Hot United get quickly back to work

WASHINGTON -- D.C. United have had barely 48 hours to savor Sunday's 4-1 thrashing of the Los Angeles Galaxy before the onset of their U.S. Open Cup campaign against the Rochester Rhinos in the cozy confines of the Maryland Soccerplex on Tuesday night. Many of D.C.'s starters are injured or drained, whether by Sunday's muggy weather conditions or merely the day-to-day toil required to sustain the team's dramatic recovery in recent weeks.

But there will soon be time to unwind, relatively speaking: Tuesday's match kicks off an unusually calm July for United, with their MLS calendar nearly wiped clean to make space for Open Cup and SuperLiga action. There's only one league match all month -- a July 22 home date with Houston -- and even that is a reschedule from an early June rainout.

"It's totally different, the fact that you just get in the SuperLiga and you focus on that," said D.C. head coach Tom Soehn. "Obviously the beginning and the end of the season get a little more jam-packed, where you're playing every third or fourth day. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, [depending on] if you're getting in a groove."

United has made a habit of crashing in the final stages of the last few seasons, due in part to strenuous stretch runs which began in the heat and toil of late summer action. So the scheduling gods seem to have finally smiled on D.C., allowing the club to focus on two knockout tournaments without requiring Soehn to reach quite as deep into his roster as last year. Twelve months ago, what was essentially a reserve side lost to the Harrisburg City Islanders of the USL Second Division in the first and last game of United's ill-fated Open Cup journey.

While SuperLiga's group format guarantees at least three matches and offers the sort of international glory that D.C. has lusted after for several years, an Open Cup run depends on United navigating a tricky tie against Rochester this week. The Rhinos are presently stuck in the USL-1 basement but history and timing could lead them to fancy their chances of an upset. Rochester is the only non-MLS team to win the Cup since the top-tier league began in 1996, and Sunday's harsh conditions could contribute to dead D.C. legs at the Soccerplex.

"Obviously we had a game today on a hot day, two days before, so my guess would be some reserves," said midfielder Clyde Simms on Sunday, when asked about Soehn's lineup choices for Tuesday. "But we'll have to see."

United's boss faces some intriguing questions. Red-hot goalscorer Luciano Emilio has probably earned a break, but the recent waiving of Franco Niell leaves the front line rather thin at the moment. Jaime Moreno and Santino Quaranta will miss out because of injuries -- so can he afford to rest playmaker Marcelo Gallardo, even though the Argentinean has rounded into excellent form of late? Reserve Rod Dyachenko has been somewhat inconsistent this season. Is he prepared to marshal the D.C. attack?

The Black-and-Red have declared greater enthusiasm for this year's installment of the nation's oldest cup competition, which in recent seasons has all too often been lost in their grinding shuffle of league play and international tourneys. Beyond the normal lust for hardware on East Capitol Street lies another enticement: United are surely eyeing the fact that a Open Cup title would offer a straightforward path back into the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League.

Soehn would surely like his team to maintain their present momentum and mount a legitimate U.S. Open Cup challenge, but his comments after the Los Angeles victory suggested that he's also got his eye further down the road.

"It's important that the last stretch of the season is when you are at your sharpest," he said, "and we still have some room to improve."

Youngsters send message to Fire vets

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Perhaps the Chicago Fire care about the U.S. Open Cup too much.

A pair of goals by reserve Mike Banner, one early and one late, helped the Fire defeat the Cleveland City Stars of the USL Second Division 4-1 Tuesday at Toyota Park to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup. The Fire will play D.C. United next Tuesday.

The Fire have won the Open Cup four times in their 10 previous seasons of existence, a level of success in the tournament unmatched and unchallenged by any other MLS team. But the Fire's last seven goals this season have been scored in Open Cup play.

In MLS play, the Fire have gone 333 minutes without a goal heading into Saturday's game at Columbus. Fire coach Denis Hamlett, who used a lineup of almost all reserves Tuesday, said the scoring could be read as a challenge to the starters.

"It sends a message to our veteran guys that these guys can play," Hamlett said.

Said Banner: "Considering our losing streak, tonight was a big game for everybody,"

The Fire had the run of play in the game against the Stars, who are in their second year of existence and currently stand in second place in the USL Second Division.

Banner, a reserve midfielder, scored the game's first goal in the 13th minute, getting the ball near the upper left corner of the penalty area from a cross by Calen Carr. He thought about one-timing a shot but slipped, then dribbled once before putting the ball top shelf past Cleveland goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap.

"I wanted it to land on my left foot, which is my strong foot, but it doesn't always happen that way," Banner said. "The defender forced me inside and I hit it and it went in."

In the 23rd minute, Carr himself dribbled the ball in from the right side along the top of the penalty box, then sent a left foot shot into the near corner under Gilstrap.

In the 26th minute, Chris Rolfe, who played as a reserve in the Fire's scoreless draw with San Jose Saturday, was tripped by Cleveland's Kiel McClung 12 yards out. Chad Barrett, the Fire's leading scorer this season, put the penalty kick away hard and high for a 3-0 Fire lead.

