Wizards looking for international mix

KANSAS CITY -- Acquired with a view of pushing a team into the elite of MLS, foreign players are usually looked at to provide a large part of a team's playoff push during the latter part of the season.

The Kansas City Wizards, currently precariously sitting one point out of playoff contention, need a push. Yet with a third of the season still to be played, the Wizards are still trying to find the right foundation from which to receive the necessary jolt from their foreign contingent -- Colombian Ivan Trujillo and Argentineans Claudio Lopez and Carlos Marinelli.

Acquired from La Equidad of Columbia's first division in March, the 26-year-old Trujillo was touted as a "target, strong-type forward" who would supply scoring punch. After one goal in 13 games, Trujillo sits behind recently acquired Josh Wolff, Davy Arnaud and Ryan Pore on the forward depth chart.

"Like any player who has never played outside of his country, it's taken him a little time to adapt," said head coach Curt Onalfo. "He's a guy who has scored a lot of goals for us (five) on the reserve team and in the Open Cup, so he's progressing and a guy we look to as depth off the bench in the forward position."

Taking advantage of any time that comes his way will put pressure on the rest and provide a large lift for a team that has put away only 17 chances in 18 matches.

"With Ivan, there were never any extremely high expectations," Onalfo said. "Would we like more goals out of him? Sure. Right now, our two forwards are Davy and Josh."

The impact of the signing of world-class Argentinean international Claudio Lopez as Kansas City's designated player is debated in fan blogs and in the media. And when looking at statistics -- three goals and three assists in 18 games -- the debate is fueled. But statistics certainly don't tell the whole story. The 34-year-old has played all but 20 minutes of the entire season and has earned plaudits for his work rate and his "one of the guys" locker room demeanor. In addition, Lopez's wealth of experience has earned immediate and lasting respect.

"[Claudio] doesn't open his mouth very often, but when he does, people listen," said Wizards captain Jimmy Conrad. "Whether it's on the field or off, when he's got something to say, it's usually spot on, and the guys respond."

Results are what speak volumes ultimately, and "The Louse" has shown flashes of brilliance along with his wonderful touch and accurate crosses. But he has yet, in the minds of some, to reach the level of "difference maker."

"Right now, it's just a matter of finding what's good for him, whether it's up front or out on the left, and where he can be the most effective for us," said MLS veteran Kerry Zavagnin. "He's a good professional and a great soccer player."

Conrad believes that Lopez has suffered by having to bear the weight of offensive responsibility while Arnaud has played himself back into form after offseason knee surgery and the other attackers have struggled. Help has arrived in the form of MLS and U.S. national team veteran Wolff.

"When you add a player of Wolff's caliber, now he's going to demand a lot of attention, and now you are going to see what Claudio doing what he does best," said Conrad. "When Wolff wasn't here, Claudio was getting singled out, and it just made it harder for him to create space."

Lopez will return to left midfield in the Wizards scheme, where he should find more space to operate. Furthermore, the veteran of seven World Cup matches feels his connection with his teammates is growing.

"It's going well. After some time, we just need to see some results. We have a great group of guys, a great cast around us." Lopez said via an interpreter. "It basically comes down to focusing on plays and being able to finish better than we have been. Once those come around, we'll get the results that we want. We're getting to the point where we are going to see those results on a regular basis."

To Conrad and Zavagnin, the verdict is clear.

"To make a long answer short: he deserves a designated player spot," Conrad said.

That leaves the conundrum that is Marinelli. Capable of the sublime, Marinelli's career -- dotted with time at five different clubs in his nine-year professional career, including stints at such renowned clubs as Boca Juniors in Argentina, Middlesbrough in the English Premiership, and Torino in Italy -- has been maligned by injury and failure to live up to the promise of his considerable talents.

With no appearances since June 28 due to an injured hamstring, Marinelli has struggled to regain the preseason form that saw him tally three assists in early regular season matches.

"The challenge now for Carlos it to get himself fit again and be a guy who can contribute off the bench because it's too late in the season to believe he'll be a starter for us," said Onalfo. "... If you watch him, when he comes in off the bench when the game slows down, he does a great job. If we can get him fit and in that capacity at some point, that's great. The hard thing now is that we have so many other guys that have climbed up the ladder."

Onalfo said there are no problems with Marinelli's work rate and he is "good guy" in the locker room, said Zavagnin. But more is wanted.

"Carlos's talent is second-to-none. In terms of where he can be of most value to us, we're still trying to figure that out. But it's a matter of performing on the field, and when you're not doing that, you're not fulfilling your task within a team. We're hoping and we're waiting" said Zavagnin."

Will the Wizards' foreign additions help push them into the playoffs? The answer won't be clear until late October, but the pressure is on Trujillo, Lopez and Marinelli to provide a push by themselves and in conjunction with their teammates.

"Pressure is one of those things [the team has] to put upon [themselves]," said Lopez. "We have to want to work and play hard to want to do these things to get [the team] ahead, to win."

Hyndman praises resurgent Hoops

TORONTO -- Amidst all of the changes taking place with FC Dallas, the most welcome difference for the players is that the team is finally getting victories.

The Hoops became the first visiting MLS side to leave BMO Field victorious this season as they took a 2-0 win against Toronto FC. It was a very positive result on a difficult away pitch for FCD, who entered the game with just one road win in 2008.

"We've come away with three points on the road in an environment that is very difficult to win," said Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman. "You know the surface, great fan support, a good team, so for us to come away with three points is everything we hoped for."

Dallas is now unbeaten in their last five MLS games (2-0-3) and sit in second place in the Western Conference, just two points behind first-place Real Salt Lake. It is quite a turnaround for a side that has gone through three coaches and has seen a number of notable players come and go this season.

"It's kind of been a year of transition with [former head coach Steve Morrow] leaving and [Marco Ferruzzi] interim [head coach] for a little bit and now Schellas coming in and we've had a couple of players leave now," said striker Kenny Cooper. "But the players who have been here and the guys that have come in are focused on working hard for Schellas. I can tell you every day in training is amazing and it's nice to see that translate into some good performances and some wins for us."

The one constant for FCD has been Cooper, who scored his third brace of the season and second in as many games. The striker converted a penalty kick in the 80th minute following a red card in the penalty area to Toronto's Amado Guevara, and then scored on a 30-yard shot in added time to clinch the win.

