D.C. beats Quakes with late surge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RSL still bitter over Wizards draw

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

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

RSL is determined to get those points back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. When good acquisitions go bad: Ah, the dreamy days of December-March, the time of grand designs in terms of personnel speculation around MLS. Teams pile on the talent, and forwards bring particular energy to the exercise for fans and officials alike. Visions abound of 15- and 20-goal scorers guiding clubs to splashy accomplishment.

Hope may continue to spring in Spring, but June and July are when dreams frequently, necessarily, die.

At Houston, D.C. United, Kansas City and Chicago, officials might already be looking to replace new forwards who haven't lived up to expectations -- even if the ink is barely dry on those press releases heralding their arrival.

Franco Niell's days at RFK seem to be over. The feisty Argentinean was imported to provide some depth and perhaps even start alongside Luciano Emilio. But he had no goals (and just three shots, in fact) in seven appearances and was waived Thursday by United.

Niell's failure to produce has been mitigated lately by Emilio's re-emergence as a scoring force. The man who led MLS last year with 20 goals recently snuffed out a seven-game scoreless drought; now he's scored seven goals in United's last five games.

Brian Ching's recent hot streak has similarly softened disappointment and uproar over Franco Caraccio's lack of production for Houston. The young Argentinean striker has just one appearance for Dominic Kinnear's team in the last month, a 70th-minute appearance as a sub. His last start came May 22 in Houston's loss at San Jose.

The former Argentina under-20 international was a starter to begin 2008. But two goals in eight starts (and two other appearances as a sub) is probably not the kind of production Kinnear and GM Oliver Luck expected.

Kansas City has double trouble in Colombian Ivan Trujillo and Argentinean Claudio Lopez, who have combined for just four goals. Lopez has three of them, but his flagging production may be bigger cause for concern; as the Wizards' DP, more was surely expected. As it is, Kansas City has just 10 goals in 12 matches, just a little better than expansion San Jose, which has the league's worst offense statistically.

Tomasz Frankowski was talked up in Chicago. But he has just two goals and one assist and hasn't started since April. If Brian McBride comes aboard, the veteran Polish striker could move even further down the pecking order.

Then there's the case of Carlos Ruiz in Los Angeles, who isn't new to the league, of course, but is new-ish to the Galaxy shirt. He'll find it tough to get off the Galaxy bench as long as Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan remain healthy. Could Ruiz move to another team, which would be his third in a year?

Not likely. As Los Angeles' second (or third) Designated Player, Ruiz counts just $350,000 against the salary cap. If he were to move to another club, his amount against the cap would rise (unless he was the second DP at that club, too.) Either way, there really aren't any teams out there swimming in open salary cap space, so the Galaxy have few options.

2. The first problem, the biggest problem: Every new manager has good ideas about what a team needs, about how to point players in a more positive direction, etc. If they didn't have good ideas, they probably couldn't convince owners and GMs to hire them.

But practical application is another thing. Managers stand or fall on their ability (or inability) to select the right players and then get them to execute. And a big part of that is determined by dealings with any locker room problems. It establishes a big part of the coaching foundation.

Schellas Hyndman, apparently, has his first issue, one that cropped up less than a week into his tenure at Pizza Hut Park. Young Brazilian forward Ricardinho isn't happy with his playing time and made that clear in public statements. Hyndman, a noted disciplinarian in his 24 years at SMU, had a simple response.

"I'm not here to make everybody happy," he said. "All I've ever said to them is that there will be early and clear communication."

To that end, he's trying to help Ricardinho, who has no goals and two assists in 15 appearances over the last two seasons (including four starts). Hyndman speaks Portuguese and hopes that can help him reach the player. He said he needs time to understand what's going on with the 19-year-old attacker.

Hyndman wants to dig a little deeper, to understand if the player has personal issues pressing him, or other off-the-field concerns. But Hyndman seems clear on one thing: while developing relationships with players is part of his job, so is demanding execution.

He indicated that Ricardinho, on loan from Brazil's Paranaense, has yet to respond to certain practice field initiatives.

"His attitude has to be right," Hyndman said. "To put him on the field right now is not the best thing for the team. And that's got to be my No. 1 priority."

3. Getting the stadium formula right: In terms of big-picture, overall MLS facility development, Houston may have stumbled upon the formula that addresses several geographic conundrums.

The Dynamo unveiled plans this week for a proposed soccer complex and Dynamo training facility in the Southeast section of town, outside the main loop. This would be independent of a Dynamo soccer stadium; plans for that slog fourth slowly.

MLS officials are learning through facility other development that stadiums near city cores might have an advantage over suburban venues in terms of attracting audiences and building broader fan bases. But land is cheaper in suburbs and exurbs, of course, so facility development is more feasible in those areas -- especially if the proposed facility is a comprehensive complex that includes huge tracts for training facilities, auxiliary fields and such.

So, is the answer being unwrapped slowly in Houston? There, if plans continue to move forward, the team would construct a training complex, including auxiliary fields, outside the main loop. Meanwhile, team administrators and Houston city officials continue to explore options for a stadium closer to the city. (The Dynamo currently plays at on the University of Houston campus, which sits in the shadow of downtown, not too far from the site of a proposed stadium.)

Houston's proposed soccer complex includes 18 soccer fields to be built in stages.

Sure, it's nice when stadiums and comprehensive training facilities are adjacent, as they are at the MLS-developed facilities in Carson, Calif., Commerce City, Colo., and Frisco, Texas. But those venues are all beyond the main city cores. Plus, teams all over the world practice and play at separate venues, with training facilities situated in outlying areas, where land is more available. So the model certainly can work.

4. The most dazzling twosomes: Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle currently top the MLS scoring chart. Both, of course, wear the Herbalife-stripped Galaxy jersey. This raises the exciting possibility that the league's top two goal scorers will come from the same side.

But that's not as rare as it might sound. In fact, this would be the third time it has happened.