The City Stars got on the board in the 61st minute on a hard 20-yard shot by Kiel McClung that zipped past Fire reserve goalkeeper Nick Noble. The Fire got that goal back in the 73rd minute when Banner got his second goal of the game, firing a shot up and over Gilstrap's head into the upper left corner of the net.

"We knew the fourth goal would put the nail in the coffin," Banner said. "Peter (Lowry) played me a great ball and I was able to get it on my left foot and put it away."

"Our mindset was right tonight," Hamlett said. "We took the game right at them."

Unlike in the play-in game against the Columbus Crew of MLS when he used many regular starters, Fire coach Denis Hamlett used mostly reserves against the City Stars. He used Noble, defenders Austin Washington, Brian Plotkin, Daniel Woolard and Lider Marmol, and midfielders Banner, Stephen King, Lowry and Carr.

Marmol was making his first appearance for the Fire after suffering a knee injury earlier this month. Marmol was a part of a controversial tug-of-war with the New York Red Bulls for his services back in March.

In the second half, Hamlett subbed for both Rolfe and Barrett, using Polish forward Tomasz Frankowski and rookie Patrick Nyarko in their place.

Galaxy look for rockets' red glare vs. Revs

CARSON, Calif. -- The Fourth of July at The Home Depot Center has become a tradition the last several years in southern California. The Los Angeles Galaxy will play host to the New England Revolution on Friday in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd.

The Galaxy will be looking to feed off of the energy of their home supporters and bounce back after a rather lifeless 4-1 loss at the hands of D.C. United last weekend. United are easily the hottest team in the league right now, and this Friday's opponent won't offer any sort of reprieve for the Galaxy in their bid to stay atop the Western Conference standings. New England owns the best record in MLS and will provide a stern test for the Galaxy.

"I think it's going to be a test of our willpower. They are a good team," said goalkeeper Steve Cronin. "They're first in the East and they're not letting in a whole lot of goals either. It's going to be a test for us on a bunch of different levels."

Head coach Ruud Gullit reiterated Cronin's sentiments, and focused on the fact that the Galaxy will need to be better this week against New England than they were last weekend.

"(New England) is playing well at the moment, so they are a good team. I think we need to be on top of our game at home," said Gullit. "I think also we need to bounce back from a loss."

LA is playing with something to prove. After climbing to the top of the Western Conference, the Galaxy have suffered two disappointing results in a row to Eastern Conference opposition. Proving that they are capable of hanging with the East's best teams is motivation enough for the club.

"After the last loss we're excited to get back out there and get a good result," said Cronin. "Especially being here at home for the Fourth of July."

It's that holiday crowd that could spell the difference. It can't be understated how much energy a team can feed off its fans. The Galaxy have always been one of the best supported clubs in MLS, and they are looking for the Home Depot Center crowd to ratchet up the volume a couple of notches on Friday.

"I think our fans are great no matter what. Hopefully they'll raise it up another level," said Cronin. "I think with the fireworks afterwards, everyone is going to be pretty excited. We're going to have a great crowd and we're just trying to get a result for them."

Even Gullit, who is still new to MLS, recognizes the great support in LA. For him, the energy provided by the crowd could be that little something extra the Galaxy needs to right the ship and stay atop the West.

"(The fans) are a big part. We are very proud of our fans," said Gullit. "They are our 12th man."

Nowak trying to shape Olympic roster

As he prepares his roster for the Beijing Summer Games, U.S. Olympic men's soccer coach Peter Nowak finds himself a man caught in the middle.

Not only does he have to determine the best players for the August tournament and talk with some overseas clubs on players' availability, he has to make sure his boss, U.S. national coach Bob Bradley, isn't left without key performers for the country's World Cup qualifier in Guatemala that is scheduled during the Olympic soccer tourney.

An interesting balancing act.

"There are many factors we have to put in the equation," Nowak said in a recent interview.

"We're looking to have the best team possible," he later added, "but we also know in some cases that it is impossible to do it."

It will depend if Nowak has to go from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C or even to Plan D. One extremely important thing to remember is that the Olympics is not an official FIFA playing date, so clubs do not have to surrender their players, whether they're under 23 or not.

Nowak could very well finalize his selections in the next week or so. Rosters must be into FIFA by July 15 and the U.S. is expected to announce its 18-player roster and alternates before that.

Nowak's decision-making process starts with the full national team, which has an Aug. 20 World Cup qualifying date with Guatemala in the USA's very first CONCACAF semifinal match. Nowak, who wears another hat as an assistant national coach under Bradley, understands the full side gets top priority because in World Cup qualifying, every point is considered precious.

"Of course, it's give and take from both teams," Nowak said. "Do we have enough depth to accommodate both teams? We both feel very [good] about the depth we have, especially this for the one game [qualifier] and this is for the three games plus extra additional games [Olympics] if we are going to do well."

At the moment, Nowak said that he plans to go with two goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and four strikers on his roster.

"This configuration can change," he said, indicating that he would seriously consider a players' versatility of being able to play multiple positions. "Who can go where? That's why there's a Plan A, B and C. We're going to see what we're going to get."

The biggest intrigue has been over which three overage players that Nowak will choose. This spring the prevailing thought throughout the U.S. soccer community had goalkeeper Tim Howard, defender Carlos Bocanegra and forward Landon Donovan were the three top candidates. They might want to go to China, but the final decision is out of their control.