Cooper now has 13 goals on the season, a new career-high for the Baltimore native. He is now tied with L.A.'s Landon Donovan atop the Budweiser Golden Boot standings.

While Cooper was the man of the match for the Hoops, the entire side played well in spite of recent roster shakeups. In the past week alone, All-Star midfielder Juan Toja was sold to Romanian side Steaua Bucuresti and attacking midfielder Arturo Alvarez was traded to San Jose, while midfielder Bruno Guarda was acquired from Colorado. If the transfers weren't enough, Dallas was also playing its first game without team captain Duilio Davino, who was sidelined with a toe injury.

Though FCD has lost just once in the six games since Hyndman took over behind the bench, the coach is quick to credit his players for the team's recent success. He noted that his back line has been particularly strong since the team's switch to a 4-4-2 formation.

"They kind of bought into the system that we're playing and they're working hard for each other," Hyndman said. "Our defense, by going with four in the back, we've been able to get the last two games [as] shutouts."

The win was particularly sweet for defender Adrian Serioux, a native of the Toronto suburb of Scarborough. Serioux was the fourth overall selection by Toronto FC in the 2006 expansion draft, but was dealt to Dallas soon thereafter for midfielder Ronnie O'Brien. Serioux has become a fixture on the Hoops back line, and was pleased that his team won for some personally related FC Dallas supporters amidst the BMO Field fans.

"It's always good to come back and play in front of family and friends and get a result that we needed badly," Serioux said. "You know it's a great atmosphere and I'm sure the fans were behind their team. ... We came away with the result and we're happy about it."

With their first road win since April under their belts, the Hoops will look to continue their success away from home on Saturday in Columbus. FCD plays four of their next six games away from Pizza Hut Park before a three-game homestand starting in late September.

Shorthanded Crew prepare for heat

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Crew goes into their second consecutive road match without their top defender and minus players who have scored more than one-third of the team's goals this season.

And, those might be the least of its problems in Houston. In addition to a revised lineup -- again -- the Crew must combat the ever-present heat and humidity that hovers over the Texas city and makes even the most conditioned athlete uncomfortable.

Just ask Crew leading scorer Alejandro Moreno, who spent the 2006 season and the first month of the following year with the Dynamo before being traded to Columbus.

"Having played in Houston, having trained in Houston, it affects them just as much as it affects us. People say you get used to it. I don't think there's any way to get used to it," said Moreno. "It makes for the weeks to be a little longer. It makes for the days to be longer and makes for the games to be a little bit more of a struggle. Hopefully, we can take advantage of it as opposed to suffering through it. It's going to be pretty hot, pretty steamy, pretty spicy. It's a reality."

The forecast at kickoff calls for 93 degrees, with 45 percent humidity and a heat index of 98 degrees. The Crew trained Friday morning in Columbus when it was 86 degrees and 50 percent humidity.

Of course, to bayou boy Jason Garey, a native of Baton Rouge, La., that's just another pleasant day.

"This is nothing new for me but Houston in August is very hot. It's the hottest month in Louisiana, too. There's not much wind. The heat just stacks in there with the humidity," the Crew forward said. "We know the heat and humidity are different there than most places we play. You take care of your body and drink a lot more fluids all week getting ready for it."

The Crew's road schedule can be categorized in segments. There was the West Coast swing from May 10 to June 21 when the team traveled to California three times. The Crew is currently in the midst of its Elements Tour.

It began with a 2-0 loss July 12 in altitude (and artificial turf) at Real Salt Lake and continued with another thin-air match last Sunday at Colorado, a 2-0 win. After Saturday's expected scorcher in Houston, the Crew's next road game is Aug. 30 in Dallas. Do you think it will be a little warm there?

The final four road games are against Eastern Conference opponents.

A win against the Dynamo would move the Crew into first place by a point idle ahead of New England although the Revolution will have two games in hand after Saturday.

In addition to missing All-Star defender Frankie Hejduk (yellow card accumulation), the Crew will be without Olympians Robbie Rogers and Emmanuel Ekpo on the flanks for the second match in a row and rookie forward Steven Lenhart, who starts a two-game suspension for a flagrant elbow. Rogers (five), Lenhart (three) and Ekpo have 10 of the Crew's 29 goals.

Garey, who scored his first goal in the Colorado match, and midfielder Brad Evans are expected to rejoin the starting lineup. Defender Ezra Hendrickson, out since June 7 (groin), could see significant minutes.

"It's going to be interesting. Some other guys will get some playing time," Garey said. "Everyone is here because they want to play MLS games on the weekend. We'll see what happens."

It will be imperative for the Crew to get everyone involved in the attack because Moreno will certainly be a marked man in his homecoming. He has seven goals although he has only one of the 12 the Crew has scored in the past six matches.

"It's important to have that scoring. There's going to be nights when Guillermo (Barros Schelotto) is going to be pretty crowded, I'm going to be crowded. It's important for them to come in, find the open space and put the ball in the back of the net," Moreno said. "We've been successful because we can score from many different positions. Brad Evans can come late in the box. It's a matter of the guys on the field taking advantage of opportunities. (Garey) has done well with his opportunities. Steve has done well the times he's come in. In order to have a successful season we need different players to come in and score goals at key moments."

Moreno, a member of the Dynamo's MLS Cup winners in 2006, said no matter the starting XI, a positive result is expected.

"The team looks different but that's why we have 18 guys on the roster and 28 guys on the team, because you bring in players you think are good enough to do the job. Now's their opportunity to step on the field and do the things they know how to do," he said. "They should know that we have confidence, the coaching staff has confidence, that they can do the things we expect them to do.

"For us, it's a matter of concentrating or focusing on things that made us successful: Staying compact, defending well, fighting for each other, pushing each other and trying to make the most of the opportunities we get. The most important thing we've done this year is to find a way to get results. That would certainly come in handy this weekend."

Revs look for payback vs. Houston

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph said that his team isn't weary of facing the Houston Dynamo for a major championship.

But he sure is noticing the scoreboard after the Dynamo defeated the Revs twice in MLS Cup.

"They have two championships," Joseph said. "We're just trying to get one."

That one might not be MLS Cup right now, but SuperLiga is the next best thing. Both teams waded through the group stages and ousted venerable Mexican teams on their way to get here.

Now the only obstacle left for the Revs is a familiar orange one that they haven't really managed to conquer when the chips were on the line.

