Wizards hope to regain spark

KANSAS CITY -- After three wins and a draw in their first four matches of the 2008 season, the Kansas City Wizards likely looked at the Eastern Conference standings of Major League Soccer with a gleam in their eyes. After two losses and a draw in their last three, the view isn't so glamorous as five sides block the view of the top.

Now the in-sync Los Angeles Galaxy stand as imposing hosts for Saturday night's encounter at The Home Depot Center. David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and now Edson Buddle (with his hat trick last week against FC Dallas in a 5-1 rout) have fashioned the league's highest scoring attack with 19 goals in eight games, although they are tied for the most goals allowed per game as well.

But despite the Galaxy's second-place sitting in the West, the two sides sport identical 3-3-2 records. The Wizards certainly aren't star-struck as they head into what is sure to be a challenge -- they're healthier and smarter.

Veteran midfielder Sasha Victorine started his first match of the season after battling injury and fellow midfielder Davy Arnaud saw time in only his second match of the season after offseason knee surgery and a subsequent hamstring strain in last Saturday's 1-1 draw at New York. The game itself, despite the road point gained, was not all positive though.

Up one goal and one man with just 13 minutes left after former Wizards midfielder Dave van den Bergh was sent off for throwing an elbow at Arnaud, the Wizards were primed to take the full three points back to K.C.

"We did a very poor job of managing the last portion of the game," said Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo. "We were very disappointed in not getting three points. Like every team in the league, we have to learn from those circumstances and get better as we head into L.A."

Defensively, Kansas City had repeated trouble with throw-ins into their penalty area. Offensive possession can cut down on those occurrences.

"Our biggest problem at times in that game was just making the right decisions when we had the ball," said Victorine. "We had times where we connected five, six passes and had our space, but the next pass we played the ball through or over the top on that [artificial turf] that a guy isn't going to catch. ... We need to make sure we know that sometimes the simple pass to keep the ball moving and keep making them work a little bit defensively is [important]."

"With any team in Major League Soccer, if you are able to possess the ball well and move the ball efficiently, things are going to open up and you can have success," added Onalfo.

On the expansive Home Depot Center field, the Wizards should be able to prolong their possession and the wisdom of Victorine and Arnaud's experience should serve them well. But slowing the Galaxy's multi-pronged arsenal will, of course, be imperative.

Victorine, who might encounter the feeding machine that is Beckham often on Saturday night, knows that his job is best described as containment as the English winger will find his space outside or inside.

"You're never going to shut them completely down because the way Beckham is it just takes one free-kick outside your 18-yard box, either right in front or out wide, [for them to score], and he serves such great balls," said Victorine.

"But you have to limit the opportunities you give them. We want to make sure we're smart with our tackles, where we make them, and defend set pieces well. You want to keep Beckham from playing balls that he wants because he can definitely put the ball wherever he wants too whenever he wants to, so you try to make him make a pass he doesn't want to make. We just need to concentrate and focus on playing our game there, keep possession of the ball."

"They're a very good team, but so are we," said Onalfo. "We look forward to the challenge of dealing with great attacking players in Beckham, Donovan, [forward Carlos] Ruiz and Buddle, and we're ready for the challenge. It's just a matter of making sure you have a good game plan to neutralize that. Having said that, you have to be able to exploit their weakness as well."

If the Wizards, who have scored just four goals in their last six games, can take advantage of a slowly maturing L.A. backline and find the Galaxy's scoring touch, they can bring joy back to Kansas City.

"We have a smart game plan going into the game this weekend, we feel very good about the fact that we're getting our veterans healthy and getting a cohesive starting unit -- at least moving toward that, which we haven't been able to do all season -- and look forward to what will hopefully be a very good game on a big field that is a good surface and a great atmosphere," said Onalfo.

Galaxy looking for scoring balance

Buddle adds dimension to Galaxy

Chivas happy to have Talley

CARSON, Calif. -- Mired on a club that has struggled since its inception in 2005, Carey Talley felt his future with Real Salt Lake was suddenly uncertain and prepared for life outside of Utah.

"I kind of got a feeling in the locker room when I was in Salt Lake that maybe something was in the works," Talley said. "I kind of prepared myself for it in the days before it did happen."

His premonition became reality on May 9 when Chivas USA acquired Talley from Real Salt Lake in exchange for supplemental draft picks. The move was not necessarily made with the present in mind as Talley is battling a quadriceps strain, but more so for the grueling SuperLiga-laden summer and beyond.

