Fire add chapter to Open Cup lore

PEORIA, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's devotion to the U.S. Open Cup is the stuff of MLS legend.

In 10 years of existence, the Fire have won the Open Cup four times. So it was not surprising the Fire found a way to beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 in extra time Tuesday at Bradley University in a play-in game for the long-running soccer tournament in the U.S.

Forward Andy Herron, who has had little time with the first team this season, playing behind Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe, scored twice, including the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 116th minute of play after he was fouled by Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer.

His first goal was a header off a brilliant feed from second-half sub Justin Mapp. That goal, the Fire's second of the game, was part of a five-minute stretch in which three goals were scored, two by Columbus.

"That is what the Open Cup is about," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "You have to win to move on. We get the lead, they got an equalizer, we get the lead again and they come back and get another goal. It just shows you teams take this Open Cup very seriously."

With the Open Cup match coming midweek for both clubs, with difficult road matches for each this weekend, both Hamlett and Crew boss Sigi Schmid were creative in who they used in the game. The Crew used starting goalkeeper Hesmer along with regular starters Danny O'Rourke, Alejandro Moreno, Eddie Gaven and Brian Carroll, while giving time to usual reserves Brad Evans, Andy Iro, Emmanuel Ekpo, Jed Zayner, Ryan Junge and Steven Lenhart.

Similarly, the Fire used starting goalkeeper Jon Busch, starting defenders Bakary Soumare and Brandon Prideaux, starting midfielders Logan Pause and Chris Rolfe, along with reserves Austin Washington on defense, Brian Plotkin, Tomasz Frankowski and Stephen King at the midfield and forwards Calen Carr and Herron. Mapp came on for Rolfe after Rolfe twisted his ankle at the end of the first half, and Hamlett also used defender C.J. Brown, forward Patrick Nyarko and forward Chad Barrett.

King gave the Fire the lead in the 10th minute when he knocked home a missed clearance. After Ekpo scored the first equalizer in the 63rd minute, the Fire got a goal from Herron on Mapp's tremendous run down the left side. His clear cross found Herron's head 10 yards out and Herron sent a sharp header into the left corner for a 2-1 Fire lead.

"That was a great ball by Justin and a world-class finish with the header," Hamlett said. "Not too many forwards in our league can finish that play, but he got up and redirected it just a little bit."

"Bringing in Justin, his run, that was a great opportunity for us and for me," Herron said. "With Justin on the field, you know you just have to get in the back and get in position. (Crew defender) Daniel O'Rourke is the shortest guy, and I decided I was going to stand there and I barely put my head on it and it went into the corner."

The Crew had the better of the play in the second half and created another easy goal to tie the game in the 67th minute by Jason Garey. The Crew had two back-to-back shots inside the six-yard box in the first overtime but could not get the ball past Busch.

"It was a typical Open Cup game," Busch said. "It means a lot to both organizations."

Herron's winning goal came with less than five minutes left in the second overtime period and came on a long run on a long through ball by Barrett. Herron, who played from the start on the hot, steamy night, said he barely had enough left in the tank to make the run.

"Those are moments where your legs are (hurting) and you have to wait for the right moment to make the run," Herron said. "I was getting tired. I thought I am just going to hang out. Denis brought in Chad and Patrick and I decided to wait for the run. My first touch, I saw Hesmer backing up, but when I looked up again, I saw he was coming and I knew he wasn't going to have any chance to stop. He just picked me up, and I decided I am going to finish it right here."

The Fire advance to the round-of-16 in the Open Cup, along with the seven other MLS qualifiers. They will be drawn against lower division opposition.

Herron looks to make mark with Fire

Competition intense in friendly

Final minutes go awry for Chicago

Herron looks to make mark with Fire

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Andy Herron has scored four goals in his last two games for the Chicago Fire.

But Herron has no goals in five short appearances (89 minutes) with the Fire in MLS league games this season. How is that possible?

Herron scored twice, including the game-winner in the 116th minute, as the Fire won the U.S. Open play-in game against Columbus Tuesday in Peoria, Ill. on the campus of Bradley University. Two days prior to that, Herron scored twice as the Fire reserves lost to D.C. United in a wild 5-4 outcome.

But Herron can't break into the starting lineup for the Fire, who are enjoying a solid season with a 6-3-1 record heading into Sunday's game at FC Dallas. And Herron is not likely to play in that game, since he put in 120 minutes in the Open Cup match Tuesday.

Although he is not ready to admit it, his status with the Fire has got to be difficult to deal with, considering how he played the first time he was with the team.

After growing up in his native Costa Rica's professional leagues, Herron joined the Fire in 2004 and scored four goals in just four games for the Fire. He was named MLS Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks with that stretch of games.

In 2005, while battling injury, he scored two goals for the Fire in MLS games, two goals in U.S. Open Cup play and two goals in the newly formed Reserve Division. In 2006, he was the Fire's leading scorer with eight goals, despite missing the first six games of the season due to a suspension that came out of his actions in the final game of the 2005 season.

The Fire traded Herron to Columbus before the 2007 season, and Herron struggled with the way he was used by the Crew. He also suffered another suspension, this one for four games, for an elbow on Jay Heaps of New England. But he still managed four goals in 18 games for the Crew before signing a new contract with MLS to play for the Fire.

But the Fire team he joined was a little top-heavy, with Chad Barrett finding his place, Chris Rolfe getting his time and Polish international Tomasz Frankowski getting starts.

"I have to be honest, Chad is doing well," Herron said, referring to Barrett's team-high five goals. "But you have to be ready. I'm happy for Chad and for the team, but you can't put your head down and stop scoring goals. I'm a forward and I have to keep working.

"You don't know what could happen," he continued. "I'm not wishing him bad, but you have to be prepared. If Chad is not going to be on the field and they say 'Andy, we need you,' at least they know they have a second option."

Herron's goal Tuesday was a header from a great cross off the foot of Justin Mapp. Herron said he barely touched the ball with his head to send it past Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer.

"Not too many forwards in our league can finish that play," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "He got up and just redirected it a little bit."

The second goal came late in the overtime period after the regulation 90 minutes ended 2-2. Playing with substitutes Barrett and rookie Patrick Nyarko, who has yet to play in a league game, Herron saw a chance to make a run on a pass from Barrett.

"Those are moments where your legs are telling you 'You have to wait for the right moment,'" Herron said with a laugh. "I was getting tired. I thought 'I am just going to hang here.' Denis brought in Chad and Patrick and I knew it was going to help me in support and I could wait to make my run.

"Chad played me a great ball, and my first touch, I saw Hesmer backing up," he said. "When I looked again, I saw he was coming so fast I knew he did not have a chance to stop. So I touched the ball aside and he picked me off."

Hesmer was called for a foul and Herron nailed the ensuing penalty kick for the win.

"After 120 minutes, he was fatigued, but he still found one more spurt to his team win," Hamlett said.