"They beat us twice in MLS Cup," Joseph said. "You could say they are up 2-0 in terms of titles. We know what we're going to have to do [Tuesday] to beat a good team. It's going to be a tough game. We're up to the challenge. We're at home, hopefully in front of a good crowd. That will energize us. We'll be ready from the starting whistle."

That challenge is complicated by a rivalry that Revs defender Chris Albright said was "good for the league."

Joseph won't dub it a rivalry, but said the stakes could impact how and if a rivalry develops.

"It's going to develop," Joseph said. "We've played together for the last two MLS Cup Finals. To be another final against them shows that both teams have some good quality players."

New England swept the Dynamo during the regular season, winning 3-0 in the opening match of the season at Gillette Stadium on March 29 and shocking the Dynamo 2-0 at Robertson Stadium on July 16.

Yet the injury-riddled Dynamo didn't have their full squad in either of those games, a point Revs captain Steve Ralston noted.

"They are a great team," Ralston said. "We have to realize that they have a lot of quality players. We were fortunate this year that we caught them on a couple of off days. We played them in the first game of the season, and we obviously had an advantage playing in that situation when it's cold. In the second game, they were missing five or six starters. They are a different team now. They have [Brian] Ching and [Dwayne De Rosario] back and they have a different team now."

The Revs have a different, healthier team themselves. The two critical losses for the Revs are due to non-health related absences: Michael Parkhurst is away with the U.S. Olympic team and Jay Heaps is suspended after picking up a red card after the 1-0 semifinal win over Atlante.

Without two of his three starting defenders, Nicol will have to chop and change at the back. Left back Amaechi Igwe will slide into the center of a four-man defense. Rookie Chris Tierney, who started the second group game against Pachuca, will play on the left side of defense.

"It's not ideal, but you have to deal with it," Nicol said. "There is no point in crying and moaning about it. You have to show the confidence in somebody and see how they react and then go from there. If we're groaning to everyone that we don't have any choices and we don't have any replacements, the guy who is going to play there isn't going to think. We're not going to camouflage anything. We're going to see what they are made of."

It's a difficult spot for the two young players, but Nicol believes they'll have what it takes to help the Revs bring home the SuperLiga crown.

"In some respects, it's a big game to be starting off with, but both guys have played there before," Nicol said. "Both guys are aware of what we are looking for. Both guys are capable of doing that. We're confident that they'll go ahead and do a good job."

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. It's the one just this side of California: It can sometimes be easy to overlook Major League Soccer's team from Utah. The club gets lost out there because ... well, because it's in Utah.

That might help explain why Real Salt Lake sit in first place in the West, but didn't have a player at the All-Star celebration last week.

Still, don't take that to mean that Jason Kreis' team doesn't have to some All-Star-worthy high performers. And individual recognition is starting to come around now.

Nick Rimando was just named MLS Player of the Month. He certainly had some big moments as RSL clawed its way slowly to the top of the Western Conference stack this summer.

Javier Morales has seven assists, which matches Landon Donovan and David Beckham in second place among the league leaders. So, he's done his part, too.

But the player who has really rounded into form during RSL's recent run of "wow" is Jamison Olave. Olave has been chief engineer on the Stingy Express lately as RSL has been easily the best defense in Major League Soccer over the last two months -- even if people have barely noticed.

Kreis' team has allowed just three goals since May. That covers nine MLS matches.

Three! In nine matches!

That's a ratio that would smash league records over an entire season. Obviously, you can't extrapolate season-long ratios over a short sampling. But nine matches is moving out of the realm of "brief sampling." That's getting close to a third of the season.

Rimando has something to say about that righteous "D." As does Nat Borchers, who continues to perform well in his second MLS go-round.

But it's Olave who has been large and in charge back there. He's commanding in the air and composed when winning balls with his feet. Most importantly, the big Colombian has improved seemingly game-by-game since winning a starting spot from Matias Mantilla in May.

And now he's scoring goals, too, having headed one past Greg Sutton earlier this week against Toronto.

Kreis said Olave has been "spectacular." Now, it's just a matter of spreading the word.

2. Coming and going ... for another two weeks, at least: The international transfer window remains open for another two weeks (until Aug. 15, to be exact.) And several teams seem intent on pushing their final 2008 opportunity to pursue foreign talent (or U.S. talent that has wandered abroad) to the limit.

Toronto continues to nibble around the edges on a potential deal for former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov. Even at 35 Dickov could probably help ease the mounting pressure at BMO, where goals have been hard to come by since Danny Dichio's concussion troubles.

Hard to say if Juan Carlos Osorio has finished the ongoing roster dance at Red Bull New York, where he's adding a player a week lately. Newest into the Giants Stadium fold is defender Diego Jimenez from Mexico's Tecos UAG.

FC Dallas will bring Ajax product Victor Sikora back to the States following a recent two-week trial. Manager Schellas Hyndman says he wants to add the Dutch midfielder if the terms make sense for everybody. Meanwhile, Hyndman will also look at two River Plate youngsters en route for a Frisco trial: forward Lucas Gomez, 21, and left back Lucas Malacarne, 19. Dallas recently singed a partnership agreement with the Argentinean giants, which appears to be paying off immediately.

D.C manager Tom Soehn is being coy about whether he plans to bring in more new talent to augment this week's RFK addition, industrious midfielder Ivan Guerrero, who was acquired via trade with San Jose.

Colorado may not have conceded defeat just yet in its exhausting, protracted pursuit of Brazilian striker Reinaldo Elias da Costa, 24, who is available once again after a spell in Korea didn't go as planned.

Kansas City has allocation money thanks to the trade that sent Scott Sealy to San Jose. But the Wizards seem more intent on dealing within MLS for the missing puzzle pieces at Community America Ballpark.

Finally, there is word from Washington Post scribe Steven Goff that former FC Dallas and one-time U.S. international Cory Gibbs may be interested in a second bite off the MLS apple. Gibbs' career was climbing two years ago as he moved from Holland's Feyenoord to Charlton of the English Premiership. That's where things started going sideways.

Charlton was soon relegated into the English Championship (the second tier). Not that it mattered much to Gibbs, who was injured for most of his two years with the south London club.

Los Angeles has the first allocation option, but whether the Galaxy could wedge Gibbs into its salary structure is another matter.

3. We hear Cancun is nice: It's starting to look more and more like Cuauhtemoc Blanco, 35, has gotten a bit tired in his sophomore MLS season.