Howard plays for Everton in the English Premiership. Howard, whose Everton side kicks off its season Aug. 16 against Blackburn, would love to have a second crack at playing in the Olympics after sitting the bench behind Brad Friedel at the Sydney Summer Games in 2000.

Bocanegra, however, has signed with French Ligue 1 club Rennes. Rennes' season begins vs. Marseille Aug. 8.

"If it's a new club, it's really important for them to be in preseason," Nowak said.

So, the defense needs help and an experienced hand especially since Jonathan Spector, the West Ham United player who was expected to anchor the backline, is out after injuring his hip.

"We all know there are no secrets," Nowak said. "The backline is pretty weakened with injuries ... especially with Jonathan Spector being out for the Olympics."

And then there's Donovan, whom Bradley is likely to call into the first team for what could be a difficult game in Guatemala. The USA's opening three games in China are set for Aug. 7, 10 and 13.

If the U.S. is eliminated in the first round, Donovan could be available for WCQ. But if the Americans pull off a similar surprise as they did in 2000 and reach the medal round, Donovan would be obligated to play with the Olympic team. Given their decisions in the past, it would be surprising if Bradley and Nowak gambled and hoped for Donovan to be available for both teams.

Some new names have surfaced. Since an internationally experienced goalkeeper and someone who has played regularly recently would be the the first choice, Chris Seitz might wind up as the backup. Seitz, the No. 1 netminder during the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, hasn't played a second in MLS matches with Real Salt Lake this season.

Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who backstopped the U.S.'s two wins against Barbados during World Cup qualifying earlier this month, and 38-year-old Kasey Keller (most recently with Fulham in England), a member of four U.S. World Cup teams, reportedly have been mentioned as possible 'keepers.

"In some cases we do not have the international experience," Nowak said. "But then we can bring in some guys who can provide some guidance to the young kids, overage players, players who play for the national team."

As for potential overage defensive players, no new names have been mentioned at the moment.

If Donovan isn't available up front, 36-year-old Brian McBride (most recently with Fulham), who wants to return to MLS and play with the Chicago Fire, has had his name bandied about as a possible over-23 player throughout the spring. McBride would make a better target man than Donovan.

Nowak said that his plans could change when the European transfer window opened July 1. Whether a newly signed U.S. player is available could very well depend on what is negotiated into a player's contract with his new club.

For example, former MetroStars star midfielder Michael Bradley, who has plied his trade in the Dutch Eredivisie with SC Heerenveen the past three seasons, is likely to sign with a new team (Everton has been among those mentioned). While Bradley wants to participate in the Olympics, it probably would be in his best interests to remain with his new club and try to secure a starting spot.

"We're still considering the options," Nowak said. "Of course, different players have different priorities, which means July 1 the transfer window will open and we'll know more about that as the season progresses."

It could be the same for former Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore, who has transferred to Villarreal in Spain's La Liga. Altidore said he expected to go to China, but did not say whether it was agreed to in his contract.

So, Nowak might have his work cut out for himself.

"I'm always thinking about that -- relationships ... with the managers of the club," he said. "It's still a two-way street."

The midfield is the deepest and strongest U.S. unit, so don't expect Nowak to use an overage player there. This unit includes Freddy Adu (Benfica, Portugal) and Bradley (if they are available), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA) and Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), plus Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo) and Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew).

Nowak isn't expecting any problems with MLS clubs on any domestic-based players he will call into the team.

"Of course, I consider all guys from MLS," he said. "We have a great relationship over there for years. We all know how important it is to treat MLS clubs. We try to accommodate their needs."

But Nowak obviously will want to accommodate his own needs for the team. While soccer is one of myriad sports in the Summer Games, realizes that getting an Olympic medal would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players and himself.

"I will look to have the best possible team going to the Olympics because we have a chance to advance," Nowak said. "The group is very strong. We're not kidding ourselves when we see our position. In soccer, anything is possible. When we have full strength, then we can deliver some good performances."

Well, that's the key phrase -- full strength. Whether Nowak will be able to put together what he considers to be a full-strength team, it remains to be seen.

Fire still caught up in scoring drought

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The good news is, the Chicago Fire got a point. While the team is still struggling to put a goal in the back of the net -- now sitting at 333 scoreless minutes and counting -- at least they didn't drop a fourth consecutive match.

"Tonight our strikers were getting in good position," Fire head coach Denis Hamlett said. "We have to finish those. We're getting ourselves in good spots, but we're not finishing our chances."

The Fire have scored 20 goals already this season and they scored them fast -- with 20 goals in the first 10 games. So are the goals gone?

"Let's hope not," Fire defender Gonzalo Segares said. "We have to keep working on scoring. When we miss our chances we get a little more desperate. We have to be sharper in the final third."

Hamlett said there is definitely an answer to the scoring drought.

"In the first games we were scoring goals early," Hamlett said. "When you do that the game opens up. We're not doing that right now. In the final third our communication and our decision-making are not quite there. We're making runs. We're getting shots. We're just not finishing."

