Courtesy of MLSSoccer.com

Major League Soccer

Andrew Jacobson (FC Dallas) – midweek, Jacobson grabbed his second assist of the season, supplying Brek Shea with the gamewinner over the Seattle Sounders; Jacobson then registered his first goal with Dallas, the first of a wild 2-2 tie with the Houston Dynamo; after a shot from Fabian Castillo clanked off the crossbar, Jacobson had the presence of mind to head the rebound back on net, opening the scoring

Chris Seitz (FC Dallas) – Seitz dressed but did not play in the Hoops’ 1-0 win over Seattle or their weekend 2-2 tie with Houston, started and played all 90 minutes for the Reserves in their 3-2 victory over Houston’s reserves on Sunday

Shavar Thomas (Sporting Kansas City) – did not dress in Kansas City’s 1-1 tie with the Colorado Rapids, also didn’t play in the Kansas City reserve squad’s 1-1 tie with Colorado on Sunday; Thomas has been called up for Jamaica’s 2011 Gold Cup campaign (June 5 to June 25th)

Brian Perk (Los Angeles) – did not dress for Los Angeles’ 1-0 win over the New England Revolution or their midweek shutout of the Houston Dynamo

Shea Salinas (Vancouver) – there is turmoil in Vancouver as head coach Teitur Thordarson has been replaced even before the season’s half-way point; Salinas started and played 67 minutes in a 1-1 tie with the New York Red Bulls in Vancouver

Fred (DC United) – Fred was a late game substitute for United as they held off Portland to become the first away team to win at JELD-WEN Field

Alejandro Moreno (Chivas USA) – started and played 79 minutes in a dramatic 3-3 back and forth against Columbus; reported afterwards for international duty with Venezuela and could miss up to 10 Major League Soccer games over the span of the next six weeks; the club is in negotiations to keep him around for as many games as possible

NASL

Eduardo Coudet (Fort Lauderdale) – Chacho was the most dangerous player on the field for the Strikers but even with multiple opportunities, Fort Lauderdale had to settle for a 0-0 draw with the Montreal Impact

Cristian Arrieta (Fort Lauderdale) – started in defense for Fort Lauderdale as they tied the Montreal Impact 0-0

Toni Stahl (Fort Lauderdale) – started in midfield for the Strikers as they fought to 0-0 with MLS-bound Montreal

Brad Knighton (Carolina) – Knighton registered another shutout as the Railhawks beat the Atlanta Silverbacks 2-0 at home; it is their record 5th consecutive win as they move to 7-1-1 on the year; Knighton has only let up 8 goals in 9 games so far this season

Nick Zimmerman (Carolina) – started and played all 90 minutes as Carolina left it until late to take the three points from Atlanta; Zimmerman is turning out to be a great complement to both Pablo Campos and Etienne Barbara up front, the Railhawks are now unbeaten in their last 8 games

USL PRO

JT Noone (Harrisburg) – Noone started and worked 78 minutes in a 2-1 loss to the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium; the City Islanders are still searching for decent results since Noone’s signing in early May; they’ll get their chance tonight when they face Pittsburgh at 7:00PM at home

Abroad

Dave Myrie (Limon FC) – Myrie’s contract with his hometown team is up and it is rumored that he is looking for a new club; Limon FC, however, has come out and said that they hope to re-sign the fullback, hopefully before he gets his chance in the Copa America; Myrie did not make the cut for the Gold Cup roster (their ‘A’ team)

Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis FC) – still no word on Orozco Fiscal; nothing to be found anywhere (if you have something, let us know!)

In front of a home crowd of over 21,ooo people, the New England Revolution fell 0-1 to the league leading LA Galaxy.

The Galaxy scored on MiguelLopez’s flick on of a free kick from David Beckham in the 69th minute. It was Beckham’s 7th assist of the season, and the Argentinian’s first goal in MLS.

The Revolution, still without the services of Marko Perovic and Ousmane Dabo, started the match in the exact same formation they fielded in the 2-1 loss to San Jose a week ago. Benny Feilhaber and Shalrie Joseph featured in the middle of the field, supported once again by rookie Stephen McCarthy, and flanked by Zak Boggs and Chris Tierney. On the backline, Ryan Cochrane and AJ Soares resumed their partnership in the center, and Kevin Alston and Darrius Barnes took their places on the right and left. Rajko Lekic was the sole striker, with Matt Reis rounding out the roster in goal.

The Galaxy were coming off a midweek game against Houston, and were without the services of Juan Pablo Angel, who did not travel with the team. However, Bruce Arena was able to field the majority of the same team with out much impact to the line-up. Miguel Lopez and Chad Barrett got the start at top, with Landon Donovan, Juninho, Mike Magee and David Beckham in the midfield. Donovan Ricketts, who is heading off to the Gold Cup with the Jamaican National Team, was in his usual place between the goalposts, with his regular starting defensive team of Franklin, DeLaGarza, Gonzalez and Dunivant.

The Revs got off to a good start with an early break away from Feilhaber up the left flank, and did well to play a looping ball into Zak Boggs, but his effort was wasted as the ball sailed high over the ball. Minutes later Boggs did well to evade the defenders in the box and played an almost perfect through pass to Rajko Lekic, but the Danish striker could not catch up to the ball. Feilhaber too, found space in the middle of the field in the 11th minute, but his shot went wide.

In the 16th minute, Lekic collided with Ricketts at the top of the box, and it looked for a moment that the goalkeeper may have been seriously injured as he fell to the ground. However, after a short break, Ricketts was back on his feet, with a slight limp, and was fortunate that Lekic’s next attempt was high over the bar.

The Revs defense also played very well, with Darrius Barnes thwarting David Beckham’s early set piece by heading the ball out of play, and then clearing away the ensuing corner. Ryan Cochrane however took an elbow to the head and was down for several minutes before play resumed. He returned to the field but was not quite himself as the Galaxy began to pressure a bit more in the final fifteen minutes of the half.

In the 24th minute, Chad Barrett managed to get around Cochrane to strike the Galaxy’s first shot on goal, but it was well saved by Reis, who managed to parry the ball over the line. On the ensuing corner kick, Omar Gonzales headed the ball off the cross bar and it bounced straight down, and eventually out of play. With the Galaxy claiming the ball went over the line for a goal, Assistant Referee Jeff Hosking was quick to deny the visitors on their plea, and rightly so.