So Herron, who has a role on the team as one of the happy-go-lucky guys, found a way to help the team in a key situation, even though it was not in league play.

"I'm all right," he said. "Helping the team in the Open Cup makes me happy. It gives me confidence."

It probably gives the Fire confidence as well.

Fire expect Revs to target revenge

Commitment to defense fueling Fire

Fire add chapter to Open Cup lore

Americans confident going forward

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- If you thought the U.S. national team had lost any of its confidence during its three-game tour prior to its World Cup qualifying series with Barbados, then guess again.

The USA's impressive performance in their scoreless tie on Sunday at Giants Stadium with Argentina, the top-ranked men's team in the world, had to squelch anyone's doubts as to whether they are prepared for their next challenge.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard undoubtedly was at the top of his game, holding off the goal-hungry Argentineans in the early going with seven first-half saves -- some of them spectacular -- before the rest of his teammates helped to pitch in in the final half.

As the game wore on, the 21st-ranked U.S. got stronger, possessed the ball more, attacked more and had a couple of close encounters that could have swung the international friendly their way and made major international headlines.

Even though the U.S. failed to win a game or score a goal on the tour, Sunday night's result was encouraging. The U.S. started off on the wrong foot, playing poorly in a 2-0 loss at Wembley to No. 9 England May 28. They improved in a 1-0 defeat to fourth-ranked Spain in Santander June 4 before Sunday night's surprising result.

"I thought the performance was very good," said Howard, the USA's man of the match. "If you look over the last three games, we've gotten better and better. We played to a high level. If we can do that against Barbados, I'm quite confident we'll get the job done. We made ourselves accountable, we didn't back down and we stuck our foot in every challenge."

In fact, the U.S. players sounded quite confident entering the Barbados matches.

"It's great for team confidence, obviously," midfielder Freddy Adu said. "We were a little bit disappointed in the last two games, but getting this tie against the No. 1 ranked team in the world is awesome. I think we really deserved a tie and in some ways we might have even deserved a win because we created some great chances at the end of the game."

Added midfielder Clint Dempsey: "We've prepared ourselves as well as we could. We just need to go into that game next week with the same mind set that we showed these past few weeks and I think things will take care of themselves."

If you want to get technical, when you put Barbados -- the 121st-ranked team in the world -- up against Argentina, it is like comparing apples to watermelons.

After playing in three consecutive matches in which the team was the overwhelming underdogs, the U.S. sees itself in a new position vs. Barbados -- the overwhelming favorites. If the U.S. doesn't win and advance to the CONCACAF semifinals, which begin in August, it will be considered an upset of epic proportions.

The U.S. is trying to qualify for their unprecedented sixth successive World Cup. Barbados advanced to the CONCACAF semifinals during the 2002 qualifying competition.

So, Barbados definitely will offer the U.S. another challenge. The Caribbean side is expected to pack it in during the first leg of the series at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. on Sunday (ESPN, 5 p.m. ET).

The fewer goals Barbados allows on the road, the better it will be for the Caribbean side.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley undoubtedly will remind his team what transpired four years ago, when Grenada packed it in against the U.S. and made the hosts sweat in Columbus, Ohio in their aggregate-goals first leg. The USA managed a 3-0 victory, scoring twice in stoppage time.

If you host the first leg, goals -- preferably lots of them -- are mandatory to avoid a potential road upset in the second leg. With a three-goal margin entering the second game in 2004, the U.S. rolled to a 3-0 advantage en route to a 3-2 victory in Grenada.

"It puts a premium on our ability to be good with the ball, our ability to vary our attack," Bradley said. "You have to always in these games to find some balance between pushing the tempo but also being patient. We've had games like that in the past. Even though we've played three very different teams in a row, we can still use the experiences we've had in the past against teams that will sit back a little bit more and use that to be ready for the first game against Barbados."

Bradley, who plans to field as strong a team as possible against Barbados, also will try to find solutions to some of the a pair of his team's most pressing concerns -- getting more creativity from the midfield and finding someone who can score up front.

"When you play against a team like England or Spain, you don't expect to get a dozen chances in those games," Bradley said. "You get a couple. We had a couple in those games. We still feel there's a lot of improvement to be done -- understanding, timing, the right passes at the right time and just pure finishing. It gets worked on with the players that are in and there's a constant (search) for other players who we think are ready to step in and challenge for a position."

Donovan fit, ready for milestone

Beckham leads All-Star fan voting

Nearly a month into the balloting, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is the overwhelming leader in fan voting for the 2008 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game.

Fans can participate by visiting www.MLSnet.com and are able to cast up to 10 votes per day. The voting closes July 2. The online fan balloting will comprise one quarter of the MLS All-Star First XI selections, with coaches and general managers (25 percent), players (25 percent) and media (25 percent) all getting a say in who is named to the First XI, which will consist of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards.

Those selected will participate in the 13th annual MLS All-Star Game and take on West Ham United of the English Premier League at BMO Field in Toronto, July 24 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised in the U.S. and Canada on ESPN 2, Telefutura and CBC Sports.

A healthy Beckham has four goals and five assists and is ninth in the league in scoring for the Galaxy, which is the highest-scoring team in Major League Soccer.

Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan, the leading scorer in MLS, is tops among a talented list of forwards, followed by Toronto FC's Danny Dichio and the New York Red Bulls strike force of Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore in a tight race.

Chicago Fire designated player Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the leading playmaker in MLS with six assists, is second among midfielders, followed by TFC's Amado Guevera, who is enjoying a resurgence in his second stint in MLS. Following suit is Houston's Dwayne DeRosario, a Canadian international, and Argentinean Guillermo Barros Schelotto of the Columbus Crew.

The leading vote-getter among defenders is veteran Frankie Hejduk of the Columbus Crew. TFC, which has arguably the best support in the league, has four of the top seven defenders (Marvell Wynne, Jim Brennan, Tyrone Marshall and Marco Velez), according to fan voting.

Also in the hunt is Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad, who is currently fourth, as well as Abel Xavier of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The fan favorite among goalkeepers? You guessed it: Toronto FC's Greg Sutton, followed by Chicago's Jon Busch and Will Hesmer of Columbus.

The coach of the MLS team with the most points on June 30 will be selected to coach the MLS All-Star Game, while the All-Star First XI will be announced July 10 and the seven All-Star reserves will be announced July 15.

Galaxy confident even without stars

Return to first overdue for Galaxy

Galaxy looking for scoring balance

Wizards search for consistency

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- For the Kansas City Wizards, Wednesday night's penalty kick shootout victory against the Colorado Rapids in their U.S. Open Cup play-in match was typical of how their season has gone -- and how they would like it to end.

"It was a complicated win, but an important win nonetheless. I'm just thrilled we got it," said Ivan Trujillo via an interpreter.

The Wizards scored the first goal, fell behind, came back, lost a player to a red card, yet pulled out the win.