It may seem that Blanco has been a steady presence in MLS since, after all, he did construct that classy All-Star game goal. But the Mexican playmaker has not scored or assisted in a Chicago Fire shirt since June 7. That covers seven MLS matches and one U.S. Open Cup contest in which Blanco participated.

Chicago's scoring has suffered as a result; Denis Hamlett's team has been shut out in five of those seven MLS contests.

The Fire has a steady and manageable schedule through August, when the club plays essentially once a week. That's bound to help a bit, especially as the Fire comes off a busy and taxing July, one where the club packed two U.S. Open Cup matches and a friendly with Everton into a schedule that already included four MLS matches and a trip to the All-Star festivities in Toronto for Blanco.

Still, you almost wonder if the Fire would be better telling the playmaker to get lost for a week or two. Go to the beach. Relax. Refresh.

Then, he could rejoin the side, hopefully recharged, just as Brian McBride arrives later this month.

4. Playing possum: Look what the sneaky Dynamo are doing. Just when everybody thought the run of championship fun might be over, just when it looked like the Dynamo machine was running short on petrol ... the two-time defending champs began quietly shifting to higher gears.

Dominic Kinnear's team is 5-2-4 in all competitions since May. Lately, the Houston side has been even better, going 5-1-0 since what was essentially a reserve squad was eliminated from Open Cup play on July 1. The only setback in that time was during the SuperLiga opener, as Chivas of Guadalajara held on desperately at the end for a 1-0 win.

And the Dynamo lineup pickings just got stronger. Not only has top-shelf defender Eddie Robinson recently returned from injury, Nate Jaqua has also rejoined the side.

Don't underestimate Jaqua's value to the team. He's versatile enough to play on the outside. Or, when Houston needs another big target alongside Brian Ching, Jaqua fills the bill. And the Dynamo just got that much more dangerous on set-piece opportunities, something that's always been a strong point on this team, anyway.

Another factor in the turnabout: Brad Davis is back to full health, now buzzing around on the wings once again.

Houston might need its entire roster this weekend, as Kinnear has tough decisions to make. He'd surely like to put his best side on the field for Saturday's home date with Columbus.

On the other hand, the Dynamo travel to New England for Tuesday's SuperLiga final -- and that's precious little recovery time. New England doesn't play this weekend, leaving the Revs well-rested for the SuperLiga meeting at the Gillette.

5. MLS in the Olympics: Major League Soccer's stamp was all over the U.S. Olympic side that made its Asian debut earlier this week during a scoreless draw with Ivory Coast in the ING Cup in Hong Kong.

Six of Peter Nowak's starters currently wear an MLS shirt: Marvell Wynne, Michael Parkhurst, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan, Stuart Holden and Brian McBride. Recent MLS departures Brad Guzan and Jozy Altidore also started. Patrick Ianni, Dax McCarty and Robbie Rogers were second-half subs.

Particularly interesting is where Edu lined up, right next to Parkhurst in a four-man back line.

Edu, in the middle of his sophomore MLS season, always lines up in the center of the park for Toronto. He has also played in the central midfield spot for Bob Bradley on the full national team. Still, it's interesting to see him play there and wonder: if the talented young man were ever to test European soccer, where he might land on the field?

Nowak's young men get their next pre-Olympic warmup test against Cameroon in the wee small hours (5 a.m. ET) Saturday in Hong Kong.

TFC sees home unbeaten streak end

TORONTO -- While Toronto FC has had their share of struggles recently, one positive that the club could still hold onto was the fact that they were one of just two MLS teams with an unbeaten home record. In fact, the Reds hadn't lost a league game at BMO Field since a 2-1 loss to Columbus on Sept. 22, 2007. Since that setback to the Crew, TFC were 6-0-5 in 11 matches on their home pitch.

The streak finally ended on Sunday evening in a 2-0 defeat to FC Dallas. The game featured a pair of red cards for TFC, a physical breakdown of Toronto's newest forward and the end result was FCD becoming the first MLS side in more than 10 months to break down the BMO Field 'fortress.'

The key moment of the match was a foul called on Toronto midfielder Amado Guevara in the 80th minute. While Kenny Copper carried the ball down the left side, Guevara and Hoops midfielder Pablo Ricchetti scuffled for position in the penalty area in preparation for a potential cross. Ricchetti delivered a pair of elbows toward Guevara, who responded with a blow that left Ricchetti bloodied.

Referee Baldomero Toledo immediately sent Guevara off, which started a vehement argument amongst the official and several TFC players. Since the foul took place in the penalty area, Dallas was awarded a penalty kick, which Cooper converted to give FCD the lead.

Guevara said he committed the foul, but felt Ricchetti should have been punished as well.

"The call was OK, it was fine, but why didn't they give it to [Ricchetti] as well? ... It's fine I got a card, but they should've given the other guy a card as well," Guevara said.

Toronto head coach John Carver said he didn't want to comment on the call until he had seen a video replay. Carver was disappointed that the controversy over the red card overshadowed what he felt was a good outing from his team.

"It's difficult to cope with that situation because up until they scored, certainly in the first half, I thought there were times when we played some really good football," Carver said. "It was encouraging, it was great."

TFC captain Jim Brennan was booked for arguing Guevara's red card, and defender Marco Velez was then sent off a few minutes later after he picked up his second booking of the match. It was the first time in club history that the side was reduced to nine men, and the Reds were easy pickings for Cooper's second goal of the game, in stoppage time.

Though TFC lost, the sold-out crowd at BMO Field applauded their side for what they felt was an injustice against the home team.

"We got frustrated, the coaching staff gets frustrated, 20,000 fans get frustrated," Brennan said. "That tells you something when we came off the field there and the fans are clapping us off because they know we had a good showing until then."

The ejections mean that Velez and Guevara will both be suspended for next Saturday's game against Colorado. The losses of the two regulars will leave the TFC bench even thinner, as Toronto is already missing Maurice Edu and Marvell Wynne to the Olympics.

One player who should be available next week is Chad Barrett. The newly acquired forward was making his TFC debut against Dallas and looked to be building a rapport with fellow striker Jeff Cunningham. Barrett had up two shots, including one on goal, after 70 minutes before straining his right calf after taking a high shot over the Dallas net.

Barrett was attended to by trainers and a stretcher was brought out onto the field, but Barrett left the game under his own power. He said the injury was not as serious as it seemed.