The rest of the first half finished with the Galaxy having a flurry of set piece attempts, 4 of them corner kicks. Landon Donovan did well to get his head on the end of a cross in the 42nd minute, but his attempt went wide and the half came to an end all square at 0 – 0.

The second half saw Ryan Cochrane substituted off in favor of Franco Coria, and the Revs came out quickly on the attack. Chris Tierney had a free kick that almost found Coria on the far post in the 47th minute, but the service was long and wide. Minutes later, Zak Boggs and Rajko Lekic combined for a little combination that threatened inside the box, but Lekic’s return pass was a bit too much for Boggs and could not connect for what would have been an uncontested shot on goal.

Lekic would eventually register the Revs first shot on goal, when he got on to the end of a free kick from Tierney in the 53rd minute. Lekic did well to direct the ball on frame, but Ricketts was positioned perfectly to catch the ball.

Despite some strong possession from the Revolution, the Galaxy managed to muster number of attempts to test the Revolution defense. Efforts from Juninho and Donovan in the 54th and 58th minutes were both too high, and another attempt from Juninho was deflected over the line for another Galaxy corner. The Galaxy would finally break through the dead lock in the 69th minute, with a brilliant flick on header from Miguel Lopez, who did well to turn Beckham’s long range service into the box just inside the far post.

The Revolution, having already subbed off Zak Boggs in favor of Sainey Nyassi in the 67th minute, looked to add a spark to the offense by taking off defensive midifelder Stephen McCarthy and bring on forward Zack Schilawski in the 74th minute with their final substitution. It wasn’t until stoppage time however when the Revs that the Revs attack finally woke up.

The Revolution had to finish the game with 10 men as Benny Feilhaber left the game in the 89th minute with a severe ankle injury. But that didn’t stop the Revs from trying to equalize. In the final five minutes of extra time, the most exciting part of the match, the Revolution had a flurry of attempts that just could not find their way over the net.

In the 92nd minute Kevin Alston lobbed a ball into the box toward Lekic, bringing Ricketts off his line. Ricketts managed to stop Lekic from getting to the ball, but palmed it right to Schilaswki, whose shot was saved off the line by DeLaGarza. The ball was gathered by Nyassi on the right flank who delivered a decent cross into the box to find Schilawki again. Schilawski did well to meet the ball and deliver it on the underside of the cross bar, but not over the line. Shalrie Joseph was right there to head the ball in, but the ball appeared to be blocked and eventually cleared away by Landon Donovan. This time it was the Revs whose appeals for a goal were denied by Jeff Hosking, the Assistant Referee, as they were sure Shalrie’s header was over the line. But the replay shows that the Linesman had made the correct call.

One final attempt was all the Revs could muster, but it would not be their night as the final whistle blew, giving the visitors their third consecutive win.

“It was definitely frustrating to come away losing one-nil,” said Revolution Coach Steve Nicol. “One slip and we lose the game. Frustrating is definitely the word.”

“We have a real solid team,” Nicol said. “I don’t think there’s too much between the teams, to be honest, but they won. We’re just a little bit away. But it’s no good being a little bit away and losing games. We need to pick up points… We always think we’ll give anyone a game – home or away. We’re never going to roll over for anybody. But we just need to get that wee bit extra that’s missing and put it right.”

The Revolution will next face FC Dallas, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas on Saturday June 4th and then face the NY Red Bulls on Friday June 10th. The next home game for the Revs will be on Wednesday June 15th, when they host Toronto FC.

Scoring Summary:
LA – Miguel Lopez (David Beckham) 69

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Darrius Barnes, A.J. Soares, Ryan Cochrane (Franco Coria 46), Kevin Alston, Chris Tierney, Benny Feilhaber, Shalrie Joseph ©, Stephen McCarthy (Zack Schilawski 74), Zak Boggs (Sainey Nyassi 67), Rajko Lekic

Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Didier Domi, Alan Koger, Pat Phelan

STATS*: Shots: 11; Shots on Goal: 4; Saves: 5; Corner Kicks: 0; Offside: 2; Fouls Committed: 16

LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts, Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Sean Franklin, Mike Magee (Chris Birchall 72), David Beckham (Michael Stephens 79), Juninho, Landon Donovan ©, Chad Barrett (Paolo Cardozo 62), Miguel Lopez

Substitutes Not Used: Josh Saunders, Gregg Berhalter, Frankie Hejduk, Bryan Jordan

STATS*: Shots: 15; Shots on Goal: 6; Saves: 3; Corner Kicks: 10; Offside: 1; Fouls Committed: 11

* Note that all statistics are unofficial

Misconduct Summary:
LA – David Beckham (caution) 67

Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Assistant Referees: James Conlee, Jeff Hosking
Fourth Official: John McCloskey
Weather: Clear, 75 degrees
Attendance: 21,793

Records:
New England: 3-5-4, 13 pts.
LA Galaxy: 8-2-5, 29 pts.

After the game Wednesday against Vancouver Whitecaps getting called off due to weather, TFC remained at home to take on Philadelphia Union.

The starting line up saw a few changes from the midweek Canadian Championship game. 
Keeper: Stefan Frei.
Defenders: Richard Eckersley, Dicoy Williams, Ty Harden, Dan Gargan.
Midfielders: Tony Tchani, Julian De Guzman, Mikael Yourassowsky.
Forwards: Nick Soolsma, Maicon Santos, Joao Plata.

This is a very tough game to talk about, it was a very horrible performance by Toronto FC.

In the first half TFC looked like they didn’t show up or were depending on mother nature to save them once again after falling down 2-0 after just 10 minutes and 3-0 by the half.

Second half changes provided a spark, with Javier Martina and Danleigh Borman coming on for Julian De Guzman and Dan Gargan. Danleigh Borman was what TFC needed  from the start of the game as he provided something that Dan Gargan did not provide at the left back position. With that in mind TFC was able to get themselves back in the game with Maicon Santos scoring a brace to make it 3-2.

Shortly after Maicon Santos’ second goal the Union scored another and that was when TFC fell apart letting in 2 more for a final score of 6-2.

It was a historical day with TFC suffering their worst loss at home and conceding the highest number of goals against in their history. Even Real Madrid didn’t score this many times against Toronto.