But it was a win -- actually, their second in a row, following their exhibition win against CSD Municipal of Guatemala last Saturday. However, an MLS regular season win is now needed to fully regain their momentum that stalled after their April 20 victory in Chicago. At the time, the Wizards had three wins and a draw in five matches. The next four games -- all on the road -- saw a dramatic dip in results with a solitary draw and three losses.

"We haven't reached the point where we're pushing the panic button at all," said midfielder Kerry Zavangin of K.C.'s sixth-place standing in the Eastern Conference. "There's a lot of soccer left to be played, and there are two cups still out there to play for. It's a matter of not getting too high or too low."

Although the attitude must be on an even keel, the bar is still set high for a team that is well stocked with talent.

"We're going to have our successes over the course of this year. It's a matter of getting better every day and continuing to push forward and putting ourselves in good position to have home-field advantage in the playoffs," Zavagnin said.

Just as Trujillo's 86th-minute goal brought the Wizards level with Colorado Wednesday night, a win this Saturday night at Real Salt Lake would bring them to .500 on the season.

And just as the season has had its roadblocks, so does a win on Saturday. Last season, the Wizards lost twice on the road to Real Salt Lake -- once in an Open Cup play-in match and once in the regular season. The match is, thankfully, the last of a six-game road stretch that hasn't been kind for the Wizards. Finally, Wednesday's win over 120-plus minutes did nothing to ease neither the fatigue nor the fitness of the roster.

Trujillo aggravated a sore heel that has been bothering him lately and key players Jimmy Conrad and Claudio Lopez, among others, went the distance on the FieldTurf at Shawnee Mission District Stadium, a surface they will see again in Salt Lake City Saturday.

But head coach Curt Onalfo's men have shown the ability to surmount hindrances.

"All along we've said we need to be a team that doesn't make excuses, and we find solutions. We've found solutions to the reasons why we've been less effective," said Onalfo.

The Wizards have scored two goals in each of their two wins, a substantial increase over their 0.67 goals per game in their last six league matches. Utilizing skilled players such as Lopez and Carlos Marinelli at wide midfield roles and pushing more numbers into attack has paid off. In addition, regular starters Marinelli and midfielder Sasha Victorine were rested Wednesday as they recover from slight injuries. Also, goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was given his second consecutive game off.

Yet the Wizards will have to avoid giving up the "soft" goals they surrendered to the Rapids on Wednesday. But in the end, it doesn't matter how the Wizards come out on top as much as that they do.

"It's a matter of capitalizing on our chances and being dangerous in front of the goal. We've shown that we've had moments in games where we played attractive soccer, but that doesn't mean much if you are not getting the results," said Zavagnin. "But right now, we'd rather win games than play pretty. It would be nice to have both, but right now, it's about winning."

Wizards outlast Rapids in shootout

Red Bulls draw inspiration from Angel

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When Luke Sassano looks around the New York Red Bulls locker room for a player to look up to, his search begins and ends with Juan Pablo Angel.

"I've been in the training room this week nursing my toe and he's in there before everybody's there, two hours before training, just to get out there and play for us," the rookie midfielder said. "He doesn't have to be out there in training. We know he's going through a lot of pain, but when he steps on the field we know we're a better team with him."

Angel's second season in Major League Soccer has been anything but enjoyable. A nerve-related back problem is the culprit. It's caused the former Colombian international tremendous pain in his left hamstring and hampered his ability to score goals.

"I need to be pain free, first of all," Angel said. "My problem is not about confidence. It's about getting rid of these needles and pain because obviously they are restricting me from playing to my full strength."

Despite that, Angel still managed to leap up and score the game-winning goal in the 75th minute in a 1-0 win against Chivas USA Thursday night at Giants Stadium.

A frustrated Angel couldn't even celebrate the goal, just his second of the season, properly.

"I normally try and jump with my left leg, but that is the one that is hurt right now," he said. "So I tried to avoid the jump."

Dane Richards is also inspired by Angel's grit. The two talk almost daily about how Richards, in his second year in MLS, can improve as a professional.

"I go to him and ask him what can I do to be better and he always tells me," Richards said. "He motivates me a lot so we try to support him through his injury. I know last year this time he had about six goals, but now the injury is holding him back so we just try and support him every day."

Richards set up Angel's goal, getting the ball from Chris Leitch and taking on Francisco Mendoza, Chivas USA's converted fullback. Leitch picked up his first assist since Aug. 19, 2006 when he set up the game-winner in a 1-0 win for the Columbus Crew against New York.

"I know Mendoza," Richards said. "He's an attacking player like me. There's no way he can defend. So each time I get the ball, I just keep going at him."

Richards found enough space to get a quality cross into the box, where Angel headed it past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan from 11 yards out. Angel spent much of the final 10 minutes of the game limping up and down the field, barely able to walk, let alone run. Juan Carlos Osorio was unable to take him off the field because he had to use his final substitution to bring on Carlos Mendes for Richards, who rolled his left ankle late in the match.

"That's what Juan's whole mentality is," Seth Stammler said of Angel. "He wants to be out there every game that he can and he's willing to play through the pain, maybe too much. Some people want him to sit out and just get 100 percent better, but he just can't do it."

Richards and the rest of the Red Bulls had a marked improvement going forward in the second half.

"I have to be honest, I just told him to go out there and express himself and play without any restrictions," Osorio said. "I think he found the game himself, which is what we said at halftime to everyone: find the game yourself."

The Red Bulls caught a glimpse of their future Thursday night with Jozy Altidore sidelined with a left ankle contusion suffered in training Monday. On Wednesday, MLS and Villarreal agreed in principle to transfer the 18-year-old phenom to the La Liga club and it's a strong possibility Altidore has played his last match for the Red Bulls.

"I think what it means to him is to take a further step in his career," Osorio said of Altidore. "It's a dream come true not only for an American player but for any player to go and play in Europe. For us, there's nothing you can really say. I was notified by the MLS that they came to terms with Villarreal and that's the end of it. We just have to concentrate on what's the best for this club."

From a Giants Stadium suite, Altidore watched the Red Bulls break out of a four-game winless streak against a Chivas USA team that came into the Meadowlands winners of three in a row.

"I think it's great, especially against a very decent side -- I think they're one of the best teams in this league -- without important names on the team we got a win," Angel said. "Those are the things that hopefully lift up our confidence and we're looking forward to the next game."

While Osorio is off to search for a striker immediately, the Red Bulls players will get the weekend off. That certainly comes as welcome news to Richards and Jeff Parke, who rolled his right ankle after being stepped on by Justin Braun in the first half, as well as Claudio Reyna, who missed the match with a herniated disc in his back. And especially Angel, who on Thursday carried his team on his injured back.

Angel delivers first goal, win for NY

RSL left wanting more after draw

SALT LAKE CITY -- When Real Salt Lake left the field following a 0-0 draw with Kansas City on Saturday night, they couldn't help feeling a sense of incompleteness.