Chivas USA coach Preki, who played alongside Talley with the Kansas City Wizards for two seasons, said his former teammate was a valuable addition to the Red-and-White.

"We feel Carey Talley is a good player," Preki said. "He's been in this league a long time. He's been on championship teams and knows how to win. In the last couple of years I've felt he's been the best player in Salt Lake."

Talley had been with RSL since 2006. He pieced together a pair of solid campaigns for the club. In 2006, he had two goals and eight assists in 2,618 minutes while last season he scored three goals in 2,195 minutes.

This season, Talley played 307 minutes over four games with RSL and scored a goal, off a corner kick against D.C. United. But his days with the fourth-year club were numbered.

Despite the unsettling nature of a trade, though, Talley said his family dealt with it well.

"I told my wife that I had a feeling," Talley said. "We handled it a lot better than if it was just sprung on us out of the blue so we kind of felt it coming."

Chivas USA is Talley's fifth team. After playing four seasons with D.C. United, Talley moved to Kansas City and Dallas before joining RSL. With Chivas USA, Talley said he could offer exactly what he gave his previous employers.

"I definitely believe that I read the game well and am a technical player. That's what has kept me in the league this whole time, my technical ability and ability to tackle and read the game," Talley said. "I'm going to bring that and the bite that I've had my whole career. I'll definitely bring that aspect of my game here and I think it will fit in well because they get after it in training each day."

Despite Chivas USA's depleted roster -- Talley was one of nine players unavailable for Saturday's match against D.C. United -- the veteran midfielder said he wanted to recover from his quadriceps strain before suiting up for the Red-and-White.

"It's going to take some healing. I have had this quad strain for (two) weeks," Talley said. "I've been a good healer in the past. I do want to make sure that I'm fit when I come back and make my debut for Chivas because I don't want to let anyone down if I'm hobbling out there."

Talley might make his Chivas USA debut this month, whether it is Saturday in Colorado or on May 31 against Columbus at The Home Depot Center. Though the club has just two wins this season, Talley said he has seen the caliber of players and coaches in his brief time with Chivas USA.

And that has made the move to the West Coast even smoother.

"I'm happy to come to this team. There are some things going on with this club. Preki definitely has a great system he's put into this team and got them to a level where he wanted them last year and he's tried to continue that," he said. "I wanted to come, I want to fit in and I want to play and be a big contributor to this team. That basically is up to me, in practice every day."

Talented Dallas presents challenge for RSL

Chivas gets ‘Goofy’ for team photo

Galaxy looking for scoring balance

D.C.'s snake-bitten ride continues

TORONTO -- It is a measure of D.C. United's snake-bitten season that when they get the seemingly good news of two key players returning to the lineup, one misses a great scoring chance and the other makes a crucial mistake that costs D.C. the game. Such was the case in United's 1-0 loss to Toronto FC on Wednesday night at BMO Field.

Devon McTavish was playing in his first game since April 17 after recovering from a foot sprain, and was in the lineup as a central defender rather than midfield in an attempt to beef up a back line that had allowed a league-worst 17 goals going into Wednesday's action.

It took just seven minutes for the maneuver to backfire for the Black-and-Red. In attempting a back pass to goalkeeper Zach Wells inside the penalty area, McTavish fumbled his attempt and turned the ball over to Toronto striker Danny Dichio. McTavish could only try and drag Dichio from behind, but the forward got just enough foot on the ball to send a slow-moving grounder inside the right post.

"When you're going through rough stretches, one mistake, or two mistakes tend to cost you and that was a bad mistake, you know, seven minutes in," said D.C. head coach Tom Soehn. "I thought we came out with a lot of energy, I thought we executed what we came to do today, but a mistake is hard to recover from."

Dichio's strike ended up being the only goal of the match, sending United to its fourth consecutive defeat and leaving McTavish left to ponder what could have been.

"It just got stuck on my foot, I don't know what happened," McTavish said. "I just mis-hit it and Dichio took advantage of it.

"I should've just got between him and the ball. ... When I went to kick it and I just lost my footing, then he got a step on me and it was pretty much over from there."

The worst part of the error for the third-year Virginia native was that it occurred so early in the match.

