Chivas' Preki's success no fluke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TACTICAL CORNER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dynamo earn first victory of 2008

Chivas happy to have Talley

Galaxy beat Rapids in battle for first

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rapids’ impressive grit opens doors

Wizards outlast Rapids in shootout

Dynamo earn first victory of 2008

Quakes seek to end road woes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quakes’ offense awakens in loss

Salt Lake play Kansas City to draw

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LA Galaxy storm past Wizards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Davis: Second step tougher

Angel’s grit, goal lift Bulls past Chivas

Donovan fit, ready for milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wizards hope to regain spark

Guzan looking to state case for U.S.

Guzan hopes to seize opportunity

Wizards outlast Rapids in shootout

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eager K.C. eyes Open Cup berth