RSL did several things right on both sides of the ball. The offense created plenty of scoring chances and the defense kept the Wizards pinned in their half for much of the evening.

But none of it added up to a third consecutive victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium after RSL failed to finish what it started on offense.

"We had our chances," goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. "It was one of those games where the ball didn't want to go in."

RSL had 12 shots and seven shots on goal in the first half alone, but struggled to finish and create any truly stellar scoring chances in the final third.

With how they attacked over the final minutes of the half, it looked like Real would find a way to get on the board sooner or later. But shot after shot ended up off frame or in the hands of 'keeper Kevin Hartman.

Hartman came up with a couple of huge plays in the first half in particular. In the 23rd minute, Kenny Deuchar jumped up and snagged a ball out of the air and laid it off to Kyle Beckerman on the left side. Beckerman had an open channel from about 28 yards out and let it fly, but the ball landed square in the waiting hands of Hartman.

The two reversed roles in the 28th minute. Beckerman threaded the needle between a pair of defenders in an attempt to get it ahead to Deuchar on the run. Hartman anticipated the hook-up, however and slid in front of the ball, clearing it away before Deuchar could get to it.

"From the 25th to 45th minute we were all over them and all we need is a goal and we don't get the goal. I know that the guys are a little frustrated, but it's hard to maintain that kind of tempo for the entire match," said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. "But I really feel that when we've got a team back against the wall a little bit, we've got to figure out a way to put them down."

The finishing problems did not improve for RSL in the second half. Morales took a free kick in the 49th minute and threaded it to Dema Kovalenko up top. Kovalenko rifled the ball at the center of the goal, but could not get his shot past Hartman's hand.

RSL's last gasp offensively came on a pair of missed opportunities from Beckerman in the 75th and 79th minute. Sequences like those felt frustrating because RSL was not allowing Kansas City to create much of an attack of its own.

"We did everything right except for put the ball away," Beckerman said.

Despite the scoreless outcome, Kreis feels like his team played some of its best soccer of the season so far.

"The only thing you can shake your head about or scratch your head about is the final touch," Kreis said. "If that was there I think we would've had quite a few goals tonight."

It never truly felt like the Wizards were much of a threat to score after the first 10 minutes of the match, largely because Real did an excellent job of pushing the attack and dictating tempo. Kreis said that his players were the aggressors the entire night, but just could not figure out to put the hammer down.

"I've stressed time and time again, we've been on top of teams and if we don't take our goals, then we make it difficult for ourselves," he said.

Putting the draw behind them is of major importance as Real hit the road to take on Chivas USA next weekend. The team feels good about keeping a shutout against Kansas City, but understands things will get harder before they get easier.

"For us, every game is tough," midfielder Dema Kovalenko said. "We're not 10 points ahead of everybody. Every game is difficult. You can see in the (conference) how tight it is. Every week is important."

Real avoid nightmare finish

Salt Lake play Kansas City to draw

Final minutes go awry for Chicago

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- It all seemed so clear what was supposed to happen Saturday night at Toyota Park.

Once the Fire had given up their 1-0 lead on a 63rd-minute goal by Jaime Moreno and they got to stoppage time, all the Fire had to do was take a couple more pushes to score the game-winner, and if nothing came out it, accept the tie. Sure, the 6-2-1 Fire should have beaten the 3-7-1 United at home, but ties happen.

Instead, United forward Luciano Emilio scored in the second minute of stoppage time on a counterattack -- with United down a man -- and the visitors ran away with a 2-1 victory.

All of the Fire's losses this season have come at home.

"It is 1-1 late in the game, we are at home, we want to get the second goal but we have to be smart, too," Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch said. "You've got to have cover. We can't be caught one-on-one like that in the back. In this game, you (should) come out with a point. It is a lack of discipline on our side that everybody went forward."

The Fire took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Chad Barrett in the 27th minute on a play that was pure Cuauhtemoc Blanco. D.C.'s Santino Quaranta sent a back pass but Blanco snuck up from behind the defenders and took possession. Although he was behind the defenders at the time, he was not offside because the ball came from Quaranta. Blanco waited for Barrett to make his break for the through pass down the middle and he knocked it past United goalkeeper Zach Wells.

But before the half was out, United came close on a number of occasions, twice making quality stops on Fred.

"If not for Jon Busch, the score would have been worse," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. Said Busch: "Nobody is going to remember the saves,"

In the 55th minute, Prideaux and United midfielder Marcelo Gallardo were sent off with red cards after getting into a tugging match in the Fire's penalty area. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch called attention to the incident to referee Baldomero Toledo, who asked for assistance from fourth official Jasen Anno.

"They got into it, and Brandon stepped over him, and Gallardo grabbed his leg," Busch said. "Brandon kind of pushes him to get off of him, and Gallardo gets up and head-butts him. I called attention to it."

Toledo's decision was to send both of them off.

"The ejection hurt us more than it hurt them," Fire defender Diego Gutierrez said. "We lost our shape a little bit and we couldn't find it."

Hamlett immediately inserted defender Dasan Robinson into the game for Thorrington to restore some defensive presence (he had brought on Calen Carr for Justin Mapp at halftime after Mapp suffered a head injury in the first half). But the Fire defense still did not stand up.

In the 63rd minute, Emilio dribbled in from the right side against two Fire defenders, cut back to the middle and fired a shot that glanced off Busch's glove to the foot of Jaime Moreno for the equalizer.

United went a man down in the 88th minute when Bryan Namoff received his second yellow card in four minutes, but with four minutes of stoppage time, United took advantage of the Fire's advances.

"You have to push forward in a conservative way," Gutierrez said. "At the end of the day, a tie is not the worst. It's not what you want, but it is not a loss. We lost our shape, we made a couple of bad decisions going forward, and our defense could have been better on both goals. Our one-on-one defense let us down in two critical times."

"I think we got excited pushing forward," Hamlett said. "But we got burned on that play."

Galaxy confident even without stars

CARSON, Calif. -- Last weekend, the Los Angeles Galaxy moved into first place in the Western Conference, thanks to their win against the Colorado Rapids last weekend. The Galaxy found the back of the net three times, managing to do so without Landon Donovan in the lineup.

It had been well noted that the Galaxy had failed to score a goal in their two games without Donovan and David Beckham. Questions started to be raised as to whether the Galaxy could get on the scoreboard without the benefit of having both of their superstars in the lineup.

"Landon and David are great players. I mean, what are you going to say? I don't think anyone hides the fact of how good they are and what they mean," said Chris Klein. "Our national team hasn't scored a goal without Landon. (Donovan) is the main point of any team. With David, his passing is something we sorely missed. It's nice to have David back in the team and we have to shoulder the burden while Landon is gone."