Luckily TFC has no midweek game and are staying at home next week, this will give them time to regroup and hopefully improve their performances.  On the negative side several players will be leaving for international call-ups which may have TFC short handed. Plata will be with Ecuador for their game against Canada on June 1st and against Greece June 7th. Julian De Guzman and Dicoy Williams have been called up by Canada and Jamaica respectively for the Gold Cup (June 5th – 25th) and are expected to be reporting to their teams this week. Therefore, TFC will likely be without Plata, De Guzman and Dicoy for some of their upcoming games.

On a side note, the TFC reserves tied the Philadelphia Union reserves 0-0.

Toronto will face  Sporting Kansas at BMO Field on Saturday June 4th.

Ratings for players from 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked by position:

Toronto FC
Stefan Frei: 5
Not one of Frei’s best performances and maybe even his worst. Could he be to blame for all of the goals… no! Should all the work be put on him… no! But his performance was not the greatest, a bad clearance resulted in an easy goal in addition he almost let in what would have been the most embarrassing goal. All in all a bad performance but the defenders need to help him out.

Richard Eckersley : 7.5
Did well and may have been the best player on the field for TFC both defensively and offensively. The player with the most heart on the team on this day.

Ty Harden: 4
Should have been substituted way earlier in the game .Without Attakora or Cann on his side he is too much of a gamble .

Dicoy Williams: 5
Too much responsibly for him, the pair of Harden and Williams is not one that should exist.

Dan Gargan: 4
Another disappointing performance, was at fault for one or more of the goals in the first half.

Mikael Yourassowsky: 7
Did well overall, the effort and heart he puts into the game is what each player should be doing.

Tony Tchani: 5
Not his best performance, did not complete his passes and lost the ball too easily.

Julian  De Guzman: 5
DP? Not for much longer! With performances like this, TFC is lucky to have him be gone with the National team for a while. Lost the ball way too easily and was doing unnecessary things when he had the ball.

Nick Soolsma: 5.5
Has his moments and tries very hard but he is too slow.

Maicon Santos: 6.5
Did what he could in the second half for the team scoring a brace, but it was not his best performance overall.

Joao Plata: 6
Has his moments in the game and needs to be more consistent overall, but TFC shouldn’t be depending on him so much.

Subs Used:
Javier Martina: 6
Came on in the second half and provided something different but once Philadelphia figured his positioning out he was silent.

Danleigh Borman: 7
Provided the spark TFC needed from the start and contributed well in the second half.

Alen Stevanovic: N/A
Was only on for a short period of time and it was too late for him to make an impact..

Toronto FC have started another season in disappointing fashion but the fact remains, they’re serviceable at home. Add that to the fact that the Union are subpar away and Saturday’s match-up should be an interesting one. Carlos Ruiz will look to have maximum impact as he is set to report for international duty with Guatemala right after the game. Toronto, still trying to find an answer for the loss of former talisman Dwayne De Rosario, hopes the impressive Joao Plata can grow into that role.

Philadelphia Union (5-3-2) at Toronto FC (2-4-6)
Saturday, May 28th, 12:30 PM EST, Comcast SportsNet
BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Philadelphia Projected Starters

———————————–Mondragon——————————————-

Williams————–Califf———————–Valdes———————-Harvey

————————Carroll——————–Nakazawa—————————-

Mapp—————————————————————————M.Farfan

————————-C. Ruiz——————Le Toux——————————

OUT: GK Thorne Holder (concussion); MF Amobi Okugo (L ankle sprain); MF Zach Pfeffer (appendectomy); QUESTIONABLE: MF Stefani Miglioranzi (R groin strain)

Toronto FC Projected Starters

————————————–S. Frei————————————————

Eckersley———–D. Williams——————Cann————————-Gargan

————————–Sturgis—————-Yourassowsky————————–

————————————Stevanovic———————————————

Martina——————————————————————————-Plata

————————————-M. Santos———————————————-

OUT: MF Elbekay Bouchiba (R knee surgery recovery); MF Jacob Peterson (L hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: FW Alan Gordon (adductor strain); Gianluca Zavarise (adductor strain); MF Toni Tchani (R hamstring)

Game Notes:

The Reds are coming off a fair result in Colorado, a 0-0 draw. They were scheduled to play the 2nd leg of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship against Vancouver this past Wednesday but poor weather conditions kept it from happening. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Vancouver was leading 1-0 up until the 63rd minute when the game was abandoned. Rules apparently state that the game had to be played in its’ entirety to be official. Bad for the Whitecaps, good for Toronto FC. It has since been rescheduled for July 2nd.

There will be one lingering concern from Toronto FC’s almost loss to Vancouver on Wednesday. BMO Field has been pretty much under water since then and there’s no telling what the field will be like mid-day Saturday. The good news is that the Union have one water-logged game under their belts, a tie with Seattle in the pouring rain. The pursuit of three points ruined in the waning moments.

The Union have only managed one goal on the road so far this season and the Reds average a little over one goal conceded a game at home. At BMO Field, the Reds defense is formidable and the Union, especially with Ruiz in the lineup before reporting for international duty, will have to buck that trend. Toronto, overall, have been shutout five times this season (out of 12 games). Not the prettiest of stats.  

The 2011 offseason was incredibly busy for Toronto FC management and there are very few players remaining with the Reds that played a part in the 2010 season. So far this season, the turnover has yet to pay off but there have been a couple signs of life here and there. Their revelation has been the diminutive Joao Plata, a 5’3″ Ecuadorian attacker taken in the 2011 SuperDraft. A winger for the most part, Plata and former Ajax product Javier Martina have been pretty potent on the wings. Sheanon Williams and Jordan Harvey will have their hands full but they should have enough speed and composure to deal with them.

It was Dwayne De Rosario who sunk the Union last time around at BMO Field. Toronto FC came away with the 2-1 win despite an improved away performance from Philadelphia. The Union paid them back, winning at home on a last gasp Sebastien Le Toux goal in July. Both players who had an impact against the Union last season, DeRo and Chad Barrett (now with LA), have moved on.