The prodigious 2001 Miami team was the last to put stick two big scorers on top of the league scoring totem pole: Alex Pineda Chacon (19 goals) and Diego Serna (15) were Nos. 1 and 2 that year.

D.C. United's Jaime Moreno (16) and Raul Diaz Arce (15) set the league goal-scoring standard in 1997. Like that 2001 Miami Fusion bunch, the 1997 United gang finished first in the conference standings. (A sign of things to come for the Galaxy?)

Donovan and Buddle certainly have an opportunity to be the league's top tandem. They have combined for 20 goals and still have more than half the season remaining. Considering David Beckham's sublime service, could they be the first to reach 40 goals? Diaz Arce and (who would have thought?) Steve Rammel combined for 37 in 1996, the highest tally yet for a twosome. A couple of pairs have reached 36 goals, including a potentially prodigal son: Stern John (26) and McBride (10) reached that total in 1998.

5. It's a good time for soccer and TV: ESPN's coverage of Euro 2008 has been greeted with numbers that will, at the least, make TV execs say, "Hmmmm."

Sixteen matches on ESPN2 were watched by an average of 506,000 households, according to ESPN, which amounts to an increase of more than 60 percent over the same time period one year earlier for the network.

ESPN2's most-watched match was seen in 831,000 homes and by 1.01 million viewers, the June 14 contest featuring Sweden vs. Spain.

Through six matches (including the quarterfinals) ESPN had averaged a healthy 0.9 rating, or about 835,000 homes. That's was almost double the viewership from the same time period in 2007 for the network.

Plus, praise has been effusive for ESPN commentator Andy Gray, who cut his teeth with Sky Sports.

(Soccer fans, meanwhile, have been appreciative simply for the opportunity to see every match without any tricky logistical gymnastics. Personal side-note: It was just eight years ago that myself and a bunch of buddies traipsed nightly to our local Irish bar during Euro 2000, watching an overmatched TV project match replays that the bar owner had taped at his house during the day from an expensive subscription package.)

Now comes Sunday's high-profile MLS appearance on ABC, a D.C. United-L.A. Galaxy match that has already sold about 33,000 tickets. It will serve as a lead-in for the Euro 2008 final on ABC.

Five hours of soccer coverage on ABC? That's a big day for soccer.

Crew ready to exorcise demons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LA may meet scoring match in D.C.

Currently riding a three game unbeaten streak, the LA Galaxy face an extremely difficult road test this weekend, needing a result against red-hot D.C. United to keep that streak alive.

After one of the worst starts in franchise history, United has gone unbeaten in their last five matches, notching four wins during that run. The sudden switch in form is thanks in large part to the reemergence of Luciano Emilio, last season's Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player.

After getting off to a slow start, the Brazilian has launched himself towards the top of the MLS scoring chart. The only two players in the league with more goals than Emilio are Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle of the Galaxy. LA is the highest scoring team in MLS thanks to their dynamic duo. In second is the recently high-flying and high-scoring United. As a result, people are expecting an exciting match.

"I think they'll be some chances on both sides," Galaxy defender Ante Jazic said. "I think the weather is going to be a factor. I think we'll score with the talent that we have. Hopefully we can shut out DC, but we're always good for a couple of goals."

Donovan, who picked up his torrid scoring rate again last weekend with two against Columbus, agreed that both clubs may be in for a high-scoring affair on Sunday.

"We'll see what happens," Donovan said. "In theory, there should be a lot of chances. If guys are sharp on the day, there will be a lot of goals too."

While Donovan will undoubtedly by a focal point for the United defense, Emilio will hold a similar position in the Galaxy's preparations.

"I don't know if you can totally slow them down," Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein said. "Emilio's been hot lately, so he's a guy that you always have to be aware of. He's one of those pure goal scorers that you may not see him then boom, he's scored two goals. He's someone you need to be aware of, but really it's the creativity around him that makes him go."

Included in that creativity for United is MLS all-time leading scorer Jaime Moreno, and D.C.'s designated player, midfielder Marcelo Gallardo. Those three players are the engine that has driven United to their current run of good form and will be critical for the Galaxy to stop if they want to get any sort of result.

"Number one is Luciano," Donovan said. "You've got to know where he is at all times. He seems to kind of sneak away and find a spot, then bam, he strikes. He's number one. Two is Jaime (Moreno). If you don't have a hold of him, it makes it easier for Luciano and also Gallardo. Those are the three main keys. You'd like to think if you shut them down you have a pretty good chance to win."

Shutting down all those weapons is easier said than done. LA knows a little bit about that, considering the number of weapons they possess offensively as well. In order to even slow down the United attack, Los Angeles will need an entire team effort.

"I think overall we're going to have to have a much better effort defensively as a unit," Jazic said. "The entire eleven players on the pitch, we have to make it difficult for them and not give them too much space, because they have players who are good going forward."

Sunday's game will be featured on ABC right before the Euro 2008 finals. It's a marquee match showcasing two of the league's most entertaining clubs. Both teams have plenty to play for too, as the Galaxy are hoping to maintain there position atop the West and United look to continue their climb in the East.

"For me it's two quality teams going head to head," Klein said. "Both teams are kind of hot right now. D.C. has been on a run as of late. They started very poorly and now they are the D.C. United that everyone expected them to be. For us, it's going to be a good test."

Lenhart's MLS career delays charity work

COLUMBUS -- The finger-in-the-light-socket golden Afro is gone, but the free-spirited rookie forward assures everyone he is still the same Steven Lenhart. That's good news for the Columbus Crew -- and possibly the people of the African nation of Zambia that he desperately wants to help.

Lenhart came off the bench in only his second MLS match on Saturday to notch his first goal in the 88th minute to lift the Crew into a 3-3 tie at Los Angeles before a cheering section of about 50 at The Home Depot Center that included his family, friends and former coaches and teammates from nearby Azusa Pacific University.

"The support from my family and friends back home was definitely felt," he said. "To get in and then to get the goal was awesome."