Beckham did return to the lineup on Saturday and is expected to play this weekend against San Jose. Donovan, however, will remain with the U.S. national team as they begin World Cup qualifying against Barbados on Sunday. For Gullit, it's another opportunity for the rest of his squad to step up.

"It's important that we play with all of our players. Landon Donovan is not here. He's scored, I think, nine goals for us. He's now with America," said Gullit. "It's a little bit odd for me to be still playing while your players have international duties. Normally you have a break."

Gullit is referring to the so-called "international calendar," where leagues halt play on FIFA international dates. To date, MLS hasn't been afforded that luxury with their schedule, which is why the Galaxy will continue to have to cope with the absence of some of their star players.

The return of Beckham from international duty certainly helped Los Angeles against Colorado. The Englishman didn't show up in the boxscore, but his stabilizing influence and ability to control the game from midfield can sometimes be immeasurable. The Galaxy would certainly prefer to have Donovan in the lineup, but after last weekend, there is at least confidence that the other players can succeed.

"It's not that we can score without Landon, but I think (the Colorado game) was good for our confidence. When you don't play with players like Landon, who's our top scorer, players kind of get it into their heads that we're not going to win games, we're not going to score goals," said Beckham. "It was important for confidence that we believed in ourselves to score goals, especially when we have big players out."

Los Angeles will need to figure things out up top ahead of their match against San Jose. In addition to Donovan's absence, Alan Gordon will serve a one-game suspension after being sent off against Colorado, and Carlos Ruiz has been called into Guatemala's side for their World Cup qualifier against St. Lucia.

It will be a tall order for whomever steps in -- especially considering how tight San Jose's defense can be -- but the Galaxy now can build off the confidence of knowing they can win without all their superstars on the field.

Rookie impresses amid Galaxy stars

Buddle adds dimension to Galaxy

Galaxy looking for scoring balance

Chivas' Preki's success no fluke

Preki was named MLS Coach of the Year for his impressive rookie campaign in 2007. Never mind that he was a first-time head coach as a professional; results spoke loudly as he jettisoned Amado Guevara to get the locker room mix just right, propelling the Home Depot Center outfit to first place in the West with a 15-7-8 mark.

Along the way, Preki's team had pretty fair luck with injuries, with players generally avoiding the dreaded trainer's table until right at the end, when a rash of ailments at striker helped scuttle the burgeoning title talk.

So, perhaps you could make an argument that he had an relatively trouble-free launch, that things lined up just right for Preki's rookie run-out.

For anybody who wants to defend that point, here's the counterpoint: Preki might be doing a better job of managing Chivas USA this year than last.

The true mark of a manager (of any leader, really) is how he handles the tough times. Well, brother, they've had a few out in Carson, where injuries have absolutely hammered the Red-and-White this year.

Consider that Preki has already had to use 25 players through just 11 matches. He used only 24 all of last year.

Injuries have stripped away 58 potential starts for Chivas USA. Alecko Eskandarian, Ante Razov, Jonathan Bornstein, Claudio Suarez, Lawson Vaughn, Shavar Thomas, Maykel Galindo and Alex Zotinca have all missed at least four starts due to injury. Suarez, the team captain, has been healthy enough for just three starts. Zotinca hasn't gotten on the field this year. Vaughn has missed seven starts.

Razov, the team's top striking threat, has appeared in nine matches. But injuries have consistently limited his time; he has averaged just 47 minutes in those outings.

Plus, Preki had to deal with a goalkeeper who fell almost spectacularly out of form in April. Brad Guzan, apparently affected more than anyone thought by the offseason transfer drama, was a shadow of his 2007 self in the opening month.

How did Preki handle his goalkeeper woes? The same way he handled the injury infestation: with a steely coolness. Nothing every seemed to ruffle the intense and coiled Chivas USA shepherd.

The result is a team that continues to steadily grind away, regardless of the continued lineup flux.

With 14 points from 11 matches (a 4-5-2 mark), the rojiblancos are right in that Western Conference muddle. Five points separate first and sixth places.

Preki's men had their three-game winning streak snapped last week at Giants Stadium. Juan Pablo Angel's clinical finish kept Chivas from escaping New York with a four-game unbeaten streak, at least. And that's too bad, because Preki's men probably deserved at least a point.

Chivas played well, and can take a lot away from the bull-headed performance. But for some pedestrian finishing, Preki's side could easily have secured its second road win of 2008. And look at the team that did so:

Panchito Mendoza is playing left back these days. He got exposed a bit by Dane Richards on the telling goal, but Richards has done that to plenty of left backs in his year-plus at Giants Stadium. Otherwise, Mendoza was an attacking menace all night from that spot.

The entire back line is practically introducing itself to each other before every match.

Atiba Harris played out of position on the right. Sacha Kljestan played out of position as a withdrawn forward or attacking midfielder. Jorge Flores? Anything else the Sueño MLS victor does is just more gravy on top of a fabulous story. He came close to striking for a goal in a fourth consecutive match.

Preki must be given some credit there for giving the youngster a few specific chores, keeping things simple, and supplying Flores with the confidence to forge ahead.

Oh, and about Guzan? Some reporters wondered if Preki would tap a backup in New York, since his first-teamer would be rushing back stateside after playing in Europe with Bob Bradley's national side last week. No way, Preki said, quickly dousing any embers of doubt. Guzan is my guy, he told them. And his goalkeeper certainly looks like he's back in form.

Preki's roster will surely get healthier; after all, things could hardly get worse. Now that he's proven he can steer a sure course in calm waters and also manage his way through a storm, the rest of the league should be on notice.

TACTICAL CORNER

• Dominic Kinnear made the move so many have been wondering about Sunday evening, moving Dwayne De Rosario out of his preferred attacking midfielder role and into the hole behind Brian Ching.

Who could argue the results? The outcome was rarely in doubt as Houston tore through a Toronto defense, one that looks quite different away from BMO.

De Rosario's movement behind Ching made all the difference. None of the other Dynamo forwards paired with Ching had been as effective at moving nimbly and boldly into the right spaces. From those spots, he was spraying balls more effectively than at any time this year to Corey Ashe on the left, Brian Mullan on the right and, of course, to Ching.

De Rosario, remember, was once a forward for San Jose 1.0, back before the old Earthquakes became current Dynamo. One nitpic: "De Ro" will have to reacquire his old forward's sense timing if Kinnear opts to keep him up top. De Rosario was caught offside six times Sunday -- some of 'em not close at all.

All things being equal, De Rosario would always prefer the midfield role. Then again, all things are hardly equal on a Houston squad that struck for more than two goals for just the second time this year (and the first time since April 6).

• San Jose boss Frank Yallop moved a key cog, too. Ramiro Corrales, who has spent most of his time as a holding midfielder this year, was re-deployed into a wide spot. He flopped with Ned Grabavoy, who partnered with Kelly Gray in the center of Yallop's 4-4-2. Again, how to argue with the results, a huge 2-0 road win for the Earthquakes. More than a third of the way through 2008, Yallop's team are just five points back of third-place Colorado. (And third place means a guaranteed playoff spot.)