Fire midfielder Chris Rolfe entered the game in the 65th minute; during his 25 minutes, he had one shot on goal -- a long blast in the 71st minute. San Jose's Joe Cannon made the save. Rolfe said he thinks the guys are simply trying too hard.

"I think everybody's trying maybe a little too hard," Rolfe said. "It can mess up the play of the game. We're struggling hard to get out of this rut. The goals will come. I'm not sure when, but they will."

The good news for the Fire: there's still 17 games left for them to turn things around. And of course, it wasn't a loss. The Fire earned their first point in the month of June and earned their first shutout since May 8, a 2-0 win at D.C. United.

"Tonight we half-stopped bleeding," Hamlett said. "We got a point and a shutout. We almost gave the game away at the end with a few plays. But we held on."

Segares agreed.

"We needed a shutout," Segares said. "It's been a couple of games without one. Although, we didn't get what we wanted. We wanted a win."

Chicago returns to MLS play next Saturday at the Columbus Crew. But first, they will face the Cleveland City Stars Tuesday at Toyota Park in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup third round.

All-Star races head down to the wire

With just three days remaining in the fan voting, Los Angeles Galaxy teammates David Beckham and Landon Donovan remain the top two vote-getters for the 2008 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game, while other races are too close to call as they head down the stretch.

Toronto FC fans have done their part and Greg Sutton is the overwhelming leader among goalkeepers. But the battle for second is heating up as Jon Busch of Chicago and Matt Reis are separated by the slimmest of margins.

Frankie Hejduk of the Columbus Crew has all but wrapped up the top spot among defenders, but Toronto FC teammates Marvell Wynne and Jim Brennan are neck and neck for second. Jimmy Conrad of the Kansas City Wizards has moved comfortably ahead of LA's Abel Xavier, Marco Velez from TFC and New England's Michael Parkhurst, who are nearly in a dead heat for fifth.

After Beckham, Chicago Fire designated player Cuauhtemoc Blanco is the clear-cut second choice among midfielders, but the fight for third in this horse race might end up in a photo finish between TFC's Amado Guevara and Houston's Dwayne De Rosario, who scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory against Chelsea FC in the 2006 Sierra Mist All-Star Game.

And just a handful of votes separate Columbus playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Maurice Edu from Toronto.

Toronto's Danny Dichio is the clear second choice at forward behind Donovan, the Golden Boot leader with 11 goals and six assists in 10 games. Juan Pablo Angel of the Red Bulls, who was named the MVP of the 2007 Sierra Mist All-Star Game, is third, followed closely by Columbus' Alejandro Moreno. After Jozy Altidore of the Red Bulls is Jeff Cunningham, yet another TFC standout.

Fans, who are able to cast up to 10 votes per day, can still get in last-minute votes by visiting www.MLSnet.com. The voting closes Wednesday. The online fan balloting will comprise one quarter of the 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 ESPN2, Telefutura and CBC Sports.

Miscue costs Red Bulls shot at win

CARSON, Calif. -- Things were bouncing the New York Red Bulls' way as they approached halftime against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night.

Midway through the first stanza, midfielder Dave van den Bergh sent a cross into the Chivas USA penalty area and, despite skipping past his teammates, the ball nevertheless wound up inside the goal to give the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead.

The Red Bulls continued to pressure the Chivas USA defense and midfielder Dane Richards just missed a breakaway opportunity on the Chivas USA goal.

It all fell apart moments before the intermission, however. Red Bulls defender Kevin Goldthwaite dribbled the ball unopposed on the left flank deep inside his own defensive half before sending a soft pass back across the top of the penalty area towards Jeff Parke. Parke, however, did not see the pass and jogged right past the ball as it rolled behind him. Chivas USA forward Ante Razov seized the opportunity and raced towards the loose ball before hitting a shot past an onrushing Jon Conway to tie the game at 1-1.

The score stood and with it the Red Bulls missed a chance to sweep its season series against Chivas USA and move into third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

"When you go up in a place like this against a tough opponent and you have a chance to take the lead into the second half but you give up a childish goal like we did, you're disappointed," Van den Bergh said.

Osorio was equally upset at the result.

"I'm very disappointed," he said. "We could have made better decisions and we let them off the hook by giving them that goal. After that it was just a sloppy game. There are many things that you can say about the goal and miscommunication is one of them."

In the time leading up to the goal, the Red Bulls were consistently pressuring Chivas USA, with Richards the main threat.

On two consecutive plays the speedy midfielder got past Chivas USA defenders. On the second one, Jonathan Bornstein was forced to commit a foul, setting up the Red Bulls' ensuing goal.

Van den Bergh took the ensuing free kick and sent a pass into the Chivas USA area. The ball sailed past a lunging Goldthwaite and a stationary Brad Guzan, who was positioned to defend the shot.

"If somebody gets a head on it it's always on target and if it skips, we try to aim for the second post," Van den Bergh said. "It skipped and even a great goalie like Guzan couldn't make the save."

The goal proved to be the last highlight of the night for the Red Bulls -- save two great stops by Conway in the second half.

"We had the game in hand but a little bit of complacency set in after we went up 1-0," Richards said. "I got behind them a lot in the first half but I have nothing to show for it. One more goal would have put the game away."