Being a SoCal surf and sand kid, he uses "awesome" a lot but he is much deeper than low tide at his beloved Newport Beach. Although Lenhart was an NAIA All-American in 2007 while helping Azusa Pacific to the national title, he wasn't thinking about a professional career until the Crew took him in the fourth round of the SuperDraft in January.

"I wanted to move to Africa, to be honest, and help some buddies who started a non-profit in Zambia," he said. "I was ready to go there with them until I found out I was drafted. I was going to graduate (he is five classes shy) and live there a couple of years. My friends from college started a bicycle assembly in Zambia to help the people of Africa."

Acirfa -- Africa spelled backwards -- works with partner Zambikes to build and sell affordable bikes to help Zambians improve their quality of life, i.e., a doctor who can see more patients traveling by bike rather than foot. Acirfa's slogan is "Turning Africa around one bike at a time." (For more information visit www.abikes.org).

"It's something I really want to get involved in," Lenhart said. "I hope to go there in the offseason."

His focus for now is on gaining more playing time. He is a regular in reserve matches and went the full 90 minutes and scored against Real Salt Lake in a U.S. Open Cup match on May 27 but has been on the field for only 24 minutes of league play.

"Being a rookie, I've talked to multiple guys who've put in their time. It's part of the system, but I've definitely been learning a lot from older guys on the team," he said. "I'm not totally worried about playing time. It's been a good experience being here."

Some things can't be taught, though. On the goals he had against RSL and Los Angeles, Lenhart was in the right place at the right time. He scored the equalizer on the Galaxy after a Frankie Hejduk shot was deflected by goalkeeper Steve Cronin to his feet.

"You have to have that mentality that you want to win it in the box and you want to be there first," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "In Germany they say, 'He's just lucky. The ball finds him in the box.' There are certain forwards the ball seems to find. Is the ball finding him or is he finding the ball? The ball drops down and his reaction is quicker than the other guy's.

"If you look at his two goals against Salt Lake and the Galaxy they were pretty similar balls that fell free in the box and he reacted quicker than somebody else. Although some people don't think of that as a skill, I think it's a talent."

Schmid views Lenhart as a project with abundant room to grow. "He's raw. He's still learning the game a little bit. His feet can still get better," he said.

Lenhart was well scouted before being drafted. Schmid, the former UCLA and Galaxy coach, used his many West Coast contacts -- including his son Kurt, an assistant for the Cal-Irvine men's soccer team where another son, Kyle, plays -- to follow Lenhart's career.

"We had heard about (Lenhart)," Sigi Schmid said. "Steve Tashjian, our fitness coach, had connections with Azusa Pacific. (Crew assistant) Mike Lapper had seen him play in the NAIA tournament and I sent my son to watch him play a couple of times. The feeling was he still needs work but has some qualities and the ability to score some goals and is getting better year to year. We felt he was a worthwhile risk."

Lenhart repaid the confidence with his performance Saturday.

"It was kind of a blur but after watching it on video I remembered," he said. "The ball bounced around. Frankie had a great shot, made the 'keeper deflect it. It kind of landed at my feet. There was really nothing to do but kick it in."

After the goal, it appeared he was gesturing to the Galaxy's supporters' sections. Could this be true? After all, it wasn't that long ago that Lenhart was sitting in those same stands rooting on the Galaxy.

"My family was sitting right up above them. I wasn't taunting them. I was giving my family some love," he said.

To make the trip even more special Lenhart was allowed to stay an extra day and spent much of Sunday at his favorite ocean spot, the Ledge, in Newport Beach.

He rose early Monday before his flight and decided on a whim to shear the frizzy locks that Hejduk referred to as a "mop head." A friend did the honors.

"I woke up and it fell out," Lenhart joked of his first haircut in about six months. "It's either long or short. I'm still the same person. I promise."

Even so, Schmid was bemused. "We had him introduce himself before practice so the players know who he was," he said.

Barrett's finishing touch under fire

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- He leads the Chicago Fire in goals scored with five. He is second on the team in assists with three. He was called up for the U.S. national team to play the second leg of the World cup qualifier with Barbados.

But Chad Barrett, the third-year forward for the Fire, also missed two quality scoring opportunities last Thursday in the Fire's 2-0 loss to Chivas USA, and his every miss compounds an impression that he can't finish.

The statistics suggest otherwise, but Barrett cannot shake the fan feeling that he can't shoot straight.

While the supporters wail over his misses, no one hurts more than Barrett when a near-certain goal goes astray. His reaction to his second miss Thursday, when he put his head in his hands and looked like he was never going to let go, is an indication of how much he cares.

Prior to the Chivas game, Barrett discussed his yin-and-yang season. "Stats-wise, if you end up with 15 goals, it's a good season," Barrett said. "But I don't want to be known for scoring goals. I want to be known for my hard work. I don't want to be known as a one-dimensional player."

To coach Denis Hamlett, it is Barrett's hard work that puts him in position to have the opportunity to make plays, and Hamlett knows the life of a striker is predicated on his last scoring opportunity.

"Every forward goes through these kinds of stretches," Hamlett said. "It is important that he got a call from the national team. It came at a good moment, especially after his game against Chivas. I think it was a reward for the hard work he put in the first 10 games of the season. It's nice to see people recognize the work he is doing."

Hamlett, who has been with the Fire since the team's inception in 1998, compared Barrett's current situation to that of former Fire forward Ante Razov, who led the team in scoring for five seasons but was consistently criticized for missing what appeared to be easy shots.

"Strikers are going to go through that," Hamlett said. "It's not like he missed it on purpose. You just have to continue to work hard. It is not always about scoring goals, even for a striker. Sometimes it is about making the little plays that help your team win."

The scoring opportunities Barrett had against Chivas appeared painfully easy after he failed to score on them. Early in the first half, a quick passing sequence from Cuauhtemoc Blanco to Justin Mapp on the left flank ended when Mapp sent a pass across the Chivas penalty area to Barrett, who was open on the right side and staring at an open side of the net in front of him. As Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan lunged to protect the goal, Barrett one-timed the ball but sent it just outside the right post.

