat in MLS, especially at home.

"If you look at our first 10 games, we had seven on the road, and in this league that is very difficult to play in," Ching said. "The way we started off, I think we were a little disappointed in how we started the season. But since then, we just put our heads down and have gotten back to playing how we are capable. Now we are working as a team and battling for results. I think in the past few games, you have really seen that."

Dynamo blank Bulls, gain steam

Dynamo blank Bulls, gain steam

HOUSTON -- Thanks to a relentless second half and perfect scoring play by Stuart Holden, Geoff Cameron and Brian Ching, the Houston Dynamo are back to .500.

After an almost hypnotic first half, the Dynamo came to life with one scoring chance after another and finally converted in the 68th minute as Ching gave Houston all the offense it would need in a 1-0 win against the New York Red Bulls.

Stuart Holden got the play started and fed Cameron, whose perfect pass found Ching who was alone in the box. Ching deflected the pass by a stunned Jon Conway and the Dynamo, who have won three of their last five, held on for their second consecutive win at home.

Tony Caig made three saves starting in place of Pat Onstad, who is with the Canadian national team for a friendly against Brazil in Seattle. Caig was hardly challenged, but he played well enough to earn his first MLS win and second shutout.

The Dynamo played without other key players, and used a solid team effort to fill in the gaps for the team's third win of the season.

Dwayne De Rosario joined Onstad in Seattle and Eddie Robinson was suspended after being sent off Wednesday night in a 2-2 tie at FC Dallas. In addition, team captain and defender Wade Barrett missed the game with a right adductor strain.

The Red Bulls were also missing key performers, and with regulars out for both teams, the first 45 minutes of static soccer reflected just that. Juan Pablo Angel was not with New York, apparently too ill to travel, forcing the Red Bulls into a more defensive mindset from the get-go.

New York had a single scoring chance in the first 45 minutes and the Dynamo had two, although one of them was correctly called offside. Over the course of the 90 minutes, the Dynamo saw the flag raised for offside on nine occasions, seven coming in the first half.

In the 15th minute, former Dynamo player Kevin Goldthwaite made a great defensive play to keep the visitors from falling behind early. Holden settled a pass from Ching, but just as Holden turned to the net, Goldthwaite slipped underneath and pushed the ball out of harm's way.

Less than two minutes later, Jozy Altidore took a floating pass from Seth Stammler and hammered New York's first shot on goal, but Caig, playing in his first match since April 19 at Los Angeles, got a hand on it to make the save.

Ricardo Clark settled the rebound and cleared the ball out of harm's way, putting an end to the Red Bulls' only threat of the first half.

The Red Bulls outshot the Dynamo 3-2 in the first half and had the only shot on goal, which Caig stopped.

Referee Andrew Chapin only handed out one card in the opening 47 minutes, pulling out a yellow for John Wolyniec who was cited for tackling from behind.

New York midfielder Luke Sassano forced another change out of coach Juan Carlos Osorio when he left the game in the 44th minute with a left toe injury and is listed as day-to-day. Sassano was replaced by Sinisa Ubiparipovic. After the break, the Dynamo burst into life, with three good chances in short order.

A bicycle kick shot by Holden missed just high over the crossbar in the 60th minute and Ching had a point-blank header stopped by Conway four minutes later.

In the 66th minute, the Dynamo had a 2-on-1 and Brian Mullan found Ching, who had another point-blank shot stopped by Conway.

Ching then made sure he took his next opportunity to give the Dynamo the only chance they needed, and they salted the rest of the game away to ensure the victory.

Young Dynamo key in win over Bulls

Eager K.C. eyes Open Cup berth

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The Kansas City Wizards are on a mission: a mission for points and a mission for wins. And it is with that determination that they will take the field Wednesday evening at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kan. for their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in game against the Colorado Rapids. The winner of the match will advance to the round-of-16 in the 95-year-old tournament.

In Major League Soccer play, the Wizards have not won since April 20, their only win to go with three defeats and a draw in their last five. But during their off weekend, Kansas City got back in the win column by taking the inaugural New Mexico Cup in Albuquerque, N.M., with a 2-0 win against CSD Municipal of Guatemala.