"The guys did a good job of picking me up but it's always in the back of your head," McTavish said. "You've just got to forget about it and move on. But it's tough when it happens so early. These things happen and it's a bad time for it to happen considering how much effort we [put in] and the way we approached this game and played this game."

It was a bitter defeat for United, especially given their past record of success against Toronto. D.C. had a 4-0 record and an 11-3 goal advantage in their previous four matches with TFC, including a 4-1 rout of the Reds last April 5 at RFK Stadium.

United recorded 11 shots on goal out of 18 total shots on that day, but Wednesday's match was a total reversal. D.C. had just 11 shots total, with only three on goal, and only one truly good scoring chance in the match.

In the 64th minute, Marcelo Gallardo found fellow midfielder Fred in front of the TFC net with a perfect crossing pass. Fred, who had returned to the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring strain, sent Gallardo's pass goalward with a close-range header, but TFC goalkeeper Greg Sutton was there to block the shot. Fred tried to collect the rebound, but Dichio was there to knock it away before Fred could get a foot on the ball.

"I meant to put it in and the 'keeper had a very quick reaction to it," Fred said. "I'm sad like everyone else for the outcome because it could've changed the game."

The loss drops United to 2-7-0 on the season and digs them deeper into last place in the Eastern Conference. With just six points collected almost a third of the way into the season, D.C. is in danger of having an insurmountable deficit to overcome in the competitive East. The Black-and-Red are now five points behind sixth place Kansas City, who have a game at hand on D.C.

The bright sides for United are that Fred and McTavish both reported no recurrences of their injuries after the game, aside from just some general fatigue due to match fitness. Also, McTavish's error aside, the back line did play better, holding Toronto FC to just two shots on goal and six shots overall.

The teams have a quick rematch on Saturday at RFK Stadium. Both of D.C.'s wins this season have come at home, and the Black-and-Red are hoping that the familiar surroundings can end their struggles.

"It's definitely a tough situation," Fred said. "It's embarrassing to me, but we've got to go back to work and right the ship. I've been through this before and I have the experience with it, but you never want to go through something like this."

Fire again find the magic at RFK

Chivas gets ‘Goofy’ for team photo

Chivas hope to use win as springboard

CARSON, Calif. -- Saturday's victory against D.C. United might have held within it a sign of things to come for Chivas USA.

One goal opened up the floodgates as the Red-and-White beat United 3-1. Now, the club hopes that one win will also have a similar effect on their upcoming matches.

"Now is an important time," Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan said. "We've moved a few points closer to first place and it's a time where if we win two or three games in a row we can put ourselves in first place just with how the Western Conference has been going so far. We've just got to play with confidence right now."

Confidence was something the club had been lacking. A 1-4-2 record had contributed to the decline in self-belief. Injuries and a sieve-like defense also played a role in the team's slow start.

But when the club finally found a bit of what brought the team success a year ago, everything seemingly clicked instantaneously.

"When the first goal came, I really felt that we could score a second or a third just with our momentum and that's what happened," Kljestan said. "Atiba (Harris) did well on all three goals. We caught some lucky bounces but give credit to him for fighting his butt off."

Against D.C. United, Chivas USA did well to turn the tide that had plagued the team this year. D.C. became the sixth team to score first against Chivas USA this season, but unlike the other five games, the Red-and-White finally came from behind to post a victory.

It was the first-ever such victory for the club, but perhaps more importantly it gave the club a possible glimpse into the future by taking a page out of the past.

"We've seen what we can do when we can move the ball," Kljestan said. "In the second half we moved the ball real well and kind of got back to the way Chivas plays. That was Chivas out there."

Now, the club will prepare for the Colorado Rapids. Whether or not Chivas USA can regain any of its injured players back for the match will be played out this week. Defenders Shavar Thomas and Claudio Suarez and forward Maykel Galindo appear the most capable to regain their health.

Still, regardless of who plays and who is not healthy enough to make the trip to Colorado, the groundwork for success has been laid out, though it was not exactly followed on Saturday.

"Our team to be successful, we need to play with leads. That's what we're good at," Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch said. "When we get a lead, we can start knocking the ball and opening the other team up, then we can get the second and the third goal and the whole bit. That part was good and it felt like our old team."

United hopes to shake road woes

Dynamo settle for draw with Chivas

Davis: Second step tougher

Individuals and teams continually confront a hard reality when it comes to getting past sticking points: maneuvering past the first step isn't easy, of course, but it's a piece of candy compared to what comes next.