• Still searching for answers (and left thin by injury), Crew manager Sigi Schmid offered Jed Zayner and Emmanuel Ekpo their first starts. Eddie Gaven, for the first time this year, was on the bench to start the match.

Dynamo earn first victory of 2008

Chivas happy to have Talley

Galaxy beat Rapids in battle for first

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy got off to a great start but let the Colorado Rapids back into the game, before holding on for a 3-2 win Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.

Alvaro Pires, Edson Buddle and Ely Allen each scored for the Galaxy, who had a three-goal lead shortly after the second half began. But the Rapids countered with goals from Colin Clark and Herculez Gomez to create a tense final few minutes for the home side.

Colorado had to play in Chivas USA's shorts because one of their equipment bags was lost on the flight over to L.A. It seemed as though the Rapids left their defensive acumen at baggage claim also, as Los Angeles grabbed a quick lead.

In just the fourth minute, Chris Klein won a free kick deep on the right flank. David Beckham sent a trademark cross into the area that pinballed off of a couple of players before falling to Alvaro Pires. The Brazilian made no mistake from close range and poked home the opening goal.

Surprisingly, the fast start did little to energize either team, as possession was easily given away by both sides. When either team did manage to gain possession for any stretch of time, the movement off the ball wasn't sharp, resulting in few legitimate scoring chances for either team over the opening half-hour.

Finally in the 32nd minute, the Galaxy got another breakthrough. Abel Xavier played a ball over the top of the Rapids backline and Buddle outraced Colorado center back Facundo Erpen to the ball. From inside the area, Buddle blasted a sharply angled shot into the far side netting to double the Galaxy advantage.

The Galaxy came close to a third in the 39th minute. LA worked a throw-in to Beckham, who crossed the ball to the back post. Allen was lurking at the other end, but Preston Burpo was quick off his line to punch the ball clear.

Late in the half, Colorado finally showed some offensive intent. Clark sent a ball into the danger area along the ground and Conor Casey made a good run in the center of the box, but the ball just escaped his sliding effort.

The game turned ugly the closing moments of the half. Alan Gordon and Erpen were both challenging for a ball. As Erpen went down, he rolled over and kicked at Gordon's groin. Gordon reacted by stomping on Erpen, and was immediately shown a red card. Referee Kevin Stott noticed the initial kick by Erpen and showed the Argentinean red as well, reducing both sides to 10 men.

The Galaxy remained more the attacking team after the brush-up, and in stoppage time, forced a save from Burpo. On a series of corner kicks, Beckham eventually found the head of Buddle. Buddle managed to get his header on target, but Burpo stuck out a left glove and kept the Rapids within shouting distance.

Los Angeles got off to another quick start in the second half. Less than five minutes into the second stanza, Pete Vagenas slipped Ely Allen in alone on goal. The rookie curled the ball around Burpo from the top of the area, making the score 3-0 to the Galaxy.

To Colorado's credit, they didn't fold, and in the 54th minute they rattled the post. From a corner kick, Colorado maintained possession and the ball made its way to Tom McManus, the person who originally took the corner. McManus cut along the top of the area and unleashed a wicked shot that beat goalkeeper Steve Cronin, but not the crossbar.

Moments later, Los Angeles was on the attack again and Colorado's back line continued to let attackers get in behind them. It was Buddle who got slipped through this time and the Galaxy striker dribbled into the box and attempted to round Burpo. But as he cut the ball wide to set up his shot, a hustling Ugo Ihemelu caught up to the play and stole the ball away.

Colorado eventually pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute. Standing up his defender on the left side of the box, Omar Cummings picked out Clark at the top of the area. Clarke faked a shot and cut inside of Xavier, who slid right past the play. Unencumbered, Clark snuck a shot past Cronin at the back post to make the score 3-1.

The goal certainly energized the Colorado offense as the next two scoring chances went in their favor. The Rapids first got a shot from the boot of Cummings, who missed high. Then it was Clark's turn, who also shot just over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.

The Galaxy back four began breaking down, and nearly allowed Colorado to pull closer in the 80th minute. A Jacob Peterson cross was misplayed by Sean Franklin, allowing Christian Gomez to settle the ball inside the area. But the Argentinean fired his volley high from close range.

Two minutes later, Colorado did find that second goal. Clark sent a high ball into the area that the Galaxy had trouble clearing. Herculez Gomez, who came on in the second half, found the ball at his feet and punished his former team from close range.

Despite a tense final eight minutes plus some extended stoppage time, the Galaxy managed to cling to their lead. The three points put the Galaxy back on top of the Western Conference with a trip to expansion San Jose ahead next weekend.

Rapids’ impressive grit opens doors

Wizards outlast Rapids in shootout

Dynamo earn first victory of 2008

Quakes seek to end road woes

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- If San Jose Earthquakes manager Frank Yallop just looks at the home form of his team, he likes what he sees.

While the Quakes' home record of 1-2-1 isn't exactly scintillating, the expansion side has been competitive in every game, and with a little more luck the team would have picked up more points.

But luck has had nothing to do with San Jose's road performances. Not only have the Quakes stumbled to a 1-4-0 away mark, but their last three road matches, all losses, haven't been remotely competitive, something the team will be looking to change this weekend when they travel to Columbus.

"We did great in Colorado," said Yallop of his team's lone road victory back on April 19. "Other than that we've been awful. It's up to me to come up with a game plan where if we do concede a goal ... we're not sitting back waiting for another goal to go in. We'll get at the other team and try to get a goal back."

With six of the team's next eight games away, Yallop has been looking for any nugget of good news he can find ahead of this weekend's match, and there have been a few. Midfielder Ronnie O'Brien appears to have recovered from the back spasms that sidelined him last week against Real Salt Lake, while forward Gavin Glinton has healed sufficiently from hernia surgery to make the substitute's bench.

But what the soccer deities give with one hand, they take with the other. Defender Nick Garcia sprained the MCL in his right knee during practice on Tuesday, and didn't even make the trip to Columbus. That will force Yallop to tweak his backline with James Riley likely sliding into the right back spot with Jason Hernandez moving into the middle.

For Riley, his reinsertion into the lineup offers a chance of redemption. Not only is he looking to put his embarrassing own goal three weeks ago against New England further behind him, but he was given a torrid time by the Crew's Robbie Rogers the last time these two teams met on May 10, as the Columbus midfielder scored twice in the team's 3-2 victory. Riley indicated that San Jose will be well aware of Rogers' pace this time around.

"It's just about being able to read [situations] quicker, and not being afraid to drop our line deep" said Riley. "As long as we can keep them in front of us, I think we can defend them well."