"Considering the situation that we're in in the league right now where we've dropped a few games, certainly we'd like to get back on the winning track," said midfielder Kerry Zavagnin of the Wizards' sixth-place standing in MLS's Eastern Conference. "Something as little as a win in an exhibition this weekend has done a little bit to push us in the right direction. Success tomorrow night will be important for us going forward into the league, especially into Salt Lake [City on Saturday] where we need to get points right now."

In the Municipal win, Colombian forward Ivan Trujillo scored twice on headers six minutes apart late in first half.

"We created a few more chances [than recently]. We got a few more guys into advance positions, and that helped us at the end," said Zavagnin.

Against Municipal, there was some subtle maneuvering in the Wizards midfield that worked "excellent" in its first time out, according to head coach Curt Onalfo.

"We still play a 4-4-2; we're just flattening it out a little more at times to get better wide play," Onalfo said. "We haven't been happy with the wide play for a long time now. We've dominated games this year, and we haven't got enough out of it. In my mind, we're just not dangerous enough down the flanks. We're going to make sure that's a little better, and the little tweak in the formation has helped."

Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury, Zavagnin, and Carlos Marinelli manned the midfield Saturday with Arnaud and Marinelli garnering the assists on Trujillo's tallies.

"Naturally [the outside midfielders] will be farther up the field. Now they're in positions more where they can be more dangerous. Once we're there, we have to make sure we do well with the ball," Onalfo said.

However, Marinelli and midfielder Sasha Victorine, are "just coming back from slight injuries" and are not likely to be in the starting XI against the Rapids, who the Wizards met April 5 in their second league match of the season. Kansas City defeated the current Western Conference leaders 3-2, with two goals from Jimmy Conrad and the winner from Scott Sealy.

The last time they played in the Open Cup proper, in 2006, the Wizards fell 2-0 to the eventual champion Chicago Fire in the fourth round after a win against a PDL side. A year ago, they were knocked out at the first play-in stage in MLS qualification. The last real success they had was in 2004, when Kansas City hoisted the Dewar Cup.

But this year's tournament could mean more than ever. The game is the first "home" match the Wizards have had in nearly two months and it represents another chance for the Wizards to get back in the win column; a chance they don't want to miss.

"Regardless of where we go or what surface we play on, we want to get points, and we want to climb our way back into a good position in the standings in the league but also have success in the Open Cup," said Zavagnin.

"The approach is to try to win," said Onalfo. "It's a business all about results, and we've played very well over the past four games and haven't gotten results. We played very well this past weekend and got a result. So we just continue to plug away knowing that we have a very hard game and we're ready for it."

Wizards hope to regain spark

LA Galaxy storm past Wizards

Disastrous stretch dooms Crew

CARSON, Calif. -- In the 20th minute of their match against Chivas USA, the Columbus Crew fell behind 1-0.

In the 21st minute Chivas USA added a second goal.

In the 22nd minute defender Danny O'Rourke was ejected and the Crew were reduced to 10 players for the rest of the match, which they went on to lose 2-0 at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night.

The match, though, was all but lost before any of that happened.

"We weren't keeping the ball the first 20 minutes of the game and that's what killed us," said Crew defender Ezra Hendrickson.

Added Crew coach Sigi Schmid: "We played a man down basically from the moment we got off the bus."

For the third consecutive match, the Crew were unable to find the back of the net. Guillermo Barros Schelotto made little impact in the first half and was substituted for to start the second half, and Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan stopped the Crew's two best chances -- shots by Brad Evans and Adam Moffat -- with superb saves.

Chivas USA struck first midway through the first half when Jorge Flores volleyed a ball past Will Hesmer from inside the penalty area. On the play, though, it appeared that Chivas USA's Atiba Harris pushed O'Rourke, creating the space that led to the goal.

"I don't know if it was a push by Harris on O'Rourke but I think he clears the ball if he doesn't get pushed," said Schmid. "But that's the way the game goes."