The Union are hoping they can pull a DC United in Toronto. Charlie Davies and Chris Pontius came into BMO Field a little over a month ago and led United to a convincing 3-0 win over the Reds. Since then, however, Toronto has rebounded well, going 1-0-2 at home. The defense should be able to keep a big guy like Maicon Santos in check, as they’ve done well all season limiting target men. It’s Joao Plata and Martina that they need to worry about. On the offensive side of things, it’s a small field like in Portland and finding a way to move down the pitch without the aid of ample room on the wings will be tough.

The Union sit tied at the top in the Eastern Conference, now with a game in hand thanks to another New York tie. Toronto lie in 7th place, above Chicago and Sporting Kansas City, with 12 games played to their 10 and 8 respectively.

Tidbits:

The Union front office will take on The River End residents, the Sons of Ben, in the first ever River Cup match-up to be held at PPL Park.

A great in-depth scouting report of Toronto FC from PhiladelphiaUnion.com.

The Union striker corps could have a veteran addition by the week’s end. Vejko Paunovic, a journeyman, should be that addition. He’s older (33), has a pretty impressive resume (Getafe, Atletico Madrid, and Tenerife among others), but hasn’t played in over two years. Depth and knowledge is the main concern here and if he doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, he should do more good than bad.

Saturday night marks the return fixture between the Los Angeles Galaxy (7-2-5, 26pts) and New England Revolution (3-4-4, 13pts) as the Galaxy head east and travel to Gillette Stadium. The Revolution have found themselves in another rough patch, coming off a league loss out in San Jose last weekend, followed up by a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Sporting KC in the U.S. Open Cup at mid-week, and will look to build upon the 1-1 draw they secured in L.A. on opening night against the Galaxy. Los Angeles comes into town with the best record in MLS after a mid-week victory over Houston, and continue to perform well in spite of a few absences and injuries and will certainly prove to be a very tough test for a struggling New England side.

GOALKEEPERS: Los Angeles has one of the best goalkeepers in the league in Donovan Ricketts, whose recently play certainly has lived up to his pedigree. With Ricketts in net, the Galaxy are a very tough side to score on, and with Ricketts’ imposing size and quickness, he can be lights out on any given night.  Matt Reis has begun to show signs of decline in recent weeks, and has found it difficult to stay healthy. Reis doesn’t appear on the injury report this weekend, so expect to see the veteran in net for the Revolution on Saturday night in this important fixture, and if New England is to secure a result at home, Reis must come up big and cannot be caught cheating on set pieces. ADVANTAGE: Galaxy. Ricketts is one of, if not THE best keeper in MLS right now.

DEFENDERS: After a solid start to the season, and several solid defensive performances, New England has stumbled a bit but still remain steadfast and stingy at the back. Before giving up two goals to San Jose, the Revs posted two shutouts over Colorado and Vancouver, showing signs that not only are they getting healthy, but they’re beginning to blend together and build good chemistry. Didier Domi is expected back, so the back four should consist of Domi, Soares, Cochrane and Alston, and those four defenders have performed well when together on the field, which should encourage Revs fans going into Saturday night. Los Angeles has not conceded more than one goal in their last five matches, and boast a tough group of veteran defenders led by Todd Dunivant and Sean Franklin. All four defenders are strong at the back and will impose their will at any cost, but if they possess it’s a weakness, it’s on set-pieces, where New England took advantage on opening night. Look for New England to be aggressive and go right at this back four to try and pressure them into a mistake. ADVANTAGE: Push. New England is healthy again and playing at home, evening the score.

MIDFIELDERS: Los Angeles’ midfield contains three of the most recognizable names and faces in MLS: Beckham, Donovan, and Juninho. Easily the best pedigree of any midfield in MLS, chock full of talent and creativity, and the ability to score at will on set pieces make this a very tough group to overcome. New England will have to counter with their stronger, more physical midfield led by Shalrie Joseph, and impose a much more physical style of play to win the midfield battle. Joseph and newcomer Benny Feilhaber have shown signs of chemistry being built, and if there ever were a night to get it all right it would be Saturday. The best way to defeat the Galaxy midfield is to slow the match down and impose a physical style of play to knock them off their strides, and that is exactly what to expect from Steve Nicol’s men in this match. ADVANTAGE: Los Angeles. It’s the best midfield in MLS, and they’ve played together for several seasons.

FORWARDS: New England continues to struggle to create chances of quality in the final third, and it’s beginning to take a toll on striker Rajko Lekic. The Danish forward has shown several outbursts of frustration of late, and if this offensive drought is to come to an end, it’s going to come from him. The Revs need to provide better service to their men up front, and until that happens it is going to be quite difficult to see results from this club. Los Angeles will counter with Chad Barret and Juan Pablo Angel, who have created a good rapport together and pose a big threat to defenses all over the league. Barrett is the more physical of the two, with JPA the more finesse styled striker. If New England are going to get a result, they’ve got to shut down this duo on set pieces. With the likes of Beckham and Donovan providing service, it’s going to take a very stout effort from the Revs’ defense to keep them out of the net. ADVANTAGE: Los Angeles.

PREDICTION: It sounds like a broken record, but until New England can provide better service to their target strikers and create better quality chances, it’s tough to see them taking points from matches against higher quality opponents. Los Angeles is coming off a mid-week fixture, and flying cross country, but there’s too much quality in their lineup to overlook. SCORE: LOS ANGELES 2 – NEW ENGLAND 0

Sometimes, it not how you win, it’s just the fact that you win.

That’s what the Los Angeles Galaxy delivered on Wednesday night; a win. Not too many fancy moments, just gritty defense good enough to make a one – goal lead stick, as Landon Donovan’s penalty strike just before halftime was all the Galaxy needed to hold off the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at the Home Depot Center.

“It was a difficult match,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “Our backline played well. Overall, it was a pretty good night.”

The goal is Donovan’s league-leading eighth of the season, his third from the penalty spot and the three points gives Los Angeles (7-2-5, 26 points) a five-point cushion between them and FC Dallas for first place in the Western Conference. The Galaxy defense was stellar yet again, recording consecutive shutouts for the first time this season while holding the Dynamo (3-4-5, 14 points) to seven shots, just one on goal.

“It’s clicking right now,” Galaxy defender Sean Franklin said regarding the team’s defense. “The whole team is playing well defensively.”