In the 35th minute, Barrett beat Guzan to a ball just outside the penalty area and pushed it to his right. With Guzan on the ground and two defenders racing in behind him, Barrett missed his sharp-angled shot at the open net, again missing wide right.

It was at that point that Barrett let the frustration of all of his misses show on his face. To Hamlett's credit, he kept Barrett in the game though the ESPN announcers kept suggesting Barrett would be taken out late when the Fire added forwards to try to make up the two-goal difference.

"I think he is handling this in a good way," Hamlett said. "It was good for him to with the national team and be around that different environment. We have a lot of confidence in him. He is still a young player and he is still learning what it is like to be a top-notch forward."

Serioux returns to big changes

FRISCO, Texas -- Much has changed since Adrian Serioux last put on the hoops for FC Dallas.

Serioux last saw action for FCD on June 6 at New England, when he started and played 64 minutes. He's missed just two games since, while with the Canadian national team, but when Serioux returned to the FCD training field Monday, it was with a new head coach in charge in Schellas Hyndman.

"It definitely is (weird to come back with a new coach)," Serioux said. "Finding out who the coach was while I was gone was kind of unexpected to know that they found somebody so quickly. Coming in, the past few days of training has been great. He (Hyndman) really has a great sense of knowledge of the game and what he wants from us. He wants to get the best from us and hopefully raise our expectations and level of play."

Under Hyndman, the Hoops have started training earlier in the morning and the sessions have also been more intense than they were under interim coach Marco Ferruzzi, who took over for Steve Morrow after he was dismissed on May 20.

"It's definitely harder to wake up earlier," Serioux said. "You try to beat the heat, but I think that either way, we're still going to get stuck in the heat. Right now, the intensity has been raised to get our level of play quicker than it's been in the last few games. It's not only changing our style but putting in a little aspect of fitness. Hopefully that will allow us to outdo some teams that we play. Sometimes, we look like we're dying toward the end of the game and try to come on hard. Hopefully, we can start off the game at a certain level and end at the same level."

Another change has come in the team's formation. When Serioux last played for FCD, it was on the left of back three. On Saturday night at New York, Hyndman went with Blake Wagner at left back in a 4-4-2 formation. That means Serioux could be moving to a more central role in the back with Drew Moor moving to the right flank, or he could moving into a defensive midfield role.

"I would like to continue to look at Blake (Wagner)," Hyndman said. "You make a change because somebody is either not performing to the ability that you want them to perform at or they're not able to add the strengths that what you're looking for like being able to attack out of the back and being a strong defender. I think Adrian (Serioux) will probably go where we need him the most but I'm glad to have him back."

No matter where he plays, Serioux clearly has value.

"I'm definitely comfortable in either position," he said. "But at the same time, it's still difficult when you're one of those players able to adapt to certain positions and are expected to raise your play right off the bat. Sometimes it takes a couple of games for me to get back in the couple of things playing defensive midfield. Wherever I am needed or he feels that I am best suited, I will just have to go out there and do my best."

Hyndman does like the toughness that Serioux brings to the Hoops every time he steps onto the field.

"Many people call them enforcers," he said. "In Brazil, they call them talent hunters. They go out, find the talent and hunt them down. I think with Adrian (Serioux), that is a more comfortable position for him, as a holding midfielder, defensive midfielder. He can also get involved in the attack and can connect players. He's athletic enough to do that. Adrian has the capability of playing both positions but it come down to where we need him the most."

While away with Canada, Serioux had a pair of familiar faces as teammates in Houston's Dwayne De Rosario, a longtime friend, and Pat Onstad, with whom he played on the Dynamo's 2006 MLS Cup championship team. The three will meet up again in short order, as FC Dallas takes on the Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on MLS Primetime Thursday.

"It's always great to go play with your national team," Serioux said. "I've been with a couple of guys on Houston. Dwayne (De Rosario) is a good friend of mine. It's one of those things where when we're playing together, we're the best of friends but when we're not, we take our job very seriously and the team that we play for. It's just going to be a battle out there."

MLS sides learn USOC opponents

The eight Major League Soccer teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup learned their third-round opponents following the completion of the second round Tuesday night.

All third-round games are scheduled for July 1 and it starts with the defending champion New England Revolution playing host to the USL Second Division's Richmond Kickers at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Conn.

The Kickers defeated the Western Mass. Pioneers 2-1 at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Mass. Kevin Jones broke a scoreless tie in the 59th minute to put Richmond in front, but Western Mass. leading scorer Jeff Deren equalized four minutes later.

Stanley Nyazamba scored the game-winner six minutes from full time for Richmond, which has defeated three MLS teams - Colorado in 2000, D.C. United in 2004 and Los Angeles in 2007 - in the Open Cup.

The Kansas City Wizards will take to the road to meet the Carolina Railhawks (USL First Division) at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The Railhawks edged USL-2 side Real Maryland 1-0 on a late penalty kick Tuesday night.

After former D.C. United midfielder Jamil Walker was pulled down by Real Maryland goalkeeper Emilio Zelaya in the dying moments of the second half, Kupono Low stepped to the penalty spot and scored the winner, sending Carolina into the third round.

Real Maryland plays their home games at Maryland SoccerPlex home, but for at least one night D.C. United will call the Germantown, Md. complex home when United faces the Rochester Raging Rhinos in a third-round tussle.

The Rhinos made short work of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2) Tuesday, winning 3-0 at Paetec Park in Rochester, N.Y.

Johnny Menyonger put the hosts in front on 26 minutes. Mauricio Salles doubled the Rhinos' advantage just past the hour mark on an assist from Steve Guppy, who would be sent off nine minutes later. Pittsburgh's hopes of capitalizing on the man advantage, though, were dashed in the 75th minute when Luke Kreamalmeyer scored on an indirect free kick from six yards out.

The Chicago Fire will play host to the Cleveland City Stars at Toyota Park after the USL Second Division team went on the road and defeated the Minnesota Thunder 2-0 in overtime.