A minute later, Marsch put Chivas ahead by two goals.

Then, before the Crew were able to regroup after the goals, they were left shorthanded after O'Rourke made a high-footed tackle on Harris and was given a red card. The challenge left Harris with a deep laceration on his knee that required four stitches at halftime.

After going down a player, though, the Crew continued to fight.

"Playing a man down I thought we got some things," said Schmid. "Guzan had to come up with a big save and overall I wasn't disappointed with how we played."

Columbus forward Alejandro Moreno also felt the Crew battled after their early struggles.

"I think we got more of the ball with 10 men than we did with 11 men," he said. "We had confidence in the second half and we put the work in but it didn't pan out for us."

After an impressive start to the season in which the Crew won six of their first seven matches, the Crew now find themselves winless in their last three and looking to regain their early season form.

"We want to get back to our winning ways," said Hendrickson. "We're not going to hang our heads. It's been a difficult last few games but we're still very confident. You're going to have success and failures and the key is to bounce back from games like this."

In order to regain that form, though, the Crew will need to find their finishing touch next week against San Jose.

"Goals come and go but as long as we stick to what we know we're successful at and we continue to be organized we'll be able to put the ball in the back of the net," said Moreno. "We'll look to do that against San Jose next week."

Chivas hope to use win as springboard

Crew oust RSL from U.S. Open Cup

Stoic Moreno providing Crew big lift

Strong second half lifts TFC past LA

TORONTO -- Goals from Julius James and Jeff Cunningham highlighted a dominant second half for Toronto FC in a 2-0 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.

After an opening 45 minutes largely devoid of scoring chances for both sides, TFC came out firing after the break. Rookie defender James, who entered the match after an injury to Olivier Tebily in the 18th minute, headed in a free kick just 30 minutes into his first-ever MLS game. James' first goal was followed by Cunningham's 98th career league goal, as the fourth-leading scorer in MLS history finished off a deft passing play with his second goal of the season.

The victory improves Toronto's unbeaten record at BMO Field to 4-0-2 this season, and 5-0-3 overall since their last home loss on Sept. 22, 2007.

The Reds came out attacking and nearly scored just 16 seconds into the match. Marvell Wynne found some room down the right wing after Toronto took the opening possession, and sent a looping cross that found Cunningham in front of the Galaxy goal. Cunningham, however, didn't get much of a touch on the ball thanks to a partial block from L.A. goalkeeper Steve Cronin that caused the shot attempt to go off target.

Toronto kept the pressure on in the opening minutes, largely controlling play though not connecting on any actual shots. The attack was undercut by a good defensive effort from the Galaxy, who broke up several TFC passes with fine sliding tackles.

The game's quick pace early on belied the fact that both clubs were finishing busy stretches of the schedule (it was L.A.'s sixth game in 22 days, TFC's fifth game in 15 days) and were also playing with depleted rosters. The Galaxy were missing Ante Jazic and David Beckham to international competition and striker Landon Donovan was on the bench to start the game due to a nagging groin injury suffered last week against Kansas City.

While the Galaxy were missing their top two playmakers in Beckham and Donovan, TFC was missing more than half of their regular starting XI. Carl Robinson, Amado Guevara and Greg Sutton were away on international duty, Danny Dichio and Tyrone Marshall were injured and midfielder Laurent Robert was serving a suspension after being sent off last Saturday in Washington.

The lineup situation got more dire for the Reds in the 18th minute. Defender Olivier Tebily's first MLS start was cut short when he had to leave the field with what was described by team officials as a lower right leg injury. Taking his place was James, making his MLS debut after being drafted ninth overall by Toronto in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft.

With all of this missing talent, it was perhaps unsurprising that both clubs looked disorganized on attack. While the Reds and Galaxy kept up the pace of play with several passes, it seemed that every possession was halted by a foul or turnover before it could develop into a real scoring chance. Neither side recorded a shot until the 23rd minute, when TFC midfielder Kevin Harmse launched a booming strike that sailed well over the Galaxy net.