The first half featured very little action from either side. Houston’s best shot at finding the back net was in the 29th minute, when Geoff Cameron sent a screamer from 27 yards that sailed over the crossbar, though he didn’t miss by much. LA’s best shot at goal came in the 40th minute when Birchall, after racing past Corey Ashe inside the 18 crossed low for Landon Donovan in the six and only a last minute intervention by Andre Hainault prevented Donovan from a point-blank open netter.

Finally, just before halftime, the Galaxy got the break it needed in the 45th minute. It occurred when Lovel Palmer was whistled for a hand ball inside the penalty area. The Galaxy were awarded the penalty and Donovan did what he does best, beating Tally Hall to the right post for his league-leading eighth goal of the season.

The second half resembled more of the first half, with neither team getting many looks on goal. The closest the Galaxy game to adding a second tally came in the 75th minute when Mike Magee sent a screamer just outside the box, only to see it veer off to the far post while the closest Houston came to an equalizer came seven minutes after Magee’s attempt, when Geoff Cameron crossed a ball into the box that was initially deflected by Todd Dunivant. The ball went forward with Mike Chabala giving chase, but Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts just beat him to the ball.

“I like these nights,” Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts said. “Easy work, easy money.”

The Galaxy will hardly have any time to savor their victory, as they travel cross-country to New England to face the Revolution on Saturday. Los Angeles is expected to have David Beckham back for the match. The Dynamo also have very short time to rest, as they return home to host archrival FC Dallas, also on Saturday.

Los Angeles Galaxy 1, Houston Dynamo 0
May 25, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary
LA – Landon Donovan (Penalty) 45.

Misconduct Summary
LA – Sean Franklin (Delaying a restart) 87
Hou – Je-Vaughn Watson (Reckless Foul)

Houston Dynamo (3-4-5, 14 points) – Tally Hall, Hunter Freeman, Bobby Boswell, Andre Hainault, Corey Ashe (Mike Chabala 45), Brad Davis (Je-Vaughn Watson 61), Lovel Palmer, Geoff Cameron, Colin Clark, Will Bruin, Koke (Cam Weaver 74).

Substitutes not used: Tyler Deric, Jason Garey, Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor.

Los Angeles Galaxy (7-2-5, 26 points) – Donovan Ricketts, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, AJ DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, Chris Birchall, Juninho, Michael Stephens, Juan Pablo Angel (Mike Magee 61), Chad Barrett (Miguel Lopez 74).

Substitutes not used: Josh Saunders, Gregg Berhalter, Paolo Cardozo, Frankie Hejduk.

Referee: Chris Penso
Assistants: Frank Anderson, Ian Anderson
Fourth Official: Kevin Stott
Weather: Clear and 67 degrees
Attendance: 14,458
Time of match: 1:50

The defense continues to rule the day in Major League Soccer but the little offense seen in Week 10 was memorable to say the least. Carlos Ruiz of Philadelphia and Bobby Convey (San Jose) provided two highlight-reel, Goal of the Year candidates as both of their squads rolled to victory. One of them turned it into a Player of the Week performance. Defenders were at the forefront yet again, however, with seven teams posting shutouts. Is it a product of some of the league’s best attackers being sidelined with injury or simply a testament to the improvement of the collective defensive pool of talent in Major League Soccer?

ASN’s MLS Best XI, Week 10

GK: Matt Pickens, Colorado

Pickens was kept relatively busy as the Rapids and Toronto FC fought to a 0-0 tie. The Reds tested Pickens on several occasions but it was the Rapids netminder who walked away feeling that Colorado left important points on the table. The Rapids haven’t dominated and Pickens has had to earn the five-game unbeaten streak that the Rapids currently are on. This is his first appearance in the Best XI.

DEF: Jeff Parke, Seattle

It was his defensive performance against Sporting Kansas City that turned heads but he was also the deciding factor on the scoresheet as well. An injury time header from the Pennsylvania native gave the Sounders the full three points and kept Sporting’s skid rolling. The biggest part of a defensive performance that kept Kei Kamara, Omar Bravo, AND Teal Bunbury quiet. It was Parke’s first goal since 2004.

DEF: Sheanon Williams, Philadelphia

Williams was all over PPL Park against Chicago and it was his goal line save that allowed the Union to stay at 1-1 before Carlos Ruiz’s golazo put them ahead for good. The Fire’s Puerari muscled behind Michael Farfan and was free on goal. His shot beat Mondragon but right at a backpedaling Williams. Somehow, Williams was able to get enough of a flick on it to send it wide of the post. His night didn’t start or end there. He was also a big part of the Union offense, flying up and down the right wing.

DEF: Richard Eckersley, Toronto FC

The Reds are slowly getting better and a lot of it has to do with the insertion of Eckersley, on loan from Burnley of the English Championship, into the lineup. He was a consistent presence on the right side for Toronto.  This is his first time making the Best XI.

MID: Dane Richards, New York

The Red Bulls will miss Richards dearly as he is set to leave for national team duty in the 2011 Gold Cup. Aside from his screamer in the first 60 seconds of the match against Houston, Richards was a constant problem for the Dynamo defense. He has matured as a player since Thierry Henry came on board and though his crossing is still subpar, Richards is routinely considered now one of the most dangerous players in Major League Soccer.  

MID: Brad Davis, Houston

Davis is having one of his best season’s for Houston this year. He is the point man for pretty much everything on the pitch and he’s reliable in that position. He converted the penalty to erase Dane Richards’ early score and distributed the whole game. His consistency has for the most part gone unmatched this year and as we close in on the one-third mark, he should be a lock for future Best XI honors. This is his third inclusion in the ASN Best XI.

MID: Dominic Oduro, Chicago

There’s a reason he’s called Birdman. The Fire didn’t use him enough against Philadelphia and, in the Union’s defense, Jordan Harvey did well with him when they tried to. Once the rookie Farfan was put back at leftback, however, Oduro scored the equalizer – using his pace to blow by the rookie and tie up the game.

MID: Khalif Alhassan, Portland

Alhassan loves JELD-WEN and understandably so. His best games have been at home, where the Timbers have built a fortress with five straight wins. Alhassan, once again, showed his technical ability and skill keeping the Crew’s generally solid defense on their toes. It’s relatively surprising that this is only the second time he has been selected in the Best XI (once being named Player of the Week).