"Two weeks off and playing here two days on turf, it's going to happen to you," Barrett said. "I half-expected it, really. I hope it didn't happen on the shot because I really thought I had an open lane to the far post.

"[The fitness situation] is going to change. We've got great trainers here ... and we're going to work everything out for me to play 90 minutes."

Carver said he took Barrett out of the game for precautionary reasons given TFC's great need for a consistent striker. The coach said he was pleased with what he saw from both his newest player and from Cunningham.

"Well, he did some good things, he did have many opportunities," Carver said. "I think he's more of a poacher. He's not a spectacular goal-man, although he did have a chance there in the second half. The more he gets to know the guys the more he'll get on, and I think he's got goals in him. He needs to work on his fitness, we need to get him put aside with [strength and conditioning coach Paul Winsper] and do some special work. He's got problems with cramps so that's obviously something we have to look at.

"The fact that the ball went forward gave us a chance. That was the basis of what I thought certainly in the first half was some good stuff played."

While TFC's home unbeaten streak ended, a more ominous one continued. The Reds haven't won since June 14 and are now winless in their last nine matches in all competitions (0-5-4), which includes three Canadian Championship games. In that stretch, Toronto has scored just three goals in six matches against MLS competition.

Between the lack of scoring, the lack of wins and now a sudden lack of depth, the problems that plagued Toronto FC in their inaugural season are seemingly appearing again in 2008. Brennan, however, dismissed any comparison to last season's club and said he feels the Reds are due for a change in fortune.

"It's not like last year. We're far better off than we were last year," Brennan said. "We have a better side, we're playing great football at the moment but we're just not getting the right bounces. ... Guys are shooting from everywhere, we can't get it in, it hits the crossbar, it won't drop for us. But the tide's got to change, something's got to go up for us soon."

Wizards' attack unable to find space

WASHINGTON -- After a listless first half and given their lack of consistent goal-scoring, the Kansas City Wizards knew it was going to be a struggle coming back after giving up a goal on the road, even against a struggling and undermanned D.C. United.

But after Luciano Emilio put United ahead in the first half, Jaime Moreno doubled the lead in the second, and the Wizards weren't able to get past the United defense, which recorded its first shutout of the season.

"That's not a new feeling for us. We know we have been hard pressed to score consistently," said defender Jimmy Conrad. "We understand that playing good defense is the key to any good team winning games. That's where it starts. They turned a half-chance into a goal and we were fighting an uphill battle. Tonight, D.C. was just a better team."

With both teams plagued by injuries and suspensions to critical creative players, one of the remaining stars for each time had to step up and be the difference maker. Unfortunately for the Wizards, it was United's Moreno.

"When you come out the way we did in the first 45 minutes against a good team with players like Moreno and Emilio and Fred you set yourself up for a difficult night," said Wizards coach Curt Onalfo. "I think our approach and first-half mentality and the way we played ended up being the reason that we lost."

Moreno had his way with the ball most of the night, tag-teaming the Wizards with strike partner Emilio on their way to snapping Kansas City's six-game unbeaten streak. The win in the critical six-pointer vaulted United ahead of the Wizards and idle New York and Toronto, into fourth place alone in the Eastern Conference standings. All four teams started the night with 22 points as Toronto play host to Dallas on Sunday.

"They are definitely a yin-and-yang kind of couple," said Conrad about the Bolivian Moreno and his Brazilian sidekick. "Emilio is very direct; he's kind of like a bull in a china shop and he does well to create space for himself. Tonight he got half a chance I figured and he put it away. Moreno is just crafty and you got to pay attention to him no matter where is on the field."

Moreno played a lateral ball from the left flank into Emilio inside of the penalty area, who created just enough space for himself to get a left-footed shot off through the surprised Conrad to put United in the lead in the 28th minute.

"I thought I had it blocked. He did well to kind of squib it right either between my legs or right underneath my foot," said Conrad.

The Wizards seemingly could do nothing to prevent Moreno from controlling the ball, spearheading United's attack from anywhere and everywhere on the field.

"I think we did a poor job of dealing with Jaime when he dropped into our midfield," said Onalfo. "Communication between our center backs and holding midfielders was poor. We lacked bite and Jaime did pretty much whatever the hell he wanted the first 45 minutes of the game. In the second I thought we were a little bit tighter on him and we made it a little bit harder on him -- having said that he scores a great goal."

"He's been a professional for (18) years so he's pretty good at finding space," said Conrad. "If we are getting tight to him he will just continue to drop further back and if our midfielders pick him up, he'll just drift wide. He will find pockets and then exploit them. If we turn the ball over in bad spots he is going to pick the ball up in even better spaces closer to goal and that what we don't want."

Moreno slipped inside his mark and knocked home a brilliant glancing header of a Marc Burch free kick in the 60th minute to ice the game for the home side.

"It was a helluva goal by Jaime -- there is no two ways about it," said Onalfo. "I think our defender is in a pretty good position in the way he's defending it. Sometimes you have to take your hat off to a world-class goal."

Despite the goal, the Wizards closed down Moreno sufficiently enough in the second half to slow down United's attack and create several chances themselves.

"I thought we came out with the right attitude and the right mindset in the second half and created a couple of chances," said Wizards forward Davy Arnaud. "We started off pretty bright, looking like we might get that goal and we give up the second one and once you do that, especially here in D.C., it's tough to come back."

"I though D.C. was by far the better team in the first 45 minutes. In the second half I thought we came out very, very strong," Onalfo said. "I don't know what the stats are but for sure we had a helluva lot more shots, especially in the second half."

The Wizards fired off 11 shots in the second half and 17 overall at United's Zach Wells, although many were from distance.

"We created a lot chances especially in the second half but we didn't put them in the back of the net," said Onalfo. "We just came off a six-game unbeaten streak and we got to pick ourselves up, wipe ourselves off and keep plugging away."

'Almost' All-Stars shine

The MLS All-Stars shined last week in Toronto -- which is exactly how the world is supposed to work.

All-Stars, by the very definition of the term, should star in the show.

But there's only so much light in the bulb, so to speak, especially given the tight schedule for most of Major League Soccer's luminaries. Many had to fly back to join their clubs on Friday, then maybe work out some All-Star match soreness with a brief practice on Saturday.

In the case of fellows such as David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Frankie Hejduk and a couple of others, they had to hop right back on a plane Saturday afternoon, traveling to the next destination for a Sunday match.