Floyd Franks broke the scoreless draw in the 105th minute and the former Chicago Fire forward added a second in the 119th minute, scoring from the penalty spot after Ian Leibbrandt was taken down by Thunder goalkeeper Nicolas Platter.

"There are no hard feelings with me going back there to play," Franks said. "I have a lot of friends on that team and I just can't wait to compete against them. It will be great for our club to play an MLS team in a great stadium like that."

FC Dallas will entertain Miami FC at Pizza Hut Park after Miami defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks 1-0, in the lone meeting of USL First Division teams Tuesday night at Tropical Park Stadium.

Goalkeeper Josh Saunders extended his scoreless streak to 680 minutes and Brazilian Alex Alfonso scored the game's lone goal in the 40th minute for Miami FC, which advance to the third round of the Open Cup for the first time.

Houston Dynamo take to the road and meet the Charleston Battery (USL-1), which defeated USL-2 team Charlotte Eagles 2-1 Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium.

Osvaldo Alonso scored the winner for the Battery, converting a 90th-minute penalty kick after former New York Red Bulls midfielder Randi Patterson was pulled down in the box.

Darren Spicer scored his fourth goal of the Open Cup in the 12th minute on a rebound of a saved Aaron King shot. Jorge Herrera headed in Ben Johnson long throw-in to tie the game in the 66th minute.

The New York Red Bulls will take on Crystal Palace USA at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Crystal Palace defeated defending USL2 champion Harrisburg City in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 2-2 draw.

Andongcho Mbuta scored in the closing moments of overtime to force penalty kicks and Matt Nelson haunted his former team by making three saves in the shootout.

The Seattle Sounders (USL-1) made sure there was no Los Angeles derby in the third round, thrashing Hollywood United, the lone amateur side in the competition, 6-0 at Starfire Sports Complex.

Instead, thanks to four consecutive goals by Sebastien LeToux, Seattle will host Chivas USA for a second consecutive year in the third round. Last year, the Sounders defeated the Red-and-White 3-1 at Qwest Field.

"I think I could maybe have scored more, but I'll be happy with four tonight," LeToux said. "We had to be very careful about this team because they won 3-2 against Portland (in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup first round). We knew they had some good players and we were very careful about that."

Explosive Buddle pacing Galaxy

CARSON, Calif. -- Coming into the 2008 season, it was certainly clear the Los Angeles Galaxy were going to try and build their attack around three players this season. The acquisition of Carlos Ruiz in the offseaon had several people thinking the Galaxy were going to be nearly unstoppable with David Beckham and Landon Donovan also on the roster.

However, in the opening game of the season, Ruiz suffered a knee injury that has kept him off of the field for all but 150 minutes this season. Still, the Galaxy offense has still been nearly unstoppable. LA has averaged 2.33 goals per game, far and away the best average so far in MLS.

In the early part of the season, the focus was on Landon Donovan, who notched eight goals in a four-game stretch in the month of May. But with Ruiz still recovering from injury and departing for international duty with Guatemala, and Donovan getting called in for duty with the U.S., the Galaxy's offensive abilities were called into question.

Edson Buddle stepped up and became the answer. The journeyman forward looked to be the odd man out in Los Angeles at the start of the season. But injuries and call-ups opened the door for Buddle and he has crashed through it, exploding for seven goals in the Galaxy's last five games, included two hat tricks.

His recent form has catapulted Buddle to second in the MLS Golden Boot race and has helped him lock down a spot in Ruud Gullit's starting XI.

"Landon scored us a lot of goals, now also Edson," said Gullit. "It's the tools that they are given. (Buddle has) worked very hard with them. He gives what it needs to be a striker."

Buddle's potency in front of goal helps to make the Galaxy that much more dynamic offensively. Gullit stresses that the offense needs to be balanced, and with defenses now forced to focus on Buddle as well as a returning Donovan, holes will open up for the midfielders to exploit.

"It's good. You want also for your midfield players to score a little bit more," said Gullit. "Alvaro (Pires) has already scored a goal. David scored a couple of goals. It has to come from a variety of players."

While the rest of the team is catching up, Buddle's production has helped to ease some of the pressure off of his teammates.

"Edson's definitely stepped up. He's doing a great job for our team," said rookie defender Sean Franklin. "I'm proud of him and excited for him."

Obviously, the scoring streak can't continue forever. Strikers around the world go hot and cold. Buddle knows this as well as anyone. "Hopefully (I can keep it going). We'll see. I'm just going to keep doing the things I was doing before, don't change anything," said Buddle. "If I can keep healthy, goals will come."

That's bad news for opposing defenses. When Buddle is on his game, he's one of the more prolific goal scorers in MLS with 61 career goals. Couple that with the return of Donovan to the lineup, Ruiz finding his scoring form in international duty and Beckham serving balls in from the midfield, and it could be difficult for any team in MLS to slow down the Galaxy attack.

Revs' Joseph represents country, club

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Most players like to spend the day after a game recovering. New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph will spend Thursday traveling to Central America.

Joseph wasn't supposed to play on Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium. After a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica on Saturday, Joseph should have stayed in Grenada on international duty until the team left for Costa Rica.

But Joseph didn't like the training methods employed in the southern Caribbean island and wanted a chance to play in Wednesday night's 1-1 draw against New York.

That leaves Joseph to spend most of Thursday traveling across North America to get to Costa Rica in time to prepare for a match that most people wouldn't have expected to matter.

Grenada lost in the second round stage to the United States in World Cup 2006 qualifying, 6-2 on aggregate, and weren't expected to keep it close against the Central Americans, who part of the final 32 in both Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006.

With the home crowd in St. George's backing them, the Grenadians produced a pulsating performance that saw them snatch a point even with midfielder Ricky Charles dismissed after 49 minutes.

"It felt like we should have won the game," Joseph said. "We know Costa Rica is a powerhouse. It was a good result if you didn't watch the game. We should have had four or five goals in the first half."