MID: Mikael Yourassowsky, Toronto FC

He provided a lot of pep for the Reds on both sides of park. The Belgian registered Toronto’s best attempt on net halfway through the second half, clanging a shot off of the crossbar. His work in the midfield kept Colorado from taking control early on or ever really establishing any sort of dominance. This is his first time making the Best XI.

FWD: Tommy Heinemann, Columbus

He reminds me a little bit of Steven Lenhart, now with the San Jose Earthquakes. Heinemann was absolutely everywhere against the Crew as Columbus fell 1-0 to the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN. It was Heinemann who had the best chances for the Crew and the arguement could be made that he should have put at least one away. His work ethic and determination should get him goals at some point this season.

FWD: Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia *ASN’s PLAYER OF THE WEEK*El Pescadito was much, much more than the left-footed golazo that doused the visiting Chicago Fire. His first touch and ability to hold up the ball was absolutely vital, especially as the Union’s offense continues to find its legs. He had several combination plays with former Fire player Justin Mapp that almost convinced Union fans that the Philadelphia attack was here to stay.

Bench: Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake; Landon Donovan, Los Angeles; Chris Tierney, New England; Shalrie Joseph, New England; Brek Shea, FC Dallas; Mikael Yourassowsky, Toronto FC; George John, FC Dallas; Michael Farfan, Philadelphia; Eric Brunner, Portland

ARCHIVES:

MLS Best XI, Week 9

MLS Best XI, Week 8

MLS Best XI, Week 7

MLS Best XI, Week 6

MLS Best XI, Week 5

MLS Best XI, Week 4

MLS Best XI, Week 3

MLS Best XI, Week 2

MLS Best XI, Week 1

Courtesy of MLSSoccer.com

Major League Soccer

Brad Knighton (Carolina) – the Railhawks can’t stop winning and Knighton is a huge part of that; he leads the league in saves; started and worked a 3-0  shutout against defending NASL champions Puerto Rico; made some big saves in the process; the Railhawks are now 6-1-1 and still sit in first

Nick Zimmerman (Carolina) – started and went 72 minutes (replaced by Brian Farber) in an impressive 3-0 win over Puerto Rico; Etienne Barbara and Jorge Campos continue to register all of the offensive production but according to Railhawks fans, Zimmerman has been just as influential

Eduardo Coudet (Fort Lauderdale) – started and went 90 minutes in a 0-0 deadlock with the Atlanta Silverbacks; had an opportunity to put Fort Lauderdale up early in the second half but the Strikers had to settle for a tie, now 1-2-4

Toni Stahl (Fort Lauderdale) – started and went all 90 in the Strikers’ 0-0 tie with Atlanta; the roster card has him listed as a midfielder in this one as well; the Strikers will face MLS-bound Montreal next on May 28th

Cristian Arrieta (Fort Lauderdale) – Arrieta started for the first time, working 90 minutes in the midfield for the Strikers’ 0-0 tie with Atlanta; almost assisted on what could have been the gamewinner early on; Arrieta was playing one of his former squads, he won USL MVP with Puerto Rico

JT Noone (Harrisburg) – started for Harrisburg in a 3-1 loss to Orlando City; went the full 90 minutes, registering a shot on goal in the process; the City Islanders fall to 1-2-2

Foreign-Based

Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis FC) – Pumas wins the Mexican Clausura; no word on Orozco Fiscal

Dave Myrie (Limon FC) – Myrie was named in Los Ticos’ 31-player preliminary squad for the 2011 Gold Cup early on but did NOT make the final roster released on May 21st; Myrie will most likely get a call up for July’s Copa America however; Los Ticos are set to take on Nigeria this weekend in a Gold Cup tune-up

BOSTON BREAKERS PRESS RELEASE

Allston, MA (May 22, 2011) – Lauren Cheney knocked in a header on the goalline in the 48th minute to preserve a 1-1 tie for the Breakers (2-4-1) in their match Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Independence (2-1-2).

In front of 6,128 fans at Harvard Stadium, the Breakers snapped a two-game losing streak with the draw, the team’s first tie since Sept. 11, 2010, when they drew, 0-0 with Sky Blue FC on the road.

Tasha Kai put Philadelphia ahead in the 44th minute when she took a pass from Lianne Sanderson, cut back, and made a move to avoid Breakers defender Amy LePeilbet. Nearing the top of the box, Kai unleashed a shot that beat Boston keeper Alyssa Naeher. It was Kai’s second goal against Boston this season.

Less than three minutes into the second half, Cheney pulled Boston level, following up a header by rookie midfielder Keelin Winters. The play began when Breakers defender Alex Scott sent midfielder Kelley O’Hara on a run on the right side. O’Hara crossed it to Winters, who lined a header right on goal. Philadelphia keeper Nicole Barnhart managed to get her fingertips on the ball, but it dropped down right on the line, and that’s where Cheney headed it in for her first goal of the season.

“That was Keelin’s goal for sure. It could’ve been in before I headed it in, but I wanted to make sure it got into the back of the net,” Cheney said. “It was a great header by Keelin.”

Kai nearly gave Philadelphia the lead in the 61st minute, taking a well-played through ball from Tina DiMartino into the box and lining a shot on goal, but Boston keeper Alyssa Naeher made the save, one of eight on the night. Five minutes later, the Breakers tried taking advantage of a short corner played by Kelly Smith to Liz Bogus. Bogus hit it right back to Smith, who then looped a ball into the box where Winters hit a header over the crossbar.

In the 68th minute, the action picked up again. This time DiMartino put a shot on goal, one that Naeher had to dive to stop. Three minutes later, Philadelphia had a two-on-one break with Amy Rodriguez taking the ball into the 18 and to the left of Naeher. Rodriguez tried crossing the ball, but LePeilbet stuck out her leg and deflected the dangerous pass. Each team put a shot on goal in the final 20 minutes, but each keeper came up big to preserve the tie. Barnhart denied Breakers midfielder Leslie Osborne on a quick strike 6 yards from goal in the 72nd minute, and Naeher stopped a free kick by Sanderson in the 82nd minute.