The number of chances increased as the half came to a close. In the 37th minute, the Galaxy's Alan Gordon found fellow striker Edson Buddle on the left side of the Toronto net. Buddle shot from an unusual angle, and the ball sailed over a jumping Brian Edwards and the crossbar. A few minutes later, Cunningham recorded the game's first shot on goal on a close-range strike that was blocked by Cronin.

A cloudburst near the end of the first half soaked the BMO Field turf, but the slippery surface didn't slow down the Reds. Like the start of the first half, Toronto came out quickly, with two shots on goal in the opening minutes of the second period. In the 47th minute, Rohan Ricketts drew the attention of two L.A. defenders and then completed a back-heel pass to an open Todd Dunivant. The former Galaxy player struck a curving shot that required a leaping save from Cronin.

TFC's next attempt proved more fruitful. Ricketts' direct free kick in the 49th minute was headed by James into the bottom right-hand corner of the Galaxy net. An ecstatic James rushed over to the Toronto bench and was mobbed by teammates in celebration of the rookie defender's first career goal.

The goal seemed to inspire the Reds, who poured on the pressure over the next few minutes. Perhaps the best chance came in the 55th minute, when striker Jarrod Smith carried the ball deep into the penalty area with Cunningham, Dunivant and Maurice Edu all in pursuit. Smith, however, somehow sent his cross between all three players and the chance failed to materialize.

TFC's attacking persistence paid off again in the 65th minute. After the Reds completed a series of sharp passes to bring the ball into the L.A. penalty area, it was Cunningham who found the last touch and struck the ball home. It was an important goal for the veteran striker, who had largely been relegated to a reserve role this season due to the success of Dichio and Guevara up front.

In fact, Cunningham was just inches away from scoring his 99th and 100th MLS goals after two close chances in the next few minutes. The forward was against the recipient of a passing series and kicked a line drive that sailed just wide of the bottom right corner of the Galaxy net. Then, Cunningham nearly collected a long pass for a breakaway, but Cronin rushed past the penalty line to break up the play.

Smith actually did find himself in on a breakaway in the 74th minute, but the New Zealander's shot was blocked wide by Cronin. By this point in the match, it seemed as if TFC was taking target practice on an almost non-existent Los Angeles defense. The Reds had outshot L.A. 8-0 in the second half before Gordon finally managed a shot in the 82nd minute that required Edwards to make his first save of the game.

Toronto FC head south next Sunday for their first match of the year against the Houston Dynamo. The second-year Reds are unbeaten against the two-time defending MLS Cup champions after a win and a draw in their inaugural season. The Galaxy head back to The Home Depot Center for a Saturday meeting with Colorado. L.A. have dropped their last two meetings to the Rapids --- a 4-0 loss in the season opener and a 1-0 loss last Tuesday in a U.S. Open Cup first-round match.

Red Bulls’ quick answer dooms LA

Quakes disappointed with RSL result

SALT LAKE CITY -- With an opportunity to pull out of the bottom spot of the Western Conference, the San Jose Earthquakes went on the road to face a Real Salt Lake side that has been undefeated at their fortress that is Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Three goals in the second half were enough to bury the Quakes and keep them at the bottom of the table.

Despite a solid first half on the defensive end, including a penalty kick save from Joe Cannon in the third minute, RSL seemed to score at will during the second period. Two goals from the run of play and then a second RSL penalty that Cannon could not save capitalized a frustrating night for the Quakes.

San Jose head coach Frank Yallop seemed content with the effort during the opening half, except for that he felt his players didn't seem to push forward until after Salt Lake scored a couple of goals.

"We didn't really show any urgency until it went to 2-0, and then all of the sudden we started to get going," said Yallop. "Yeah, their third goal goes in, but at least we played a bit better when it was at 2-0."

The attack that was so prevalent for the Earthquakes in their previous match was noticeably missing against Salt Lake. Because of international duty and injuries, Yallop had to make adjustments to his lineup. Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero, who each found their way on the score sheet in the previous match, were both called up for national team duty for Sierra Leone and Honduras respectively.