Achieving the next level is even more troublesome and demanding.

Look at Robbie Rogers at Columbus. Look at how hard he's obviously worked to establish himself as a presence in MLS. Mission accomplished! Well done, young man!

Now, if you can kindly push the tempo even more, pour even greater effort and heart into future outings. Never mind the extra attention and kicks to the shin that you'll now receive from opposing defenders. And please ignore the significant undertow of heightened expectations. Sound OK? Thanks.

Rogers' five goals in eight matches have provided a huge boosts as Columbus, without a playoff appearance since 2004, is suddenly all that in MLS. But it's going to get tougher on the U.S. winger, who only last week reached his 21st birthday.

Last Saturday in Toronto, the fastest man of the BMO bunch, Marvel Wynne, made sure that Rogers had a quiet afternoon. With Toronto's right back concentrating on keeping Rogers in check, the teams played to a 0-0 draw.

The good news for Rogers: opposing defenses also have to worry about Crew teammates Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno. The bad news for Rogers: he'll soon be the target of ever more transfer speculation, which will test his ability to block out blaring distraction.

Ask Jozy Altidore about how tough that can be sometimes.

Some other sticking points and "next steps" around MLS:

• Real Salt Lake and Colorado have proven they can hold their own at home. But they'll have to reach deeper and be more confident on the road.

Jason Kreis' team has taken the first step to greater competitiveness by guarding the home grounds; RSL is unbeaten at Rice-Eccles this year with two wins and two draws and a plus-5 goal difference. Away from Utah, the side has lost all four and faces an ugly minus-8 goal difference.

Colorado has made its Commerce City home a little bit of a fortress early in 2008, allowing just two goals in posting a 3-1-0 mark. Fernando Clavijo's men haven't been as good away from Dick's Sporting Goods Park -- although there is evidence that they aren't far away from righting matters. The Rapids have been quite competitive in one-goal losses at Kansas City, Chicago and Houston.

• The LA Galaxy certainly aren't hurting for offense, with 19 goals in eight matches. At that pace (2.375 per outing) Ruud Gullit's men will land at about 71 goals -- which would mark the best MLS output since 1998.

On the other hand, the Galaxy must zip up that defense a little tighter. In Sunday's ambush in Frisco, a 5-1 Galaxy victory, FC Dallas missed numerous chances to get back in the match, threatening to make it another old-fashioned Texas shootout (like the 6-5 doozy in last year's SuperLiga).

But Gullit is advising fans and media to stop picking solely on his defenders. He agrees that the Galaxy has ample room for improvement, but says defensive betterment is needed front to back.

"I tell you, it's not all defense," he insisted with a smile, but in a tone that suggested he was losing in the battle to convince people. "It all starts before that. If teams have easy access, like the last goal against New York, where they have access all up the middle and can just run, what do you want from the defense?"

In that one, New York's Dane Richards was allowed to run about 50 yards with the ball before releasing it to Juan Pablo Angel, who rounded L.A. goalkeeper Steve Cronin and scored in the empty net.

"Then, the defenders have to make choices, and sometimes they make mistakes, but it's not their mistakes," Gullit said.

• Clearly, the next step in San Jose, where Frank Yallop's defense is increasingly leaky but still the side's better half, is scoring more goals. The Earthquakes are on pace to reach historic lows in offensive output.

Yallop's men are on pace to score about 17 this year, which would easily be the all-time low. Toronto FC currently holds the dubious mark, netting just 25 in its expansion campaign.

It won't be easy for Buck Shaw brigade. Ronnie O'Brien is arguably the top offensive talent. But he's a lifelong set-up man, always better at arranging goals for others than at scoring himself -- which is a little odd considering his ability to strike powerfully from distance. He has 13 MLS goals to go with 40 assists.

Also working against San Jose is this: Ramiro Corrales is toiling admirably as a central midfielder. But he's really a defender disguised as a linkman, and he doesn't provide much offensive punch going forward. Ned Grabavoy is the Earthquakes' attacking midfielder. But he's never quite figured out how to translate some of that smooth skill into match production; the U.S. midfielder has five goals and 12 assists in 77 career MLS contests.

• In the nation's capital Tom Soehn and Co. are searching desperately for answers, still trying to take the first next step, which is as obvious as a boot to the face: the 2007 Supporters' Shield winners need to get off the mat and start playing better. How far behind have they already drifted in the playoff chase?