“I like the way we came out in the second half,” Breakers Head Coach Tony DiCicco said. “They’re a good team. They’ve got speed up top. (Tasha) Kai on the counter attack, we give it up in the midfield, and she makes us pay. But for the most part, our defense did a good job against a very dangerous team. They didn’t really have that many really good looks at our goal, and I thought we had some great looks. I’m happy with the team. We’re still getting there. We’re still developing some of the younger players who need to really give us a boost here down the stretch. It was a good performance, especially in the second half for us, coming back and getting a goal. I’m disappointed we didn’t get the win, but I’m pleased with the performance.”

The Breakers head to New Jersey on Saturday, May 28, at 7 p.m. to take on Sky Blue FC (1-3-1). Sunday’s tie keeps Boston in fourth place in the WPS table, one point behind Philadelphia and three points ahead of both Sky Blue FC and the Atlanta Beat.

At halftime, the Breakers retired Kristine Lilly’s No. 13. Lilly became the first person in WPS history to have her number retired. An emotional Lilly addressed the fans following the video tribute that highlighted her legendary career.

“I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks for all the support through all the years. It doesn’t go without notice,” Lilly said. “Everytime I stepped on the soccer field, I gave all I had.”

Following the game, Lilly said, “I think the whole halftime caught me off guard. I didn’t think I was going to get as emotional as I did. But it was great. The crowd was great tonight. The video brought back memories. Having my family here was really nice. It was just a really, really nice night.”

QUOTES:

Breakers Head Coach Tony DiCicco on Keelin Winters: “Keelin was a great pickup. I knew her from coaching in the 2008 U-20 World Cup. She’s an excellent header of the ball. She’s fit. She runs hard. She’s a fighter. She’s been very, very solid. For a rookie, she’s played like a veteran. I can’t ask more of her. I’m very happy with her.”

Breakers midfielder Kelly O’Hara: “I think the difference between the first half and the second half was all of us being on the same page. Starting the second half knowing we needed to get a goal and trying to go for the win, and obviously we equalized. Everyone just stepped up their level so that’s why it appeared I was getting in the attack more. As a whole we just all took it to the next level.”

O’Hara on Cheney’s goal: “Alex (Scott) brought the ball down and she engaged their outside back and that kind of left me open on the outside and she played a great ball. (Keelin) Winters did a great job winning that ball and getting a header on goal and Barney (Nicole Barnhart) made the save and Cheney was there to finish it up.”

Boston Breakers midfielder Keelin Winters on setting up Lauren Cheney’s goal: “At the beginning of the game, Tony (DiCicco) just told our outside mids to find me at the edge of the 18-yard box so I rounded my run, I looked up and made sure I raised my hand. They saw me and just headed it towards goal. I think the goalie got a hand to it, and Cheney just followed it up and made sure it was in.”

Winters on playing in the WPS: “Coming into the WPS season it has been quite a transition from college, keeping up with the speed of play. Fortunately, I think I’ve been able to do that. It’s helpful when you have teammates around you communicating, letting me know when I can turn. It’s been hard to adjust, but I have really great teammates around me making it that much easier. Growing up, I knew I always wanted to play professional soccer so this is a dream come true. I’m glad the WPS is around. I remember watching her (Kristine Lilly) in the ’99 World cup. The WPS wasn’t around then, but I knew I wanted to play professional soccer. It’s a blessing for me to be able to play in this league.

Philadelphia Head Coach Paul Riley: “Anytime you get a point away from home against a team like Boston, I think it’s a well-earned point. We came here with a 4-3-3. We felt on the basis of winning 2-nil a couple week ago, that if we came out and attacked that we’d get an early goal and maybe draw Boston out a but, but that didn’t happen. Obviously, we’ve got the goal before halftime, but we gave up a suicide goal in the second half. We talked at halftime about keeping (Breakers defender) Alex Scott quiet. We didn’t get it done. (Breakers forward) Kelly Smith was fantastic. She ran the show. But I think a draw is a fair result overall. We created some great chances. Boston had some great moments. I thought it was a pretty good game. A point is better for us than it is for Boston. I think when you’re in this league, you’ve got to win your home games and you’ve got to try to get points as best you can on the road because last year we finished 3-7-2 on the road. We’re happy with the result. It’s going to be a battle to the end. Boston’s a great rival. It’s almost like a derby game. I look forward to playing them. It’s a great stadium. The fans are probably the best in the league, and they draw the most fans too. It’s always a good rivalry.

Philadelphia’s Tasha Kai: “Lianne Sanderson got the ball. I made a looping run. She played it with the outside of her foot. Took a first touch to goal, Amy LePeilbet cut my angle off, so I cut back the ball. I saw the keeper kind of hesitant so I just drilled it near post, and it beat her. I get drilled at all the time not to cut the ball back, but I do it all the time anyways, and this time I’m lucky the ball went in because I would’ve got reemed after the game. I just feel like her (Amy LePeilbet) momentum was taking her past me, so I cut the ball back and my next touch was the shot, and I beat both of them near post.”

Boston Breakers (2-4-1) vs. Philadelphia Independence (2-1-2)

Sunday, May 22, 2011 — Harvard Stadium

FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY:

Team            1            2            F

BOS:            0            1            1

PHI:            1            0            1

PHI: Tasha Kai 2 (Unassisted) 44′

BOS: Lauren Cheney 1 (Keelin Winters) 48′

BOSTON BREAKERS — Alyssa Naeher, Stephanie Cox, Amy LePeilbet, Rachel Buehler, Alex Scott, Leslie Osborne, Keelin Winters (Kasey Moore, 77′), Nikki Washington (Liz Bogus, 16′, Taryn Hemmings, 85′), Kelley O’Hara, Kelly Smith, Lauren Cheney

Substitutes Not Used: Ifeoma Dieke, Ashley Phillips, Katie Schoepfer, Leah Blayney

PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENCE — Nicole Barnhart, Leigh Ann Robinson, Nikki Krzysik, Estelle Johnson, Megan Rapinoe, Jen Buczkowski, Tina DiMartino (Holmfridur Magnusdottir, 69′), Lianne Sanderson, Sinead Farrelly (Lori Lindsey, 73′), Tasha Kai, Laura del Rio (Amy Rodriguez, 55′)

Substitutes Not Used: Joanna Lohman, Val Henderson

TEAM STATS:

BOS        PHI

Shots 9 14

Shots on Goal        6 9

Fouls 13 9

Offsides 2 2

Corner Kicks 3 0

Saves 8 5

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:

none

Attendance: 6,128

All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial.