The first leg result gives Grenada a chance to advance to the semifinal round of qualifying for the first time, but the task that lay ahead is not an easy one. Grenada's ragtag group of home-based amateurs, supplemented by Joseph and Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts, will attempt to overcome the raucous Costa Rican crowd at the Estadio Saprissa.

"They have the turf and the fans are right up on top of you," Joseph said. "It's a crazy environment. Most of our players aren't used to it. We need to stay focused and stay concentrated on the task at hand. We also have to try not to play with 10 men."

Joseph said his team can go out and get a result, potentially placing them into a semifinal group with Panama and Haiti and knocking one of the favorites out far earlier than anticipated.

"It'd be great for us to get into the group stage," Joseph said. "That's our goal at this point."

Even if the pursuit of the World Cup dream ends in glorious failure down in Costa Rica, Joseph said the team's performance over the past couple of weeks, which also includes a victory against Jamaica in a tune-up friendly, has given the team hope for the future.

"It shows how far we have come," Joseph said.

Real defense remains strong

SALT LAKE CITY -- With the way their defense has played since the start of June, the pieces seemed to be in place for Real Salt Lake to claim another easy home victory against the San Jose Earthquakes.

But while RSL increased its shutout streak to a whopping 276 minutes -- two shy of the club record -- it came away from Rice-Eccles Stadium with little to show for it, ending a second consecutive home match in a scoreless draw on Wednesday night.

Real had 24 shots, but only four ended up on frame. The struggles on the final third took a lot of luster off another fine defensive performance.

"We've gone three games with shutouts -- which is great -- but then you look back and we've only scored one goal in that time and we have only one win in that time," defender Chris Wingert said.

RSL blew a golden opportunity to break away after enjoying a man advantage throughout the second half. The Earthquakes were forced to make do with 10 men after Jason Hernandez was issued his second yellow card of the match in the 44th minute.

But instead of moving in for the kill, RSL let San Jose slip out of its grasp and left coach Jason Kreis wishing his team possessed a more aggressive mentality.

"When you're playing against a team that's a man down, you have to know they're going to sit in a bunker," Kreis said. "In order to move those players around, you got to dribble at them. You got to be aggressive and cause defenders to make decisions on who to play."

In addition to scoreless draws, losing go-ahead goals to offside calls is becoming another unsettling trend for RSL at home this season.

It first happened a month ago against the Los Angeles Galaxy when Kenny Deuchar's header, which would have broken a 2-2 tie, was disallowed when he was ruled offside.

A similar scenario undid Real against the Earthquakes on Wednesday. RSL appeared to have the go-ahead goal -- and its first goal -- when Kyle Beckerman slotted the ball inside the near post in the 72nd minute.

Javier Morales swung the ball off a corner kick across the area to Findley at the far post. Findley headed the ball back to Beckerman, who easily tapped it in.

After initially allowing the goal, the referee consulted with his assistant on the touchline and ruled Beckerman was in an offside position when he touched the ball.

The call left behind a sour taste for RSL, which ended the night feeling like it should have had three points instead of one.

"It seemed like the referee was fine with it being a goal -- the sideline and the center -- and then all of a sudden it was changed." Beckerman said. "We all thought it was a goal. But we kept at it. To me, we reacted pretty well afterward."

The match might have not hinged on such a controversial ruling had RSL enjoyed the type of strong start it enjoyed in previous home games against San Jose this season. Real produced only two shots on goal in the first 45 minutes and seemed to struggle finding an offensive flow in the final third.

For its part San Jose did not do anything on offense either, but the Earthquakes were able to stall out things to keep RSL from building up steam.

"We really could have come out better in the first half," defender Nat Borchers said. "They came out and they pressed us and moved around really well. They had better possession than we should allow them at home."

Giving away two points to a struggling expansion club only intensifies the necessity of getting three points against New England on Saturday. For RSL to do that, it will have to something that isn't coming easy these days -- put the ball in the back of the net.

But RSL feels confident that offensive output will eventually rise to match what the defense is accomplishing.

"I still feel like we're creating a bunch of chances," Beckerman said. "If we can keep getting the shutouts, the goals will come."

Galaxy, Crew draw in Wild West show

CARSON, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy squandered a pair of leads, allowing the Columbus Crew to twice hit for equalizers in the second half and take a share of the points in a 3-3 draw Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.

Landon Donovan scored a pair of goals and Edson Buddle continued his scoring streak by adding a third, but LA conceded goals to Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Brad Evans and Steven Lenhart as the Galaxy lost an opportunity to gain some breathing room at the top of the Western Conference standings.

On a day where temperatures reached triple digits across southern California, both sides came out pressing the action in a frenetic opening.

It was such a start that led to the Galaxy taking an early lead, after just four minutes. Mike Randolph sent in a cross that went all the way through the penalty area. David Beckham tracked down the ball, pirouetted, then sliced a service back into the area.

William Hesmer and Donovan both went for the ball. When the Columbus 'keeper fumbled the cross, Donovan had a gift laid at his feet, roofing his shot from inside the six and giving the Galaxy a 1-0 lead.

The Galaxy continued to press the attack. In the 10th minute, Chris Klein made a great overlapping run from his right back position and Beckham set him loose behind the Crew defense. Klein dribbled into the area and drove a cross into the area for Donovan who attempted a little heel flick, but missed wide of the near post.

The next chance again originated from a Hesmer mistake. This time, the Crew goalkeeper hit a bad clearance that was intercepted by Beckham. The Englishman sized up a shot from 35 yards and tried to chip Hesmer, but missed just high.

A minute later, Columbus finally pressed Galaxy 'keeper Steve Cronin into action. Schelotto played an early ball from the right flank and Robbie Rogers managed to latch onto it at the back post and directed a first-time effort on target, but Cronin made a great reflex save.

At the half-hour mark Beckham and Buddle nearly combined for the spectacular. Beckham spotted the red-hot Galaxy striker and sent a ball in from deep in the midfield. Buddle ran onto the ball and attempted a diving header, just missing wide of the mark.