In MLS, the magic number for points is right around 40. Climbing to the 40-point plateau gives a side a chance, at least, of stamping their postseason pass. United currently have six points from eight matches.

That means the Beetles (ya know ... they are sponsored by VW now) need about 34 points from the remaining 22 matches. Translation into Win-Loss-Tie language, that's something like 9-6-7 or 10-8-4. So, the men from D.C. are hardly out of it ... but they had better push the pedal and get that little VW Beetle moving fast.

TACTICAL CORNER:

Ruud Gullit is no slave to any one system. That's obvious.

He started his days in L.A. by aligning the Galaxy in the Dutch version of a 4-3-3. When that didn't fit, he adopted a more standard 4-4-2.

But he cooked up something a little special for the Galaxy's latest visit to Texas, where the tactics proved spot-on in Los Angeles' big win 5-1 Sunday against FC Dallas. (Road teams have won by four goal margins or more only 25 times in league history.)

The Galaxy used a hybrid formation, crossing the 4-3-3 with the 4-4-2 and coming out with something that obviously rocked Dallas.

Gullit was eager to get healthy-again Alvaro Pires back in the lineup, since Pires "holds" at holding midfielder better than L.A.'s other choices. So Gullit put Pires there, and then aligned Joe Franchino and Brandon McDonald in central roles in front of him.

David Beckham played on the right, as a midfielder/forward with latitude to go, well, pretty much anywhere. Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle were up front.

What does that leave? Uh, oh, yes ... the left!

Who was on the left?

That's just it. The Galaxy essentially played without a left-sided guy. Franchino was tasked with drifting left should the need arise. But Dallas had Andre Rocha as the right-sided presence in the Hoops' 3-4-3, and the young Brazilian is really out of place as an outside guy. So, he drifts inside frequently and rarely tries to exploit the wide areas and crossing channels.

Gullit recognized this and was thus able to get an extra man into the middle, essentially playing three central midfielders against Dallas' two.

On the right, Beckham's drifting and floating gave Dallas trouble immediately. FCD manager Steve Morrow had assigned young Anthony Wallace to essentially man-mark Beckham. When the England international went inside or remained in a more defensive position, it exposed a big gap on Dallas' left flank and forced FCD defenders to adjust quickly.

Yes. Beckham became a multi-million dollar decoy. And happily so, according to the man himself and his boss. The Galaxy scored five goals, and not one came officially from Beckham or Landon Donovan. (Although an own goal came off Donovan's cross/shot.)

"It was a tactical move that we had to do," Gullit said afterward. "And tactically, they [Dallas] played exactly the game that I expected from them. Sometimes, you are not in the headlines, but it is necessary to do these things to win. And also, they [Donovan and Beckham] are happy, because if you win like that, they are happy to do it. It's OK for somebody else to profit. That is good."

Buddle adds dimension to Galaxy

Galaxy looking for scoring balance

Buddle adds dimension to Galaxy

FRISCO, Texas -- After a tough 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls at The Home Depot Center last Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy went back to work. Sunday afternoon, all that work paid off as LA had four-goal edge by the 39-minute mark and strolled to a 5-1 victory against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park.

Edson Buddle led the visitors with a hat trick while L.A.'s other goals came from Chris Klein and an own goal from FCD defender Duilio Davino, who deflected a Landon Donovan cross past goalkeeper Dario Sala.

"I think that the team played excellent," Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit said. "The gameplan worked. The key for us was David (Beckham) going outside and we also got Alvaro (Pires) back, which was important. Putting them in the right positions made it very difficult for them to play their game. We could play our game and I think the first half was excellent. It boosted our confidence."

With Alan Gordon out with a hamstring injury, Buddle got the chance to return to the lineup and it was an opportunity that he took advantage of. Coming into the game, while the Galaxy led the league with 14 goals scored, just three players had contributed to that total: Donovan (eight), Beckham and Alan Gordon (three each)

"Edson did really well for us today and it was great for us," Gullit said. "Many people think that only David and Landon can score for us. But last week, it was Gordon and today it was Edson. That means that we have various players now who can score goals and that's good."

Gullit rolled out a modified formation that looked more like a 4-5-1, a free-flowing setup that gave Beckham and Donovan a great deal of freedom. The tactical switch gave the Hoops a great deal of trouble all day.