In their fourth trip out to the West Coast, the New England Revolution (3-4-4, 13pts) fell once again to the San Jose Earthquakes (3-4-3, 12pts) 2-1 on Saturday Night. On a night where the Revolution actually saw more possession and a higher pass percentage, it was once again the lack of quality in the final third, as well as a few defensive miscues, that did in New England.

The Revolution began the match with their first unchanged lineup of the season, as head coach Steve Nicol chose to keep the same side that defeated Vancouver a week earlier.  New England came out strong in the early going, seeing the bulk of possession, and for the first time looked comfortable in maintaining the ball through the middle of the field.

In spite of the Revs controlling the early run of play, it was San Jose creating both of the game’s first scoring chances, the first of which was a Joey Gjertsen blast from the top of the box that forced goalkeeper Matt Reis into a very good save. Six minutes later, it was  Khari Stephenson who saw his free kick blast ring off the crossbar, missing the opener by a few inches.

San Jose’s chances appeared to awaken New England, who saw their first true scoring opportunity in the 26th minute, when captain Shalrie Joseph found a pocket of space at the top of the Quakes’ box and fired a well-struck effort that beat both ‘keeper Jon Busch and the far post, keeping the match knotted up at nil-nil.

The match saw little else in the first half, save for a meager appeal for a penalty kick, when Revolution midfielder Chris Tierney was seemingly taken down in the box, but match referee Yader Reyes denied the shouts from several Revolution players, and the match entered the halftime locker room still scoreless.

New England continued their strong play as the second half began and found themselves a solid scoring opportunity in the 56th minute when Joseph and Benny Feilhaber connected through the middle of the field to set up striker Rajko Lekic, who shot across the body of Busch, who made a fine save to keep Lekic off of the scoresheet.

San Jose finally broke through for the opener despite the Revolution controlling most of the play in the 71st minute when Chris Wondolowski wriggled free along the right flank and sent in a perfectly weighted cross that found a wide open Ellis McGloughlin at the back post, whose strong header beat ‘keeper Matt Reis to the back post and gave the home side the lead.

The match saw its second goal slightly over ten minutes later in the 82nd minute, when Bobby Convey’s free kick beat a caught-cheating Matt Reis, giving San Jose a 2-0 lead, and Convey a spectacular entry into the “goal of the week” competition. Convey’s effort curled around the wall, and then towered over Reis and found a home in the top-left corner of the net.

New England found the net finally in the 86th minute through a well-crafted, left-footed,  Chris Tierney free kick that curled around the wall at the top of the box, and beat Busch just inside the left post. The goal cut the Quakes’ lead in half, and New England found itself with only a precious few minutes to find a late equalizer, however it was not to be, as the whistle blew (seemingly a minute too early) ending the match, and the Revs once again found themselves on the losing end of a West Coast trip.

New England travels to Kansas City for a mid-week fixture in the U.S. Open Cup play-in round, and then return home for a Saturday match against David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the rest of the Los Angeles Galaxy in the return match after the two sides drew 1-1 in the season opener.

Scoring Summary:

SJ – Ellis McLoughlin (Chris Wondowlowski) 71

SJ – Bobby Convey (unassisted) 83

NE – Chris Tierney (unassisted) 86

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Darrius Barnes, A.J. Soares, Ryan Cochrane (Zack Schilawski 83), Kevin Alston, Chris Tierney, Benny Feilhaber, Shalrie Joseph ©, Stephen McCarthy, Zak Boggs (Sainey Nyassi 66), Rajko Lekic

Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Franco Coria, Kenny Mansally, Kheli Dube, Pat Phelan

STATS*: Shots: 10; Shots on Goal: 3; Saves: 2; Corner Kicks: 8; Offside: 3; Fouls Committed: 13

San Jose Earthquakes: Jon Busch, Bobby Convey, Ike Opara, Jason Hernandez, Chris Leitch, Ryan Johnson (Ellis McLoughlin 67), Khari Stephenson, Brad Ring, Joey Gjertsen (Anthony Ampaipitakwong 64), Steven Lenhart, Chris Wondolowski ©

Substitutes Not Used: Andew Weber, Steven Beitashour, Bobby Burling, Sam Cronin, Matt Luzunaris

STATS*: Shots: 11; Shots on Goal: 4; Saves: 2; Corner Kicks: 3; Offside: 4; Fouls Committed: 17

* Note that all statistics are unofficial

Misconduct Summary:

SJ – Bobby Convey (caution) 53

SJ – Steven Lenhart (caution) 57

Team Records:

New England Revolution – 3-4-4, 13 pts.

San Jose Earthquakes – 3-4-3, 12 pts.

Referee: Yader Reyes

Assistant Referees: Peter Balciunas, Adam Garner

Fourth Official: Alejandro Mariscal
Weather: Clear and 71 degrees

Attendance: 9,736

NOTES

• With the loss, the Revolution fell to 11-18-4 all-time against San Jose, including a 5-8-3 mark on the road … the Revs are now winless against San Jose in the last three matches
• The loss extended the Revs’ winless streak on the West Coast to eight matches, dating back to the start of the 2010 season … the Revs are now 0-6-2 in West Coast games since taking a 1-0 win at Seattle on Aug. 20, 2009
• There were no changes to the lineup that head coach Steve Nicol used in the last match … tonight’s match marked the first time this season Nicol used the same a repeat starting 11, both overall and in back-to-back matches … overall this season, New England has run out 10 different starting lineups in 11 games
• Ryan Cochrane (2001-03) and Stephen McCarthy (2006-08) both played collegiately at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus on Santa Clara University, the home the school shares with the Earthquakes …. both are former three-year performers at Santa Clara
• This game marked the first time in his eight-year career that Ryan Cochrane faced his former team – the Earthquakes – of four seasons … during the whole or parts of his four seasons in Houston, he never once faced San Jose, with whom he began his MLS career in 2004
• Chris Tierney scored his first goal of the season and his second career goal with his 86^th-minute free kick goal
• Ellis McLoughlin’s 71^st minute goal for San Jose snapped the Revs’ 283-minute shutout streak that dated back to April 30 against Chivas USA (57^th minute)