Even though Yallop feels that their replacements did well, there was still something lacking when the first team isn't all together.

"It's not so much the guys coming in, but the guys you're losing," said Yallop. "Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero scored our two goals in our last game, and we played real well. Ronnie [O'Brien] could play also tonight. You're losing three players from the team that did well.

"The guys that came in gave everything they had, but it's just the chemistry when everything was going well, and then all of a sudden it slips away from you and you've got to play again. You get a little disjointed."

Central defender and Earthquakes captain Nick Garcia puts the loss mostly on the shoulders of himself and his teammates. It was because of his team's mistakes and lack of effort that the Quakes lost, not so much that RSL is that much better.

"We fell asleep," said Garcia of the Earthquakes' efforts. "First half we were fortunate for Joe [Cannon] to come up big on the penalty kick. The second half was just a lackluster effort, and we were punished for it. The steady, slippery slope began from that point on and we were punished.

"I don't think Salt Lake is three goals better than us."

One of the few highlights that San Jose took from their visit to Utah was the goal scored by John Cunliffe in the 84th minute. Cunliffe came in off the bench in the second half and was the recipient of a well-played backheel from Ramiro Corrales. Cunliffe then spun around his mark and buried his chance past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

"He looked lively; got a good goal," said Yallop of Cunliffe. "He nearly got another one. That was a bright spot for us in the last 20 minutes, or so, that he got."

Coming away from their second disappointing result in Salt Lake City, their first coming a few weeks before in a 4-0 loss to RSL in U.S. Open Cup play, the Earthquakes know they will be returning to the Wasatch mountains in a few short weeks.

In order to get results in this expansion season for San Jose, Garcia feels the Quakes are the ones who need to take the game to other teams right from the opening whistle.

"We've got to get it going from the beginning," said Garcia. "It can't be one of those things were they score a goal or two and then we get going. We've had a little bit of a roller coaster ride here this season, with some wins and some ties and some losses, and for us we got to get the ship on course.

"We're almost a third of the way through the season ... we've got to get some results. Whether it's home or away, we've got to start to win. Losing is never fun, and we've got to get that bitter taste out of our mouth and make the most of it."

Shorthanded Quakes stay positive

Undermanned Dynamo look for mix

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dynamo pressure results in victory

Dynamo breathe easy after first win

Shorthanded Quakes stay positive

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When the San Jose Earthquakes broke through for their first home victory last week against the Houston Dynamo, they had every reason to believe that they had turned the proverbial corner. Their slumbering offense awoke to score two goals from open play and there were signs that some chemistry was beginning to develop in the attacking third of the field.

But with World Cup qualifying set to commence in many parts of the globe, whatever momentum the Quakes generated has now been compromised ahead of this weekend's away match with Real Salt Lake.

Both scorers from the Houston game -- forward Kei Kamara and midfielder Ivan Guerrero -- have been called away by Sierra Leone and Honduras, respectively. Add in the decision of manager Frank Yallop to rest midfielder Ronnie O'Brien, and you have a side missing a significant chunk of its offense, one that has struggled to score in the best of times.

"That's tough on any team, let alone one that is light in players," said Yallop of his missing trio. "I'm hoping we can manage with those guys being away, and get a good result on Saturday."

The responsibility for maintaining the attack will fall on several players. Newly acquired forward Jovan Kirovski will partner Ryan Johnson up top, while Shea Salinas will take O'Brien's place on the right side of midfield. Joe Vide will slide into the center of midfield with Ned Grabavoy moving out wide.

For Kirovski and Johnson, the past week has been spent taking a crash course on establishing at least a modicum of cohesion up top. And the initial returns point to a pair whose respective games compliment each other well, with Johnson's physicality providing an interesting contrast to Kirovski's touch on the ball.

"It's great for me, because [Johnson] can go out there and bang around, and I'll look for that second ball," said Kirovski. "In training I've fed off of him really well."