The irony is that the previous match marked the last time Columbus has scored in league play, a scoreless streak that now stands at 277 minutes. But when it comes to extending that run, Yallop knows that offering a bit more punch in attack is just as important to containing Rogers, as well as the Crew's creative hub, Guillermo Barros Schelotto. To that end, he's hoping that forward John Cunliffe will repeat his performance against Real Salt Lake, one that saw score a late goal and almost net another.

Yallop also seems poised to give newly acquired midfielder Kelly Gray his first start since returning to San Jose, with Ramiro Corrales reverting to his more natural position on the left side of midfield.

"I'm just trying to give us little bit better chemistry going forward," said Yallop about the changes. "I think Gray coming into the middle will give us a bit of long-range passing, he's suited to that position. It's just a different look from us."

Yallop will be hoping that the change in personnel will be enough to give the Quakes just their third-ever win in Columbus. If that happens, maybe then he'll like what he sees from his team on the road.

Quakes’ offense awakens in loss

Salt Lake play Kansas City to draw

SALT LAKE CITY -- Real Salt Lake kept their unbeaten record at home intact Saturday night. But they would have preferred to do it in a different manner, after battling to a scoreless tie with the Kansas City Wizards at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The tie snapped RSL's two-game home winning streak and deprived RSL of its first chance to win consecutive games this season. It also extended the Wizards' winless run to five games as they finished a six-game road swing.

Defensively, Real did more than enough to claim victory. But they could not get anything past K.C. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman despite producing 13 shots on goal and 20 shots overall.

Kansas City took control in the first 10 minutes. The best scoring chance for the Wizards came in the third minute when Kerry Zavagnin gathered in the ball and sent a one-touch pass to Claudio Lopez in the middle of the box. Lopez sent a bouncing volley toward the near post where Salt Lake 'keeper Nick Rimando dove and caught the ball before it could go anywhere.

Then in the seventh minute, Davy Arnaud cracked a shot that rattled the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down and away to safety.

RSL asserted itself defensively as the half went along, limiting the Wizards to two shots in all and no further shots on goal.

RSL also started creating more chances after the first 20 minutes. The first came in the 23rd minute when Kenny Deuchar jumped up and snagged a ball out of the air and laid it off to Kyle Beckerman on the left side. Beckerman had an open channel from about 28 yards out and let fly, but the ball landed square in the waiting hands of Hartman.

The two reversed roles in the 28th minute. Beckerman threaded the needle between a pair of defenders in an attempt to get it ahead to Deuchar on the run. Hartman anticipated the hook-up, however and slid in front of the ball, clearing it away before Deuchar could get to it.

Deuchar had another solid chance a minute later, but could not conjure up a goal again. Jamison Olave took a corner kick and swung it into the far post where Deuchar was waiting for the ball. Once Deuchar had it, he knocked it high over the crossbar.

RSL had 12 shots and seven shots on goal in the first half, but struggled to finish and create any truly stellar chances in the final third.

A broken play in the 36th minute illustrated the struggle perfectly. Andy Williams drove down along the far sideline and laid it off to Deuchar in the box. Deuchar tried to cross to Robbie Findley, who had prime position in front of the net. His shot sailed past Findley and was retrieved by Beckerman near the endline. Beckerman tried to set up Findley in the same spot again, only to fire the ball just out of his reach.

The finishing problems did not improve for RSL in the second half. Morales took a free kick in the 49th minute and threaded it to Dema Kovalenko up top. Kovalenko rifled the ball up the middle, but could not get his shot past Hartman's hands.

RSL had another chance in the 62nd minute when Chris Wingert laid a pass off to Findley, who then turned and fired right at Hartman along the near post. The Wizards shot-stopper once again deflected the line drive away.

Beckerman tried to connect on a pair of chances in the 75th and 79th minutes but came away empty-handed each time. He fired his first shot from the middle of the box toward the near post. The ball sailed wide as it curved outside the post.

On his second attempt, Beckerman beat two defenders down into the box and slung the ball toward the far post. But he overshot his target and the ball sailed over the endline.

Kansas City nearly got on the board in the 81st minute when Arnaud fired a free kick under a jumping RSL wall. But the ball was scooped up by Rimando before it had a chance to do any real damage.

LA Galaxy storm past Wizards

Five-a-side: What's hot around MLS

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

1. Some injuries hurt worse than others: The news is fairly grim in Columbus, where hard-working midfielder Adam Moffat was returning to health before suffering yet another lengthy setback.

Moffat, who was one of the lesser sung heroes in the Crew's fast start, suffered a left knee injury Thursday during practice. He'll miss at least four weeks. Or, if doctors discover more damage he could miss the entire season.

That's tough to hear for Crew fans. While Moffat's name might not inspire the same Google hits as some of the team's marquee names, he was a big part of the central midfield revolution that swept through Sigi Schmid's side. He offered the early, initial pressure during matches, slowing the opposition attack while Brian Carroll sat in behind and got things organized.

On offense, Moffat's late runs into the penalty area and boldness in shooting from distance gave defenses disparate elements to worry about.

Consider the clearest evidence of his impact: The Crew is 6-0-1 in matches that Moffat started. Since his injury, the team's record is 1-2-1, and the lone win against expansion San Jose.

Columbus, which held the Eastern Conference lead through much of the first two months, appeared to have the makings of a special season. Now they'll need someone else to provide the energy and effort Moffat had brought. Brad Evans has gotten his chances. So has young Emmanuel Ekpo, but in smaller batches. Or maybe the best chance is a healthy Duncan Oughton, who may be ready to claim his first minutes of 2008.

Whatever happens, it will have to start with a win this weekend against San Jose. Schmid's team hasn't scored in three consecutive MLS matches. So the Bay Area visitors, themselves struggling mightily for offense, represent a great chance for Columbus to leave the three-game losing streak back in May.

2. Jozy Altidore, we hardly knew ya. The young Villareal-bound man surely provided some thrills along the way, before signing this week to join the Spanish side.

How, exactly, did his totals with the New York Red Bulls stack up over an abbreviated MLS career? He scored 15 goals in 37 matches, which is approximately one goal every 2.5 matches.

That's not exactly Juan Pablo Angel-type numbers. The veteran Red Bulls man has struck for 21 in 31 matches, a truly remarkable ratio of one goal every 1.5 matches.

But young Altidore's strike rate stands right there with one of the league's top all-time goal scorers, Ante Razov, who has 110 in 249 appearances (one every 2.26 matches).

How about that high-scoring crew out in L.A.? Landon Donovan has struck at a rate of once every 2.3 matches. Carlos Ruiz, now healthy again and apparently ready to contribute, has one of the best all-time strike rates for a forward who has performed over a number of years with 81 goals in 143 matches, a rate of one goal every 1.76 games.

3. TFC about to test its new success on the road: There can be no doubt that Toronto FC is a vastly improved lot. The attack is night-and-day better, and the defense looks more settled.