Added Van den Bergh: "Usually when you give up one goal to Chivas on their field it's not that bad, but when you give it up like we did, it's a big deal."

Mission accomplished for K.C.

KANSAS CITY -- Three points. That's all the Kansas City Wizards wanted from Saturday's home match against Real Salt Lake. Mission accomplished.

The 1-0 win was the result of an unrelenting intent to attack by the Wizards -- culminating in an RSL own goal -- and an ability to survive some early scares on defense.

Twenty-one shots were taken in vain by Kansas City in the face of a 4-5-1 formation employed by the visitors, but all that mattered was the one that went in from their constant pressure.

"We created some decent chances. In our psyche, we're worried about [scoring] a little bit and we're thinking about it too much," said Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo. "All I care about is the three points. ... We need to maximize points at home. I don't care if [the winning goal comes] in the 3rd minute or the 94th minute. We're extremely pleased with the three points, and we're going to build on it."

One had to have faith, as the Wizards seemed to be snake-bit. Chance after chance in the RSL box, many to forward Scott Sealy, went by the wayside. Ironically, despite the Wizards' 21 shots, RSL put more shots on goal (5-3). In the end, it was the constant threat of Claudio Lopez on the wing and the energy and skill brought on by the Wizards' three substitutes in the second half that made the difference.

"When you work hard, keep plugging away, and keep putting the ball in the right spots, good things happen," said Sealy.

Carlos Marinelli entered in the 68th minute, helping push his side to the next level.

"Carlos did extremely well as the game opened up. As soon as he got the ball, all of a sudden we created some chances and that's what great passers enable you to do," said Onalfo.

As the clock wound a minute shy of full time, substitute Ryan Pore drew a foul 20 yards out on the left wing after a quick exchange between left back Michael Harrington, Lopez and himself.

Davy Arnaud's ensuing free kick was placed just in front of the spot. Jimmy Conrad rose with RSL's Tony Beltran and a bit of magic took place as Beltran deposited the ball in the net over goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

"I clearly intimidated him with my presence. He's a fellow Bruin, and it's clear that he respects all alumni," joked the clearly happy Conrad.

But the incident wouldn't have much mattered if RSL had taken advantage of their chances, especially those in the first half. Forward Kenny Deucher proved to be more than a handful for Conrad and fellow center back Aaron Hohlbein as he broke through repeatedly.

"Deuchar's a big guy, and he does well at getting his body on you and holding you off the ball. He finds himself in good positions, and he got behind us a couple times. [Goalkeeper] Kevin [Hartman] came up big," said Hohlbein who thwarted more than one opportunity and helped Hartman gain his league-leading sixth shutout and league-leading 73rd of his career.

The Wizards' mission now continues, but things are looking brighter from the dire days of their now ended seven-game winless streak.

"We have a couple of games in hand, and all a sudden things look a lot better as we look at our July 4th game in Dallas," Onalfo said.

Arnaud put the mission in perspective. "What's important is next week and the next three points we are going to try and get."

Nicol hails 'complete performance'

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The frustration kept building and building for the New England Revolution as the victories and draws came, but the performances did not.

In Saturday night's 2-1 victory against Toronto FC, the performance finally arrived.

When it came, it brought fluid passing in the midfield, increased distribution to the wide areas and expansive diagonal balls to stretch out the defense.

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol was pleased that his team came out and strung together the type of performance to sweep aside an improved TFC side.

"I think against Houston and tonight are the two of the most complete performances that we've had," Nicol said. "We've had a lot of changes and a lot of things disrupting us, but tonight we've passed the ball as well as we've done all season."

Much of the credit for the performance falls at the feet of captain Steve Ralston, who scored twice and roamed all across the field to conduct the Revolution performance.

Ralston deflected much of the credit and focused on how his team improved at the start of the game.

"We needed to be better from the opening whistle," Ralston said. "The last couple of weeks, we talked about it but we didn't do it for some reason. We were frustrated, especially last week in Salt Lake. Hopefully, we can continue this."

One thing the Revs won't want to continue is the tendency to let teams hang around for little reason. Shalrie Joseph's own goal made the last 11 minutes harder than it should have been.

"We did make it hard on ourselves at the end. It's a rotten goal to lose," Nicol said. "They never looked like scoring before that. When a team gets a goal, it's always going to be backs to the wall. We'd have rather kept a clean sheet and made it easier on ourselves again, but we got three points." Nicol wants his team to cut out the nervous moments at the end of the game, but lauded the team's overall performance.

"It was certainly a long last 11 minutes," Nicol said. "But if we can pass the ball like that and make chances like the way we did tonight on a regular basis, then we'll certainly be happy."

Nicol also wants to see Taylor Twellman back on the field on a regular basis. The striker returned after missing seven games with an ankle injury. While Twellman was quiet in his brief stint, Ralston thinks his teammate will have an important impact in the coming weeks.

"I know their defenders noticed him when he was on the field," Ralston said.

Carver takes loss as benchmark

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- As Toronto FC head coach John Carver addressed his team prior to Saturday night's 2-1 loss against New England, he said that Saturday's game against the Eastern Conference leaders would serve as a benchmark for his improving team.

