Houston Dynamo 0 - 1 Chicago Fire

The Chicago Fire picked up their second win of the year as they begin the season with a nine-match road trip. The victory also extends the Fire’s six match unbeaten streak.

Thiago was the lone goal scorer, but the offensive minded midfielder also contributed on the defensive side of the ball to preserve the clean sheet for Chicago. Minutes after blocking a Brad Davis shot, Thiago nutmegged Eddie Robinson on a thirty yard run that finished with a shot from just outside the penalty area, beating an outstretched Pat Onstad.

A furious offensive finish almost evened the match for Houston. In the 89th minute, Alejandro Moreno appeared to score for the Dynamo, but as his shot crossed the goal line referee Hilario Grajeda whistled him for a foul on Leonard Griffin. In the fourth minute of stoppage time Kelly Gray snapped a header that banged the cross bar. The rebound made its way to defender Eddie Robinson, but his cross rolled harmlessly through the six yard box and was easily cleared.

The first half saw each team use set pieces to generate scoring chances. Dynamo midfielder Davis first sent a free kick deep into Chicago’s penalty Area, but defender Craig Waibel could not turn his header on frame. A corner kick six minutes later found Robinson, but the North Carolina product put a shot over the crossbar from four yards out. Chicago’s best chance of the opening half came just before the half hour mark when Diego Gutierrez lofted a free kick into the box that found the head of Nate Jaqua who flicked it on net, forcing a diving save from Pat Onstad.

Columbus Crew 1, D.C. United 1

The Columbus Crew weathered a storm by the visiting D.C. United who had plenty of chances, but who could not find their final touch. The two goals in the match came in a six minute span in the first half. The Crew struck first when Ezra Hendrickson sent a long pass down the right wing and striker Joseph Ngwenya, playing in only his second match for the Black & Gold, outraced an onrushing Troy Perkins to the ball and deftly chipped the goalkeeper from a sharp angle. United quickly answered as an offensive flurry ended with Freddy Adu’s driven shot saved by Jon Busch, but the netminder could not hold on to the rebound and Christian Gomez easily scored his third goal of the year. United pressed for a go-ahead goal in the second half but could only score the one goal on their seventeen shots. The Crew, who have suffered numerous injuries this season, lost Busch ten minutes from time as he slipped coming out to catch a United corner kick. Andy Gruenebaum made his MLS debut, but was not forced to make a save.

Red Bull New York 5, Chivas USA 4

For the second consecutive season Red Bull New York and Chivas USA delighted fans with a high scoring affair at the Meadowlands, this time ending in Red Bull’s first win of the season. The home side’s attack equaled scoring in their first six matches as their offense opened up with the mercurial Amado Guevara watching from the stands as he served a club-imposed one game suspension. All five goals by the home team were scored by just two players as Jen Philippe Peguero tallied a hat trick and Seth Stammler scored his first two career goals. Chivas, who found themselves down 2-0 on a pair of Peguero goals before halftime, conceded Stammler’s first before they could answer with goals by Ante Razov and Paco Palencia five minutes apart. Stammler’s second came in the 69th minute as he headed home a Youri Djorkaeff free kick. The two clubs alternated goals down the stretch as Chivas twice pulled back within one goal on Razov’s and Palencia’s second goals of the night, but Peguero’s final goal in the 89th minute capped the win for New York. Jon Conway started for the second consecutive match for an injured Tony Meola.

FC Dallas 4, New England Revolution 0

The New England Revolution came out on top the last four times these two met, but FC Dallas put an end to that streak quick at Pizza Hut Park. The Hoops set an MLS record by scoring four goals in the first 19 minutes of play putting the match out of reach early for the Revs. Kenny Cooper got the scoring started in the fourth minute heading a Chris Gbandi pass in from the top of the penalty box. Then Carlos Ruiz took over, scoring in the seventh and sixteenth, and then assisting on a Ramon Nunez strike in the nineteenth. Ruiz’s first goal came on a volley from 40 yards out on a pass from Simo Valakari, while his second came seven minutes later on a rebound in front of the net. In the 19th minute Ruiz then registered his third assist of the season, finding Nunez at the penalty spot to cap off the scoring. The win keeps the Hoops atop of MLS, while the loss snaps the Revs two game winning streak.

Real Salt Lake 2, Kansas City Wizards 1

After going winless for 18 straight, Real Salt Lake has started a new streak, winning their second consecutive by defeating the Kansas City Wizards 2-1. Kansas City took the lead in the 21st minute on a counterattack when Davy Arnaud found Ryan Pore in front of the net. The Wizards held the lead for much of the game, but RSL tallied two goals in the final 15 minutes for the win. In the 78th minute rookie midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy knotted the score scoring his first MLS goal. Ballouchy found the back of the net from the top of the box after receiving a Chris Klein cross from the right side of the pitch. After scoring two of the bench a week ago, Jeff Cunningham proved once again that he’s the league’s most dangerous sub. Two minutes after Ballouchy’s strike, Cunningham registered the match-winner, beating goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi inside the left post on a sharp-angled shot from the endline. The win is Salt Lake’s first home win of the season, while the loss is the Wizard’s second straight since losing three players to the U.S. National for the World Cup.

Los Angeles Galaxy 0, Colorado Rapids 1

The losing continues for the Los Angeles Galaxy, as the defending champions lost their fourth straight on rookie Jacob Peterson’s first MLS goal in the 14th minute. An Eric Denton through ball found Peterson, who held off two Galaxy defenders and beat L.A. goalkeeper Steven Cronin to the far post. The Rapids defense held L.A. to a lone shot on goal in the first half, but that would all change in the second half as the offense opened up for Steve Sampson’s squad with the addition of forward Herculez Gomez. The Gals registered 15 shots in the second half, as ‘Pids ‘keeper Bouna Coundoul was peppered by Gomez and newly acquired teammates Kyle Martino and John Wolyniec. In the end Coundoul and Colorado were too much for Los Angeles, as their scoreless steak extended to an MLS record 390 minutes. The shutout is Colorado’s first of the season, while Los Angeles has yet to win a “home match” this season, despite defeating Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center earlier this season.

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