On the other hand, we're about to learn if John Carver's crew can really be threat this year to make noise in the postseason, of if "respectability" is this year's plateau.

Take a closer look at the schedule and notice that almost all of TFC's success has been at BMO, where the team has already seized the first hill in establishing team competitiveness: to make the home ground a fortress.

Toronto is one of three clubs that remain undefeated at home (along with Houston and Real Salt Lake). The men from Canada are 4-0-2, having conceded just one goal. And a friendly schedule allowed Toronto to really get on a roll at BMO; six of its last seven have been at home.

Now the club must test it's mettle on the road, beginning with a match Sunday in Houston. In Toronto's road tests this year, that defense hasn't looked quite as rock-solid. Look at the road goals allowed by the same fellows doing the business so well at home (generally Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Marco Velez and Jim Brennan): 2, 4, 2 and 3.

That's not going to win many on the road.

4. Dodging the sophomore slump: Dane Richards' swell assist Thursday night, converted so clinically by Juan Pablo Angel, might get the Red Bulls flank attacker moving in the right direction. Richards had slid a bit since last year's fast start, unable to generate the same flash and dash that made us take notice last year, his rookie season.

To be fair, Richards' two goals and six assists were weighted toward the front of the season. It got harder for the young Jamaican once MLS sides gained awareness of his ability.

This year Richards had no goals and just one assist before Thursday. Injuries played a part, too, with Richards limited to just six appearances so far.

Any other young standouts from last year look prone to the dreaded sophomore slump? Adam Cristman looks right on track. He had four goals and four assists in 28 appearances last year. With three goals in 10 appearances this season, so far, so good.

Maykel Galindo's second MLS campaign has been injury-nicked. So far (one goal, seven appearances) he's not close to matching last year's breakout season (12 goals, five assists, in 28 matches).

Robbie Findley had six goals in 16 appearances for two teams last year. The exciting young U.S. striker has two goals and two assists in 10 appearances this go-round, including that terrific strike from range for RSL last weekend.

5: Team of May: Matt Reis's eight-save performance against D.C. United to cap May was certainly one of the goalkeeping highlights of '08. That said, it's getting harder to overlook the season Jon Busch is putting together in Chicago.

Stats don't always tell the whole story, of course. Still, Reis and Busch had faced the same number of shots going into Friday's match in New England. But Busch had played in two fewer matches, and had allowed far fewer goals (6 to Reis's 13).

So, with four goals allowed in four May matches, Busch is the choice in goal for the Team of May. The entire list:

Goalkeeper: Jon Busch
Defense: Bryan Namoff, Jeff Parke, Bakary Soumary, Gonzalo Segares.
Midfield: David Beckham, Shalrie Joseph, Jesse Marsch, Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Forward: Danny Dichio, Brian Ching

Davis: Second step tougher

Angel’s grit, goal lift Bulls past Chivas

Donovan fit, ready for milestone

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- It was the perfect scenario for Landon Donovan. The all-time leading scorer in U.S. history was set to earn his 100th cap at Wembley Stadium against England.

But then a groin strain sidelined him from not only that match, but the U.S. national team's next highly anticipated match, as well -- at Spain on Wednesday.

"Candidly I was looking forward to playing those two games more than any other game I've looked forward to in a long time," Donovan said. "Maybe in hindsight I probably should have just stayed back and let it rest the whole time, but the idea that I could play at Wembley against England and play in Spain against Spain was exciting and I wanted to do everything I could to make that happen, but it just didn't happen."

Donovan is back. While he's not 100 percent, the Los Angeles Galaxy attacking midfielder wasn't limited in the U.S. training session Friday at Montclair State University and should be healthy enough to reach that milestone Sunday against Argentina in a friendly at Giants Stadium.

"As you see, he trained today," national team manager Bob Bradley said. "We are hopeful that he'll be able to play. A final decision wont be made until game day, but the signs that he'll be able to play I think are good."

Sure earning his 100th cap at Wembley would have been special. But doing it at Giants Stadium in front of more than 70,000 fans against the No. 1 team in the world isn't too shabby, either.

"It's not on my mind anymore," Donovan said. "Because it worked out the way it did and I could have played England, that was exciting. Now I just want to get back on the field. I miss being out there."

Playing three of the top teams in the world over an 11-day span is not an ideal situation. But the chance to play No. 11 England and No. 4 Spain in Europe and top-ranked Argentina at Giants Stadium turned out to be an offer Bradley couldn't refuse.

"When these games came up, it didn't look likely that there could be all three," he said. "At one point they said there was a 10 percent chance of this one, a 20 percent here and a 20 percent there. We end up with the trifecta. I don't think anyone planned that part out, but they're too good to turn down."

And the anticipation of facing an Argentina side featuring some of the greatest players in the world certainly helps alleviate any of the jetlag the team might be feeling after losing 1-0 to Spain Wednesday night.

"When you're playing against the No. 1 team in the world you're going to have some adrenaline, you're going to be pumped up to play," Freddy Adu said. "We're talking about it all the time. We know it's a great opportunity."

The U.S. couldn't have asked for a tougher three games leading up to its World Cup qualifying, which begins June 15 against Barbados at The Home Depot Center. Argentina crushed CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico 4-1 in front of 68,489 fans at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego Wednesday night.

"The more that we see those type of teams," Clint Dempsey said, "the better we're going to be."

On Friday, Bradley named a 19-man squad that will take on Argentina, most of whom were in Santander a few days earlier. Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan and Donovan were the only additions from the team that played against Spain, replacing Josh Wolff and Carlos Bocanegra.

"They have a ton of good players," said Kljestan, who tries to model his game after Argentinean great Esteban Cambiasso. "I'm really looking forward to testing myself against these guys and see how I match up."

Bradley said he initially planned on calling Jozy Altidore into his squad for this match and it could have served as a final farewell for the 18-year-old forward after MLS and Villarreal of La Liga agreed in principle to a transfer fee for the soon-to-be-former Red Bulls forward.

But a left ankle contusion Altidore suffered in training Monday on the same field at Montclair State and didn't practice the rest of the week. He also didn't dress against Chivas USA Thursday night.

"He's got a lot going on right now," Bradley said of Altidore. "We were thinking he'd be with us for the Argentina game and then he would go with us to begin in terms of preparation for the first Barbados game. Certainly the Argentina game is now out and then we'll assess everything and see where it fits in over the next few weeks."

While Altidore will miss playing at Giants Stadium perhaps for one last time, one former MetroStars midfielder will get a chance to return to his former haunts.

"For me, it's awesome," said midfielder Michael Bradley. "I was born in New Jersey, have lived here for a long time, still have a lot of friends, know a lot of great people who live here. To be around for a few days and to be able to play against a team like Argentina at Giants Stadium, you can't ask for anything more."

Wizards hope to regain spark

Guzan looking to state case for U.S.

Guzan hopes to seize opportunity