Columbus continued to look shaky in defense, and in the 32nd minute, Donovan was nearly gifted another goal. The Columbus defense failed to clear Ely Allen cross and Donovan found himself with the ball at his feet inside the penalty area with nobody around. This time, however, Donovan fired his first-time shot wide.

Columbus remained in their defensive funk and 62 seconds into the second half, Buddle doubled the Galaxy advantage. Receiving the ball on the left flank, he beat Danny O'Rourke off the dribble and went in one-on-one with Hesmer. Buddle opened himself before slotting home a shot into the far side netting for his ninth goal on the year, all in the last six games.

The Crew tried to answer quickly. In the 49th minute, Alejandro Moreno got in behind the Galaxy defense, held off a hard charging Mike Randolph and got off a shot from just inside the penalty area. The Venezuelan failed to get much on the shot though, and Cronin made a rather routine save.

Columbus came close again in the 53rd. Schelotto took a corner kick and played a ball to the back post. Chad Marshall rose up above everyone to win the header, but nodded his shot on the wrong side of the post.

Then in the 62nd minute Moreno got in behind the Galaxy defense again. Cronin did a good job of cutting down the angle however, and forced Moreno to shoot well wide of the mark.

The Columbus pressure finally paid off in the 67th minute. A cross into the area fell to a Galaxy defender, but the clearance bounced off Alvaro Pires and fell right into the mixer. Brad Evans pounced on the loose ball and buried a shot from close range.

Columbus leveled four minutes later. Robbie Rogers split Klein and Abel Xavier and darted into the penalty area. Klein stabbed at the ball but clipped Rogers in the process and referee Mark Geiger immediately gave the penalty. Schelotto made no mistake from the spot, ripping a shot high and hard un the center of the goal past a diving Cronin.

The second goal finally woke Los Angeles up, and in the 76th minute the Galaxy came inches away from regaining the lead. Donovan played a corner kick to the back post for second-half sub Alan Gordon. Gordon managed to get his head to the ball, but missed just wide of the target.

Referee Geiger evened the penalty kick count in the 82nd minute. Buddle made a great run up the left flank then picked out Beckham at the top of the area. Beckham took a touch, and as he entered the area, was clipped by O'Rourke. Donovan stepped up to the penalty spot and shot low to the right, and even though Hesmer guessed correctly, he couldn't stop the drive and LA retook the lead.

The advantage was short lived. Rogers won a free kick on the edge of the area and Schelotto played a short pass to Frankie Hejduk, who snuck a shot through a crowd on target. Cronin made the initial save, but left a rebound that rookie Lenhart pounded home.

The Galaxy had one more crack at goal in the 90th minute. Los Angeles worked the ball along the top edge of the area before picking out Beckham. Beckham beat a defender and dribbled in alone on Hesmer, but from close range skied his shot well over the crossbar and with it came confirmation of a disappointing second-half collapse for the Galaxy.

Third time not the charm for RSL

SALT LAKE CITY -- Facing a struggling San Jose Earthquakes team for the third time in less than two months did not turn into a formula for an easy home victory this time around for Real Salt Lake.

RSL failed to take advantage of the Earthquakes playing a man down for the entire second half of play and ended up walking away with a second consecutive 0-0 draw amid boos at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Scoring has been tough to come by for RSL in June with only a single goal in its last three matches. The club has now gone without a goal on its home turf for 197 consecutive minutes.

Real owned a 24-7 advantage in total shots. But they put just four on goal, compared to one for the Earthquakes, which came in the final five minutes of the match.

Neither club could get much going on offense during the first half. RSL produced only two shots on goal. San Jose conjured up none.

The Earthquakes' best scoring chance came from John Cunliffe in the 17th minute. Ronnie O'Brien set up Cunliffe when he swung a floater toward the far post off a corner kick and Cunliffe had good form on his subsequent right-footed effort, but he sent the ball high over the crossbar.

RSL saw its best scoring chances come early in the half. Robbie Findley was on frame when he drilled a right-footer in the 12th minute. But he could not find a way to put the ball past San Jose 'keeper Joe Cannon.

Kyle Beckerman looked to have another solid chance at an early goal in the 21st minute when he received the ball deep in the Earthquakes penalty area. Beckerman spun and tried to slip past Kelly Gray. But Gray's presence threw off his shot just enough to allow Cannon to easily scoop up the ball.

Matias Cordoba, starting in place of usual starter Andy Williams, drilled a free kick down an open channel toward the far post in the 39th minute. The ball had enough power behind it when Cordoba sent it into the box, but his shot ended well off-target -- sailing wide left of frame.

San Jose was forced to play a man down throughout the second half after Jason Hernandez was sent off after his second yellow card of the match following a hard foul on Dema Kovalenko in the 44th minute.

Ironically, the Earthquakes seemed to come up with better scoring chances with 10 men than 11.

The Earthquakes nearly got on the board in the 51st minute when O'Brien raced downfield along the far side and chipped the ball toward Cunliffe in the center of the box. Cunliffe looked to have a chip shot in front of RSL's goal area, but he shanked his volley over the crossbar.

O'Brien came within a whisper of dialing it in from long distance in the 66th minute. He popped a free kick up and over the RSL four-man wall, but O'Brien's shot grazed the wrong side of the crossbar.

Real looked like they finally broke the ice in the 72nd minute when Beckerman chipped in an easy shot off a corner kick. Javier Morales swung the ball across the area to Findley at the far post. Findley headed the ball back to Beckerman, who slotted it in alongside the near post.

Beckerman's prime positioning proved too good to be true. The goal was wiped out as the assistant referee's flag went up for offside.

RSL had one more golden scoring chance when Kenny Cutler rifled a shot goalward from 25 yards out in the 82nd minute. Cutler's shot was on frame when he released it, but Cannon managed to get his fingertips on the ball and push up and over the crossbar.

Quakes content with result vs. RSL

xSALT LAKE CITY -- Other than a win, a clean sheet is the best thing the San Jose Earthquakes could have asked for in their first outing of a four-game road trip in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.