So the production of the All-Star starters was a bit muted in Round 18 of MLS play. There were some exceptions, of course. And it's not like any of this celebrity talent embarrassed themselves out there.

They just didn't always have a full tank.

But what if you look at the next tier, the "almost All-Stars," and closely examine what they did? You might find that for Week 18, the "coach class All-Stars" were every bit as valuable to their teams as the first-class types.

What if we picked a quick version of the All-Stars who almost were? It might look like this:

Jon Busch in goal.

Right to left in the back: Bryan Namoff, Jamison Olave, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares.

Right to left in the midfield: John Thorrington, Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman, Dave van den Bergh.

Strikers: Luciano Emilio and Chris Rolfe.

Chicago's Busch was one of perhaps five goalkeepers who had outstanding weekends. He and Kevin Hartman exchanged a series of top-notch saves as the Fire and Wizards finished in a 0-0 stalemate. Busch was the bigger presence if only because his visiting side had to withstand increasing pressure as the evening went on. In addition to the nifty saves, Busch was quick and sure off his line to catch or punch on several occasions.

(If you believe Columbus' Will Hesmer should be the "Almost All-Star," well, he had a doozy of a game, too, delivering the weekend's most spectacular save early in the match against Colorado.)

Olave had a monster match in Real Salt Lake's huge win against Toronto, although that should come with a bit of an asterisk for the big Colombian center back.

Olave had barely put a foot wrong at Rice-Eccles against John Carver's team. He won balls all over the place and then quickly started the attack with classy passing. To be fair, he was working against Abdus Ibrahim and Jarrod Smith, who began the evening with five MLS starts between them.

Still, Olave did exactly what he should against such youngsters -- absolutely dominating the night. And then got forward to supply Jason Kreis' team with a desperately needed goal, tearing open the deadlock. It would have been a perfect evening (i.e., no asterisk) but for a slip on the FieldTurf, whereupon Olave grabbed Amado Guevara by the ankle. Olave got a yellow card and Guevara got a free kick from the perfect spot, briefly equalizing the match.

Soumare had one of his best matches in a breakthrough season, always appearing calm and in command against Kansas City. He looked pretty good earlier this year partnering with Diego Gutierrez, but seemed even more assured standing alongside Wilman Conde along Denis Hamlett's back four.

Speaking of that back four: Segares did exactly what he's done all year in locking down the Fire's left side, generally quieting K.C. livewire Davy Arnaud. On the other side, Thorrington was showing his versatility, standing in more than adequately for the suspended Brandon Prideaux.

Morales and Kyle Beckerman were both busy in RSL's 2-1 win against Toronto, an essential W for Jason Kreis' team before it plows into a difficult part of the schedule. Four of Real Salt Lake's next five are on the road, including stops at the Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and Houston Dynamo.

Morales was always around the action, helping to keep the ball moving. That's a big part of Kreis' plan at Rice-Eccles, where the Utah outfit possesses the ball as well as any team this side of New England. And Beckerman came close with a couple of shots from long distance, simultaneously doing his part in the big edge in RSL possession.

Emilio didn't play over the weekend. Rolfe came close on a couple of opportunities for Chicago, which will need some time in adjusting to the loss to Chad Barrett and Brian McBride's impending arrival.

The All-Stars? Not all of them were at their best on during four MLS matches on Sunday. Beckham and Donovan looked a bit beaten by the heat in Dallas, which is understandable considering their hectic week. The Galaxy fell 4-0 at Pizza Hut Park.

Hejduk, seemingly indefatigable as he is, wasn't at his best, although Columbus did prevail against the run of play in Colorado.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco followed his All-Star MVP evening with a subdued night in Kansas City. Blanco is more effective when he drifts about and gets the ball in different spots on the field. The more static he is, the less effective he is, and he wasn't particularly mobile at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

At 35, just appearing in that match is asking a lot of Blanco, especially in the summer heat. Conditions in Kansas City at game time Sunday: sunny and 92 degrees.

TACTICAL CORNER

• Ruud Gullit has shown he's not afraid to re-arrange the chess pieces, hoping to get is Galaxy comfortable attacking teams with different looks. When things went haywire against FCD on Sunday, Gullit shifted out of the more typical 4-4-2, cooking up an improvised 3-4-3. Chris Klein and Greg Vanney manned wide midfield roles. Landon Donovan, who started wide on the left, moved into the middle alongside Peter Vagenas, while David Beckham pushed forward from his wide midfield role into a more advanced spot on the right said.

• FCD manager Schellas Hyndman began making good on his promise to play the youngsters at Pizza Hut Park. Michael Dello-Russo made his season debut and second all-time appearance for FCD. Hyndman gave promising young midfielder Eric Avila his first start, partnering the 20-year-old with Pablo Ricchetti in the center of the park. And Chase Wileman made his MLS debut.

Hyndman also went back to a 4-4-2, which he prefers. Owing to the personnel he inherited, Hyndman had deployed his team in a 3-5-2 for most of July.

• One element missing from the Fire's current form: given the higher temperatures, a fellow like Rolfe or Thorrington simply can't do the running for Cuauhtemoc Blanco. April and May are one thing, but June and July are something else.

The result is a less prolific Blanco. The Mexican playmaker hasn't scored or assisted in an MLS match since June 2, a span of seven contests. Kansas City was rarely bothered by Blanco's passing or dribbling, as Curt Onalfo's team made a point to get around him with numbers quickly in the teams' 0-0 draw.

• Real Salt Lake clearly believed it could exploit Marvell Wynne's absence (for Olympic duty). In his place was young Trinidadian Julius James, who struggled all night in dealing with Robbie Findley and Beckerman. Almost every RSL first-half attack was channeled to the left to maintain the pressure on James.

• San Jose Earthquakes midfield addition Francisco Lima partnered with Ramiro Corrales in the middle on Sunday at Buck Shaw. That gave Ronnie O'Brien a chance to stay out wide, where he's generally at his best. He supplied about four good crosses just within the first 30 minutes of his team's match with the New York Red Bulls, which is about two games worth for some of the league's flank midfielders.

With Darren Huckerby, another addition to Frank Yallop's roster, stationed opposite O'Brien on the left, the Earthquakes' attack suddenly looks significantly more potent.

Barcelona tops Guadalajara in friendly

CHICAGO -- FC Barcelona lit up the scoreboard at Soldier Field on Sunday evening, rolling to a 5-2 victory against CD Guadalajara in front of a crowd of 40,717.

