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."

Melee mars excellent win for Revs

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Revolution advanced to the SuperLiga final with a 1-0 victory Wednesday against Mexico's Atlante FC.

But that victory, one hard-fought and well-earned considering the numerous chances the Revs created and the relative few Atlante could muster, was marred by a post-game melee to cap a contentious second half.

Revs defender Jay Heaps and Atlante goalkeeper Federico Vilar were sent off as tempers flared and punches were thrown as both teams attempted to get off the field.

Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said while he hoped the teams would separate, he knew that once the fists started flying, the confrontation would continue.

"You're just hoping that there enough calm heads there that are an influence in getting people away," Nicol said. "It is very difficult when somebody is attacking you, shall we say, to just turn around and let it happen. I certainly don't condone any of that behavior from their team or our team. When somebody is throwing fists at you it is easier for me to say just get away from them, but it is very difficult when there are so many of them at the same time. I don't condone it but some of it is kind of understandable."

With the Revs down to two healthy players who can play central defense, Heaps' loss will tax New England as it seeks to vanquish Houston at home and seal the club's second major title.

"Jay Heaps getting sent off is a real blow," Nicol said. "I'm hoping the referee will look at it and see whether he made the right decision. Jay said the guy punched him and he got sent off so hopefully we can look at that and the referee can look at it and hopefully he has made an error in judgment and speak up for it. But if he doesn't, we have to figure a way of getting ready for next week."

Next week will happen because Shalrie Joseph headed home a Steve Ralston free kick in the 30th minute. Atlante couldn't breach a Revolution rearguard missing Michael Parkhurst, one that didn't really seem like it missed a beat.

"I thought we were solid," Nicol said. "I don't remember them having a chance where they should have scored and we made two or three chances where we could have scored -- [Kheli] Dube hit the crossbar but it was on target. Defensively we were sound, Jeff [Larentowicz] did well moving to back and Jay [Heaps] did a great job. We're happy with the performance."

Larentowicz and Heaps combined well in the middle, with Larentowicz showing some of the anticipation that makes Parkhurst such an asset at center back. The combination limited the dangerous Atlante strikers to half chances.

"We did what we had to do," goalkeeper Matt Reis said. "I don't think they had too many chances on goal but we played really well defensively, even though we lost one of our key components in Michael Parkhurst. It gets marred by everything that happened [at the end]."

The 2007 Apertura champions weren't too keen to discuss how the match unfolded. Atlante striker Luis Gabriel Rey, who was sent off for striking Shalrie Joseph, thought his team tried to play the right way before the match descended into chaos.

"We tried to play a good game," Rey said. "We gave up the goal on a dead ball, which we didn't defend well. I think the referee let us play, but I think there were also times when he made mistakes. It's a good team and they handle the ball well and in the end it was the dead ball that made the difference."