"I'm standing here now really disappointed because I thought we could have gotten something from the game and we deserved something from the game and we haven't gotten it," Carver said. "That's the sign of a good side that can go and win the championship."

It wasn't a performance for the scrapbook, as the visitors had to scratch and claw their way into position to grab a point in the last 10 minutes of the game.

"When they were under pressure, they headed things and kicked things and gone on with it," Carver said. "But I'm not going to fault them in there because they've done everything for their coach today. They've showed me some good signs."

That pressure boxed Toronto in from the opening whistle. After Steve Ralston scored 11 minutes into the game, the Revs continued to create chance after chance even though TFC pushed further up the field and tried to create some offensive opportunities. Ralston's second goal appeared to seal the contest with a half-hour left in the contest.

But a stroke of luck, found in the form of Shalrie Joseph's glancing header into the far corner of his own net with 11 minutes to play, brought TFC back into the contest. Matt Reis' save from a Jim Brennan effort, then a Michael Parkhurst goal line clearance from a Jarrod Smith header on the resulting rebound, kept out the visitors and ensured the team wouldn't head back with a passing grade for this particular benchmark.

"I just tried to put it across him and hope for the best," Brennan said. "Maybe it'll go in or maybe it'll bounce back out to someone. That's what it did and Smitty was just unfortunate to not stick it in the back of the net. But all that was in my mind was to get it across the goal."

Carver said his team needed a little bit of extra quality in order to get over the hump on nights like these and vault the hurdle he has set for his rapidly improving side.

"We've got players that can win games for us if we get players in the right areas," Carver said. "For long periods of the game, we didn't get them in the right areas. We had chances. If we've got a guy who can put the ball in the back of the net, it might be a different story."

Race for All-Star coach down to wire

COLUMBUS -- The coach for the MLS All-Stars for the 2008 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game will be decided this weekend, and there's a bit of fun going on between the potential honorees.

The coach whose team has the most points per game after June 29 will have the honor of coaching the MLS All-Stars against West Ham United, at BMO Field in Toronto on July 24.

Currently leading is Steve Nicol, whose New England Revolution have 27 points from 15 matches. If the Revolution defeat Toronto FC on Saturday at Gillette Stadium, then Nicol will have the honor of leading the MLS team.

However, Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid could nab the position if the Crew defeat the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at home, and the Revolution lose or tie with Toronto.

Schmid received a text message early Sunday from Nicol that -- in the sanitized version -- told him to back off because Nicol's wife had already spent the bonus for coaching the MLS All-Stars.

Nicol was joking, of course. Schmid said he wasn't aware of the selection procedure prior to the message but nonetheless sent a reply that the Revolution coach could have the job because the last time Schmid coached in the All-Star Game in 2004 he was fired shortly thereafter by the Galaxy.

Following are the scenarios that will apply to the selection of the MLS All-Star Game coach this weekend. In case of a tie in points per game, the same tiebreakers used to determine playoff participants will be used to determine the head coach:

• If the Revolution defeat Toronto FC, Steve Nicol is the All-Star Game coach.
• If the Revolution tie Toronto FC and Columbus loses or ties, then Steve Nicol is the All-Star Game coach.
• If the Columbus Crew defeat the Colorado Rapids and New England ties or loses, then Sigi Schmid is the All-Star Game coach.
• If Toronto FC defeat New England, and Columbus loses and Los Angeles loses or ties, then John Carver is the All-Star Game coach.
• If Toronto FC defeat New England, the LA Galaxy win and Columbus loses, there is a two-way tie with Carver and Gullit each having 1.714 points per game.
• If Toronto FC defeat New England, the LA Galaxy win and Columbus ties, there is a three-way tie with John Carver, Ruud Gullit and Sigi Schmid each having 1.714 points per game.

Fire earn point in draw with Quakes

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Home-field advantage couldn't get the Chicago Fire back into the win column Saturday night, though they did earn a point for the first time in four games, reaching a 0-0 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at Toyota Park.

The Fire forced Quakes 'keeper Joe Cannon into four saves, including two spectacular stops in the second half. But they were also fortunate at the other end, as San Jose twice hit the woodwork.

In the 10th minute, the Fire's Andy Herron attempted a bicycle kick, which landed in Cannon's arms. Herron fell hard, lying motionless before being escorted off the field by the Fire training staff. Herron re-entered the game in the 14th minute, before being replaced by Chad Barrett in the 16th minute.

The first half saw limited offensive action, with two shots per team.

Physical play led to five yellow cards going into the half. John Thorrington started things off taking down Ramiro Corrales in the 28th minute. Corrales slid into Fire defender Gonzalo Segares a minute later for San Jose's first yellow. Kelly Gray saw another yellow for San Jose, while Diego Gutierrez and Gonzalo Segares picked up yellows late in the first half.

Chicago's best opportunity came in the 34th minute. Tomasz Frankowski crossed the ball into the box and Chad Barrett attempted a bicycle kick, but completely missed it, with the ball rolling back into play.

After the break, it took a while for both teams to get the offense going.