Second-half substitute Samuel Eto'o highlighted the goal fiesta with a pair of goals, after Barcelona had taken a 2-0 lead into halftime in the first game of their two-match tour.

Pedro Ramirez almost put Barcelona ahead in the early minutes of play. The ball bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and appeared to bounce over the line before coming back out, but the referee ruled no goal. It didn't take long, however, for Barcelona to take control.

Barcelona's Andres Iniesta made a run up the left side of the field. He dodged a defender and tapped the ball over to Xavi, who let fly from long range. Chivas goalkeeper Sergio Rodriguez got a hand on it but the ball still rolled into the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.

Mexican international Rafael Marquez blocked a Chivas attempt in the 39th minute, turning the play into Chivas corner kick which resulted in nothing. Barcelona controlled the first half of play, not allowing Chivas a single shot on goal.

In the 45th minute, Barcelona's newly acquired forward Alexander Hleb made it 2-0. He ran onto a bouncing ball in the area, settled it, rounded Rodriguez and powered into the net for a 2-0 lead at the half.

Eto'o entered the match as a second-half substitution and quickly made an impact. In the 49th minute Jeffren Suarez crossed the ball into the box from the right flank and Eto'o tapped it in for a 3-0 advantage.

Chivas made things interesting ten minutes later. Barcelona's Daniel Alves attempted to pass the ball back to defender Carles Puyol. Jesus Padilla of Chivas broke up the play, took possession of the ball, sped up and shot the ball into the net for the club's first goal of the night.

Eto'o struck again in the 72nd minute. He made a run upfield and passed the ball to Bojan Krkic on the right side of the box. Krkic took a couple steps and crossed it back into the box. Eto'o made the short run to get the return pass and sent the ball into the net for a 4-1 advantage.

Chivas turned up the pressure after the fourth Barcelona goal. In the 86th minute, Sergio Santana sent a bicycle kick wide of the net. In the 88th minute Javier Hernandez headed the ball into the net to give Chivas a second goal.

Barcelona added another one just two minutes later, when Jose Caceres jumped up and headed in a corner for a 5-2 lead in the 90th minute.

Jose Pinto manned the net for Barcelona for the full 90 minutes, allowing just two goals.

Barcelona's tour continues as the team heads to New York to take on the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on Wednesday.

Houston's Ashe finds redemption vs. Pachuca

HOUSTON -- Just shy of one year ago, in the semifinal round of the 2007 SuperLiga tournament, Houston Dynamo midfielder Corey Ashe was dismissed from the game against Pachuca.

His red card in extra time once again put the Dynamo at a man disadvantage -- which they had played under for nearly the entirety of regulation -- and the Orange faded in penalty kicks, bowing to the eventual champions in front of a disappointed and emotionally drained home crowd.

After the loss, Ashe had plenty of time to think about his miscue and was hoping for an opportunity to make amends with a rematch. Ashe got that chance to redeem himself Tuesday night when he entered this year's semifinal against Pachuca in the 62nd minute.

And he did just that, scoring an insurance goal in the Dynamo's 2-0 win that puts them into next week's SuperLiga final against either the New England Revolution or Atlante FC.

Ashe entered the game just as his team began to pick things up in the second half against its Mexican visitors. Pachuca rebounded from a slow start and peppered the Dynamo and goalkeeper Pat Onstad with several quality chances through the opening stages of the second half.

Over the last 30 minutes, Houston dominated. Defender Bobby Boswell deflected home a header by Craig Waibel in the 77th minute. And 10 minutes later, Ashe made up for what he called a silly play in last year's game by heading a perfect cross from Brian Mullan and into the net.

Ashe told some of his teammates that he wanted to make up for his miscue in last year's tournament.

Mission accomplished.

"I really felt like I let the team down and I wanted to make sure I did everything I could to help the team out tonight," said Ashe. "And tonight would be the night that I wanted to get that done. We're playing Pachuca, probably the team that is our biggest international rival and this is the semifinals with a chance to go on to the last round.

"I just felt like I really let them down in the semifinal round. I got the red card in that game against Pachuca and that put them down to nine men. And we ended up losing that game."

Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear said he felt a sense of relief as Ashe's shot settled into the back of the net past stunned Pachuca 'keeper Miguel Calero.

Ashe's goal was his first of the 2008 campaign since his goal in a 3-3 draw against FC Dallas on May 28.

"The second goal was exciting," Kinnear added. "And there was even a little bit of relief at that point."

Kinnear was especially pleased with his team's play on set pieces, a part of the team's game that has the potential to improve dramatically with the addition of Nate Jaqua and Kei Kamara.

Both of those players made their first home appearances Tuesday and contributed with great play on both sides of the ball.

Boswell's goal might be considered lucky as he was in the right place at the right time to get his right foot on the ball that Waibel sent his way.

Kinnear and the rest of the men in Orange will take it.

"I thought we were going to be really good on set pieces, and as the game wore on tonight, I thought we looked better and better on set pieces," Kinnear added. "And it didn't help them that Calero had a little bit of a leg problem. And on (the first goal), he wasn't his usual aggressive self.

"Sometimes the ball just bounces your way. De Ro puts it up, Craig heads it over and he just finds Boswell. On that goal, it was good, and we were excited, but there was still a little bit of worry, because they are a good team over there."

There was still a little bit of worry because Pachuca was still moving the ball well. The Dynamo defense stepped up and kept their rivals from getting back in the game.

That, De Rosario said, was key in preserving a trip to the final of the second-year tournament.

"They all want the ball and they all come to the ball," De Rosario said of Pachuca. "It is very tough to play against teams like that because they are very confident.

"Having said that, I thought we were solid defensively, with the exception of those few minutes in the second half. But when we needed him, Pat was there to make the big saves. Offensively, I thought we created a lot of chances tonight, and you really can't ask for more against these guys."

Dynamo head to SuperLiga final hot

HOUSTON -- During his postgame interview, just minutes after his team beat the Columbus Crew 2-0 at Robertson Stadium, Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear quipped that the MLS schedule maker must not have thought his team had a chance to make the SuperLiga 2008 final.

No way would they schedule a game in Houston during the hottest month of the year just days before the final match of the second-year tournament.

Maybe he was kidding, maybe he wasn't. No matter the sentiment, Kinnear and his team are on a roll. They have won four consecutive matches overall and are 2-0 in league play in the middle of SuperLiga 2008 play.