After getting trounced by a combined seven goals at the hands of Real Salt Lake in their last two visits to Utah, a shorthanded Quakes side held RSL scoreless while playing the entire second half with 10 men. However, the Earthquakes weren't able to score any goals of their own.

Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop was proud of his players as they battled hard, playing a man down in the second half after Jason Hernandez was dismissed just before the break with his second yellow card. Yallop pointed out that getting ties against teams in the Western Conference helps to keep those teams within reach in the standings.

"What it does, it allows Salt Lake to not get three points," Yallop said about getting the draw. "And in our division, as we know, it's tight as anything. On the road, in division games, we don't want to lose. A tie is fine. Then in your home games against the division you want to try and get a win.

"Salt Lake will be upset that they didn't win, but it evens itself out in the end. They might not have been lucky tonight, but we've been unlucky in games and haven't won. That's just the way it shakes down."

The abrupt artificial surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium has not been kind to the Quakes this season. In their first visit, back in April, they were shellacked by four goals in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match. Then a few weeks later they returned for a league contest and were RSL hit the back of the net three times.

For San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon, there wasn't a huge change in the way his team defended in front of him to not allow any goals, but it was more of a heightened mental concentration. He pointed out that especially when a team goes down a man, their focus on the game changes.

"I think we did the little things a little better," said Cannon of the Quakes' performance. "And when we go a man down I think the focus goes completely on not letting in a goal. Where before you're trying to get the game-winner, you're trying to stretch."

Midfielder Ronnie O'Brien agreed with his goalkeeper that success is heavily linked to how their team approaches the game. O'Brien has seen that the Quakes are capable, but sometimes don't come mentally prepared for games.

"It's been a problem all year," O'Brien said about the Earthquakes leaking goals. "If we don't fight, and don't scrap with teams we don't get anything. All in all, if you watch a lot of our games we're a good footballing side. But, we have to earn the right to play. The games where we've been beaten very badly we haven't earned that right.

"Like, L.A. last week. We were second to every ball; we didn't get stuck in, and we get walked all over. Columbus the week before and tonight we were pretty physical, we get in, we do what we have to do to get on the ball. We were a hard team mentally and hopefully we're playing a bit better football."

Late in the second half the clean sheet looked to be in doubt as Kyle Beckerman tapped in a corner kick for RSL while standing on the post. San Jose contested heavily for an offside decision, as it appeared that Beckerman was behind the two Quakes defenders who stepped up off the posts during the play. The corner was first headed down by Robbie Findley, making Beckerman behind the line of defense when the ball was last touched.

The referee's assistant initially did not signal for offside. However after consulting with referee Jasen Anno, it was decided that Beckerman was offside and the goal did not count.

In a written statement following the match, it was revealed that the referee's assistant did not think Beckerman played the ball, thus he wasn't involved with the play and not offside, and he kept his flag down. Once he learned that Beckerman touched the ball it was decided that he was offside.

"Fortunately the referees got the offside call correct," Cannon said. "That could have been a huge turning point for us. Those are good breaks, and I think tonight that was the difference."

As Yallop said, getting a point on the road, especially when playing teams within your conference, is always a positive result. Quakes defender Kelly Gray warns that teams through out the league shouldn't be surprised by the results his team gets in their first year. Gray says that San Jose has what it needs to get results, and they shouldn't be overlooked.

"Being an expansion franchise everybody expects us to lose every game," Gray said. "But, we've got the players and we can do it -- we can win a lot of games this year. We've shown it in some of the games that we've played. It's just an attitude. We've got to bring in the right attitude day in and day out. We're turning that corner, we're getting close."

Lenhart's energy key in comeback draw

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But Schmid said his side was unfazed.

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

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

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

Schmid said switching formations helped the Crew come back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fire look to heat back up

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire need to both cool off and heat up when they face Chivas USA on MLS Primetime Thursday at The Home Depot Center.

With a forecast for temperatures around 80 degrees in Carson, Calif. by game time, the Fire won't have to contend with the incredible heat that affected their play in their loss to FC Dallas on Sunday in Frisco, Texas.

Field temperatures ran into triple digits Sunday and the Fire could not mount a comeback after giving up a first-half goal. The 1-0 loss gave the Fire a two-game losing streak for the first time this season, and also gave the team its first road loss of the 2008 campaign.

As a result, after winning six of their first 10 games of the season, the Fire are now 6-4-1 and in need of a win to keep up in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.

"We are out here regrouping," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said this week after a training session in L.A. "I don't think there is any sense of panic or urgency. We have some bodies back and are looking forward to the game."

Since beating the New York Red Bulls in demonstrative fashion 5-1 at Giants Stadium May 25, the Fire lost a home game to D.C. United in the final minute of stoppage time, won a U.S. Open Cup qualifier against Columbus then played the FC Dallas game and failed to score for the first time since an April 20 home loss to Kansas City.

"Each game is different," Hamlett said. "We were disappointed in the loss to D.C. at home. Then look at the Dallas game. It was 105-degree weather down there. It wasn't a good game for either team. Whoever got the goal first was going to hold on."

The Fire find themselves in fourth place in the East, one point behind Toronto and a full eight points behind division-leading New England. However, the Fire also have three games in hand over the Revolution, so a winning streak would put them close to even with their rivals from New England.

"The last two games woke us up," Fire forward Chad Barrett said. "It's hard in this league to go three or four games with wins. But we were on a roll for a while. Some places are just hard to play at."

Dallas being one of them, he said.

The Fire know what it is like to get on a real roll. They finished the 2007 season with a 10-game unbeaten streak (4-0-6) that pushed them all the way to the conference championship before losing to New England.

The Fire still lead the league by a large margin in goals allowed with just nine (Columbus is next with 14) and they also have the best goal differential at plus-11.

The Fire will also have defender Brandon Prideaux back after a one-game red-card suspension.

Real Salt Lake flex home muscles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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