In the 52nd minute, Earthquakes striker Kei Kamara was dragged to the ground by Fire defender Bakary Soumare after a misaimed header by Fire defender Brandon Prideaux set Kamara up just atop the penalty area. Corrales took the free kick but it glanced off the crossbar and out.

Justin Mapp, Chris Rolfe and Bakary Soumare had late attempts for the Fire, but all were stopped by Joe Cannon.

In the 71st minute Mapp rocketed the ball toward goal from the left side of the area, but Cannon punched it over. In the 76th minute, Rolfe and Soumare sent long balls toward goal just seconds apart. Cannon stopped the first one, while Soumare's shot sailed out. The Earthquakes made a late push as well. Shea Salinas beat Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch in the 86th minute, sending a low ball bouncing off the left post and back into play. Kamara was first to the rebound, but couldn't work free to send a shot at the goal with Busch down and out.

Chicago at least snapped its losing streak, but the team hasn't won since May 25, a 5-1 win at New York. Nor have the Fire scored a goal since June 7, a 2-1 loss to D.C. United. In fact, the Fire has not found the back of the net now for 333 minutese.

San Jose also moved back into the points column, though the Earthquakes saw their winless streak reach four games, the last three on the road on a trip that finally comes to an end next week at Chivas USA.

MLS All-Star voting enters final week

While David Beckham continues to run away with the fan voting for the 2008 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game, a few other players are getting some late support entering the final week of fan voting.

Beckham and Landon Donovan, who have helped the Los Angeles Galaxy to the best record in the Western Conference, are the top two vote-getters, followed by Chicago Fire designated player Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

There's a significant drop to the fan's fourth overall choice, Toronto FC playmaker Amado Guevara, who is followed closely by Houston's Dwayne De Rosario, who scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory against Chelsea FC in the 2006 Sierra Mist All-Star Game.

Toronto FC's Maurice Edu has moved in front of Guillermo Barros Schelotto to round out the top five midfielders.

Donovan, who is the Golden Boot leader with 11 goals and six assists in 10 games, is the clear favorite among forwards, followed by TFC's Danny Dichio, Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls, the MVP of last year's All-Star Game, and former Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Toronto's Jeff Cunningham and Columbus Crew striker Alejandro Moreno are locked in a tight battle for fifth.

Frankie Hejduk is the clear favorite among defenders, while Toronto teammates Marvell Wynne and Jim Brennan are nose-to-nose for second. Kansas City's Jimmy Conrad is fourth, while Abel Xavier of the Galaxy is fifth, with TFC's Marco Velez and Tyrone Marshall and New England's Michael Parkhurst close behind.

Toronto fans have proven to be the most active in the voting, with TFC goalkeeper Greg Sutton well in front of Jon Busch of the Chicago Fire, New England's Matt Reis and William Hesmer of the Columbus Crew.

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 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 ESPN2, Telefutura and CBC Sports.

Clavijo sees positives in loss

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There were positives coach Fernando Clavijo saw during the Colorado Rapids match against the Crew on Saturday night. For one, the attack that had been blanked in its previous match showed a spark in the first half despite the absence of injured midfielder Christian Gomez.

Clavijo also liked the way the Rapids responded to the first goal by the Crew -- a result of a penalty called on defender Pablo Mastroeni in the 53rd minute -- with midfielder Nick LaBrocca connecting on a well-placed strike in the 60th.

What he couldn't stomach was the way Crew midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo went unfettered from the midfield to the top of the box to net the winner 10 minutes later for a 2-1 Columbus victory at Crew Stadium.

"We played hard. We're not playing smart," Clavijo said. "We're competing hard every game. We had chances to win it. We're giving up goals after getting back to 1-1. Ekpo makes a 30-, 40-yard run. He cannot have so much space. We didn't recognize early on the dangers of that goal. It was a great goal but it's not going to happen that often that he's going to have that much space."

The result gave the Rapids three losses and a tie in its last four matches heading into Friday's annual Fourth of July home match against New York.

"We've got to erase the feeling of this game but keep in mind the mistakes we made and regroup as a team and get a win," LaBrocca said.

It won't be easy to forget the one that got away as each side had abundant chances in the opening half.

"It was a very high-paced game. That's the way it goes. Sometimes it could be a 5-5 first half," LaBrocca said.

The Rapids had three shots on goal in the first 45 minutes and Conor Casey and LaBrocca were denied on excellent saves by Will Hesmer. Mastroeni was pleased the team fared well without Gomez, who leads the club with five assists.

"He's a guy who relieves a lot of pressure," he said. "He'll take the pace out of the game, if you will, and slow the game down. We had a good lineup in there as far as making it hard to play through the midfield. We limited their opportunities. As much as it would have been nice having him today making a difference, the guys in there did a good job. It's something to build on."

A slip and a trip and the Crew took a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute. Ekpo sent a through ball to Alejandro Moreno, who gathered it near the end line on the right side then cut back sharply just inside the penalty area. Defender Facundo Erpen tried to make a tackle but slid by. Mastroeni came to the rescue but got his foot on Moreno and sent the forward down.

"Moreno did a good job selling the PK. The referee bought it and that's the game of soccer," Mastroeni said.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto converted but the Rapids got the equalizer seven minutes later on a well-placed strike from the top of the penalty area by LaBrocca for his second goal. Forward Conor Casey made the play with a service to the arc where LaBrocca settled the ball with his first touch then sent a bullet to the upper left corner.