Brad Davis and Brian Ching scored goals in the first half, and even though the team was outshot 12-6, they limited the Crew's quality chances to fewer than five and took advantage of a hot and steamy night to inch three points closer to Real Salt Lake.

"I think we played a real good game tonight, even thought the heat and all the games we have played recently, kind of caught up with us at the end there," Kinnear said. "But we scored a couple of good goals, and Brad's first goal was really excellent, and that was really enough for us.

"They had a couple of really good chances in the second half, but Pat (Onstad) came up with two big saves when he had to and we held them off from there."

Guillermo Barros Schelotto had three shots for the Crew, and former Dynamo player Alejandro Moreno had a goal taken away when Onstad dove to his right and made a key save in the 60th minute.

Since losing 2-1 at San Jose on May 22, the Dynamo have been one of the best teams in Major League Soccer. The team called that loss in northern California their worst of the season, and since then they have turned things around since.

They have played nine league matches since then and they have earned points in eight of them (4-1-4).

Ching, who effectively clinched Saturday's win his eighth goal of the season in the 43rd minute, said the last six weeks have been fun again for a team that, like last year, struggled to win and play well as a team early in the year.

"It seems like this is a long time coming, but hopefully we can continue to play this well for the rest of the season," said Ching. "Right now, we can enjoy this, but we have another big game coming up Tuesday and that will be a chance for us to win another final."

Ching, who played forward with newly acquired Nate Jaqua, said the friendly competition between the two players up front will be fun for both of them as the two look to recapture some of the magic from a year ago.

Jaqua assisted on Ching's goal and was arguably the best player on the field for the Orange on Saturday.

"He is a great offensive player and he is going to get his share of the balls. That will help take some of the pressure off me," Ching added. "I just try to play off of him and tonight we did well, and I thought we played well the last game (vs. Pachuca last Tuesday). Hopefully we can keep this going."

Davis was had an incredible game for the Dynamo, who will not play another MLS match until Aug. 16. Davis was taken out of the game in the second half of the 2-0 win against Pachuca and admitted he did not play well against the team's biggest international rival.

But his goal in just the 13th minute was a springboard for the Dynamo, who remain undefeated when they score the first goal of the match.

"It felt really good to get that first one tonight," Davis said. "I will be the first one to admit when I struggle in a game, and last week was not a good game for me. I struggled with how I played. It was very frustrating.

"It was good to be able to come out tonight and contribute with a goal. That was a great pass from Brian (Mullan) and the team got three points. That is the most important thing right now. I have had some chances recently with posts and crossbars, but it went my tonight."

Boswell greeted warmly in D.C.

Major League Soccer has seen its share of strange and remarkable occurrences over its 12-year history, but few can compare to the weirdness that permeated last Wednesday's D.C. United-Houston Dynamo match in the nation's capital.

After two abortive attempts to play the game on previous dates, rain, lightning and floodlight outages led to a mid-game weather delay of nearly three hours at RFK Stadium. While both teams holed up in their locker rooms for most of that time, one player eventually emerged from one of the old baseball dugouts that hold RFK's main field entrances.

The player, who had exchanged wet cleats for running shoes during the delay, was immediately recognized by nearby fans and soon struck up a friendly conversation, then began to autograph the shirts and posters they proffered. Soon a throng of other waterlogged spectators trotted down to field level to greet him, some posing for photos, others merely offering supportive handshakes before he had to hustle back to rejoin his teammates when the refereeing crew announced that the RFK turf was finally playable again.

The scene, while heartwarming, only added to the evening's peculiarity -- because the player in question was wearing Dynamo orange, not the home side's black and red.

Then again, Bobby Boswell seems to prefer the unorthodox way of doing things.

"I didn't know that many people were out there," he said of the spur-of-the-moment cameo at the stadium he once called home. "So when I went out there and some girls I knew from before came down, it kind of opened the floodgates. Some of the other kids wanted to come down, they were just kind of goofing off, and some people had some [memorabilia] I hadn't seen in a couple years, old stuff. It's good to be back for people like that, fans that are happy to see you. It's great."

An undrafted rookie in 2005 who appeared out of nowhere to snatch the MLS Defender of the Year award a year later, Boswell won widespread affection during his three seasons with United. He broke new ground as one of the first players in the league to create his own website, reaching out to fans with a quirky yet approachable attitude, and he clearly remains well-liked in D.C. even after his decision to request a trade in the wake of a trying 2007 campaign -- notwithstanding a few jibes from hardcore supporters' groups like United's Barra Brava.

"I think with the kids, I am," said the tall defender of his lingering popularity in Washington. "The Barra, not so much. They were taking their cheap shots. But you've got to expect that. For me it's part of the game. Coming back here, it's a great thing for me and I love the city. I had a great time here."

Despite his list of honors and growing reputation, Boswell found himself paying the price for United's defensive inconsistency last year as his one-time mentor, head coach Tom Soehn, regularly rotated his central defenders down the stretch. Eager for a change of scenery, the subsequent trade to Houston in exchange for goalkeeper Zach Wells far surpassed his expectations and he's enjoyed a low-key adaptation into the fearsome Dynamo defense.

"I said at the beginning of the year when they traded for me, that the team's already a successful team. It's not like I'm coming in to show them anything," he said. "I just wanted to come in and bring the experience that I gained here, and hopefully take us further in these tournaments."

The Dynamo undoubtedly made the most of last week's unusual extended stint in D.C., winning their final SuperLiga group match last Saturday night before coming out on top in Wednesday's wild affair -- and Boswell played a central role against his old team, helping limit the United attack to just one goal over both matches and even scoring on Saturday. He's optimistic that the results can help the Orange turn a corner in what has been an underwhelming season for the defending MLS Cup champs.

"To say I wasn't motivated would be a lie," he said. "Obviously I want to come in here and do well, and just do what I can do to help the team win. ... We've worked so hard and we haven't been getting the results: all the ties and stuff, it's just not right. But hopefully, maybe, this will be the turnaround for our season."

Now the focus has turned to Tuesday's SuperLiga semifinal date with CF Pachuca, the Mexican side which edged Houston in a thrilling CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup last year. For team and player alike, the occasion represents a pivotal opportunity to move closer to an elusive piece of hardware.

"For me, the goal is definitely to beat Pachuca, a team that they played a lot last year," said Boswell, "and if I can be a catalyst to help the team get past them and get into the finals, then that's a big step for me and the team."