The match will also see Johnson take on the club that drafted him out of Oregon State in 2006. RSL has undergone a tremendous amount of turnover in the last two years, with Johnson being shipped to Chicago later in his rookie season. Rather than harbor a grudge, he accepts the move as part of being a professional soccer player.

"I enjoyed my time in Utah," said Johnson. "There's no bitterness, but at the time my loyalties are with San Jose and here is where I want to win."

While Johnson might have positive memories of RSL, the same can't be said for the Quakes, who not only were dumped out of the U.S. Open Cup by Real in April, but also endured a horrific collision between defenders Jay Ayres and Ryan Cochrane in that match. Both players have since recovered nicely, with Cochrane already returning to the lineup and Ayres healing well from surgery to repair a broken cheekbone.

But Yallop is convinced that his side won't be haunted by that 4-0 loss in Salt Lake City, especially since that day's lineup consisted mostly of reserves. Of greater concern will be a Real side that is unbeaten at home through four league matches.

"[RSL] are very tough at home, and that's the reason we've worked on playing the ball forward early," said Yallop. "If you dwell on it in the middle of the park, you're going to get robbed because they come at you. They play a little bit like us at home. They try to press the issue and get people forward with energy and fight."

Yallop is eager to see the Quakes duplicate that kind of approach on the road, especially with five of their next six games away. But San Jose will only find success of their revamped attack can gel quickly.

Quakes’ offense awakens in loss

Yallop not ready to make changes

Quakes upend returning Dynamo

Guzan looking to state case for U.S.

CARSON, Calif. -- In between regular-season Major League Soccer matches, Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan has also taken on a different, more high-profile task.

Guzan played the second half of the United States national team's friendly against England on May 28, picked up a 2-0 shutout against Columbus on Saturday and traveled to Europe on Sunday to prepare for the USA's match against Spain on Wednesday.

As the U.S. readies for a crucial upcoming World Cup qualifying series against Barbados, Guzan is trying to state his case for an increased role and more playing time with the U.S. national team. But Guzan also said he's willing to contribute whatever way possible.

"Whatever (coach) Bob (Bradley) decides," Guzan said when asked about his chances of playing against Spain. "If I play great, if not it's just another chance to be around Timmy (Howard) and be around the guys and hopefully help the team in whatever way I can, whether it's morally or on the field."

The reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Guzan has now played in two U.S. national team games this year and has earned six caps overall. Against England, Guzan had the task of trying to keep the U.S. from falling further into a hole. Down 1-0 at the intermission, Guzan supplanted Howard in goal and manned the goal for the second half.

However, Liverpool standout Steven Gerrard had different thoughts. Gerrard took a pass from Gareth Barry and ran into the penalty area alone on Guzan. Gerrard coolly slipped the ball past Guzan as England went ahead by a pair of goals.

"It was a tough game, especially to come in at half. It's not the easiest thing to do especially when the game is going 100 miles an hour," Guzan said. "You come in at halftime and literally in the 46th minute I was already dealing with a set piece, through balls and this and that."

Overall, Guzan said the match served its purpose as a preparation game.

"We need tough games in Europe. The results aren't always going to go our way as much as we'd like them to. The important thing is that we take things away and now we can use what we learned against England and put that towards Spain," Guzan said. "If we can do that, then the game against England is that much more of a positive for us, despite what people might think from the outside it's important that we take the little things away from those games and help us continue improving and helping make our team stronger."

Though the U.S.-Spain match is slated for Wednesday, Guzan might not miss a minute of action for Chivas USA. Guzan could travel back stateside on Thursday and with Chivas USA playing at New York on Thursday, he might indeed make it back in time to play in this week's match.

Nonetheless, Spain is on the forefront of Guzan's mind at the beginning of this week. If England was any indication, Spain will pose a formidable test.

"We expect a tough challenge," Guzan said. "It's never easy to go to Europe and play, especially when you are playing against ... Spain and so we expect a good game and we're definitely going to be ready to give them a fight as well."

Guzan hopes to seize opportunity

Dynamo settle for draw with Chivas

Dynamo on unlucky side of draw