"Conor attracted all the defenders," LaBrocca said. "He made a play right in my path. The first touch didn't let me down. I put it right back across the goal.

Ekpo then notched the winner after a 50-yard run followed by hard drive to the lower left corner.

"We did a good job getting ourselves back in the game but the second goal was a good individual play," Mastroeni said. "It was a bad team defensive play on the flip side. Two plays cost us the game. That's what we've got to work on. There's no rest in 90 minutes. Today we were punished for two decisions we made as a team. (Ekpo) did a good job. His speed was definitely an issue. He did a good with being dangerous and running at our defense."

Casey had a chance to make the score 2-2 in the 76th minute but Hesmer was there for an acrobatic save.

"Conor is an outstanding striker," Clavijo said. "He's coming off an ACL last year. It's taken some time to get healthy. On top of the ACL last year he's struggled with the hamstring. Today he was 100 percent. It's great to see him on the field. You can see what he does. We needed to support him a little more. I thought we created chances. We didn't come here to get one point. We came here to play a good game. We had a chance but we need to finish our chances and do a better job on giving up easy goals."

Although the Rapids have been hit hard and call-ups, Mastroeni said those can't be used as excuses.

"We just have to dig in. There are going to be tough patches during the year. This is a game we're going to wish we had back. Just a point out of it would have been fine," he said. "We have a game Friday so we have little time to sit and sulk. We have to get our minds right and get ready for the game."

Quakes dictate pace in road draw

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- All things considered, the San Jose Earthquakes should have won their road game at Toyota Park Saturday.

Playing like they were at home instead of thousands of miles away, the Earthquakes had the run of play in the second half but could not muster a shot on goal in the second half out of six shots taken. Kei Kamara's rebound opportunity from 18 yards out in the 86th minute that went wide left, after John Cunliffe hit the base of the post, was the most glaring and painful of the missed opportunities.

But for a team with a 2-5-1 mark on the road going into the contest, and only six goals scored in those eight games, a tie is an acceptable result.

"I thought we created some real good chances," San Jose coach Frank Yallop said. "It felt that our final pass or finish was not good. We really did not make the 'keeper make a save, and if we had done that, we would have scored a goal tonight.

"I think to come here and play like we did was terrific," Yallop continued. "I felt we deserved a point, if not the win."

Kamara, who had missed the last five Earthquakes games while playing in World Cup qualifying for his native Sierra Leone, had the team's lone shot on goal, had three shots on the night, and was disconsolate that he failed to turn the game in his club's favor.

His best chance, the one in the 86th, was off a shot by second-half sub Cunliffe from the far right side that glanced off the far post and right out to Kamara at the middle of the 18-yard box. Kamara danced with the ball for a moment, then sent it hard but wide left.

"I saw the ball coming out but I didn't want to hit it first time because I saw everybody shifting to that (right) side. I tried to take a touch, but when I took that touch, it led me to another touch because it would not have been clean enough. So I just have to hit that on frame.

"To come away with a point, it is OK, but we had chances and we have to stick one in the back of the net so we can come away with three points," he said. "We had chances, chances we have been complaining we have not been getting in front of the goal."

"He played good, but he had two great chances to score," Yallop said. "He was a little rusty with us, but he was dangerous all night. That chance in the 86th, you've got to hit the target there."

Cannon faced four shots on goal on the night, two in each half. The Fire had a corner kick in the 71st minute, and the ball eventually popped out to Mapp on the left wing. His shot was punched up and over by Cannon. Yallop said it was Cannon's best save of the night.

"I thought it was the toughest save because it came through a crowd," Cannon said. "I picked it up last minute and hit it pretty good."

The Earthquakes, 3-8-3 overall, have scored only one goal in their last four league games, going 0-2-2 in that period. Despite those poor results and their last-place standing in the Western Conference, they played with an enthusiasm and desire that was greater than that of the home team.

Before Cunliffe's post late, in the 52nd minute, Kamara was dragged to the ground by Fire defender Bakary Soumare after a misaimed header by Fire defender Brandon Prideaux set Kamara up just atop the penalty area. Ramiro Corrales took the free kick but it glanced off the crossbar and out.

"At this point, we are just trying to get a point everywhere, and we feel we can win anywhere we play," said defender Kelly Gray, a former Fire player. "We thought we matched up pretty well against them, and I thought we outplayed them. We got a point but we lost two. We are playing solidly defensively but we can't score goals. It's encouraging we got as many chances as we did. We just need to get them in the net."

Yallop had two familiar names to reinsert in his starting lineup, defender Nick Garcia, who was playing his first game since May 31 because of a right MCL sprain, and Kamara.

The return of Kamara was key to the Earthquakes, who have lost the services of forward Peguero Jean Philippe and Gavin Glinton to injury issues. They also lost forward Jovan Kirovski, recently acquired from Colorado, when he suffered a right foot injury in a practice collision and will be out for six weeks.

Besides Cunliffe, Yallop also substituted Shea Salinas for Jason Hernandez in the 82nd minute.