"He (Beckham) had a lot of freedom and played more on top," Gullit said. "I think that worked very well because they didn't know what to do with him. He did a lot of sneaking in behind the fullbacks. That creates problems for the opposition, so we tried to do things that would make his game better than before. We worked hard on that in training and I think today was a good exhibition of that."

In the 75th minute, Beckham was tackled hard by FCD defender Adrian Serioux, who was summarily sent off by referee Baldomero Toledo. After the infraction, Beckham rose to his feet and gave Serioux a shove.

"No, (it wasn't an overreaction on my part) because it was a terrible tackle," Beckham said. "I could've broken my leg. I think that was a bad tackle personally. He told me, 'Welcome baby, welcome.' These tackles happen in soccer and we don't want them in soccer but this is a man's game. You have to get up, play on and get on with the game. We did after that."

After starting his first two games of the season, Buddle started for a third consecutive week in the 2-2 draw against Real Salt Lake. But a hamstring injury forced him off the field after just 12 minutes, which kept him out of last weekend's loss to New York. He returned to the team with a vengeance.

"Today, we were able to find each other early and move the ball well," he said. "We played a little bit differently today as far as our formation. We used that very well today and want to continue that on the road, which is tough. They just wanted me to stay busy, active and in motion. If I did that, they told me that the ball would always seem to find me."

Gullit was also pleased with how well his team defended as a whole. Coming into the week's matches, the Galaxy had allowed 15 goals, tied with Chivas USA for the most in the league through seven weeks.

"You start defending up front," he said. "If you make mistakes up front and don't track back, then you will give up goals. I think it was a better overall performance from the team to defend and was a compliment to the team. They worked very hard but it all starts up front. We forced them to make mistakes and when we had the ball, we had the composure."

With the win, the Galaxy now move into second place in the Western Conference with 11 points, just one behind first-place Colorado. The loss dropped FC Dallas from second to fourth place in the table with nine points, one behind the Houston Dynamo.

"I think it was an important game for us, especially after we lost the last one at home," Beckham said. "We came into this game refreshed and ready for it. We organized all week and prepared all week for this game because we knew how good they were and how they played.

"I think we started off well. In the first half especially, we played some good football and kept the ball well. The two saves from Steve Cronin just before we scored our goal were very important because we've had games where we've played well but haven't been able to get a goal. So, it was important that we kept a clean sheet and then we broke away for the goal. Overall, it was a good game for us."

Galaxy looking for scoring balance

Galaxy attack explodes in rout of FCD

Despite easy win, Nicol not pleased

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- On a night where his team couldn't have looked more comfortable if each starter had a recliner to rest on during the game, New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol wasn't pleased after his team's 2-0 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes.

"I thought in the second half, as good as we were the first half, I thought we were as bad the second half," Nicol said.

Of course, his team had done just about everything that it needed to do in the first half. Kheli Dube scored his first MLS goal in his first MLS start and former Revolution defender James Riley headed past Cannon to give the Revs a 2-0 lead at halftime.

"Shalrie didn't get a good touch on the ball, so it just happened that it just came to me," Dube said of his inaugural marker. "I had to make sure to finish it."

The Revs were dominant in the first half, spraying balls around the field and pinning San Jose back inside its own half. But the team wanted a third goal to try to seal the contest.

"We were talking about it at halftime," Parkhurst said. "That third goal is extremely important; if they got it, we would have gone down 2-1, and it's a whole new game. We were really trying to get that third goal in. We weren't sitting back and we wanted to score some goals for our fans and continue to play well."

Nicol didn't think his side came out as well in the second half as San Jose tried to push forward in search of a goal to get back into the game. Yet the Revolution defense didn't yield any shots on goal, even though Ramiro Corrales rang the crossbar just before the match headed into stoppage time.

Parkhurst said the midfield did a good job of closing down the Quakes midfielders, breaking down attacks before they reached the Revolution penalty area.

"The guys in front of us did a good job of protecting us and cutting down passes and really dominating the midfield and making our life a lot easier in the back," Parkhurst said.

Even though the team didn't get the goal it wanted in the second half, Dube said the team can take some momentum from the easy win.

"The good thing was that everybody kept on working hard," Dube said. "Even if things weren't coming our way, we kept on working hard and didn't concede a goal which is good for the team. It's just going to help us go into the next game with our heads high."

Revs searching for consistency

Revs’ early offense dooms Quakes