FC Dallas

Earlier this year I did a little piece on MLS attendance, and I just wanted to update y’all on the final stats. Here, in order of total attendance per game, are your 2008 MLS team-by-team attendance rankings:

1. LA Galaxy (26,009)
2. Toronto FC (20,120)
3. DC United (19,835)
4. NE Revolution (17,580)
5. Chicago Fire (17,034)
6. Houston Dynamo (16,939)
7. Real Salt Lake (16,179)
8. NY Red Bulls (15,928)
9. Chivas USA (15,114)
10. Columbus Crew (14,622)
11. Colorado Rapids (13,659)
12. SJ Earthquakes (13,113)
13. FC Dallas (13,024)
14. KC Wizards (10,696)

As we all know, numbers can be deceiving. For instance, it looks like DCU and TFC bring out about the same number of fans every week. The difference? TFC’s BMO Field is sold out almost every game, while DCU barely fills a fourth of the stadium.

But, what I’m more interested in is trends. Here is a list of teams’ attendance trends in 2008, ranked by average number of more (or less) fans per game than last season:

1. LA Galaxy (+1,757)
2. Houston (+1,056)
3. Chivas USA (+809)
4. NE Revolution (+793)
5. Chicago (+544)
6. Real Salt Lake (+219)
7. Toronto FC (-10)
8. SJ Earthquakes (-76 based on 2005 attendance numbers)
9. NY Red Bulls (-608)
10. Columbus Crew (-680)
11. KC Wizards (-900)
12. Colorado Rapids (-1,090)
13. DC United (-1,132)
14. FC Dallas (-2,121)

So, six teams went down (SJE and TFC both are excluded because they fill their stands) and six came up. Even Steven (or Stephen, if you are a Colbert fan). LAG gets the biggest bump, the Beckham Bump. The top five teams’ gains appear to be partially due to their improved play (the Bandwagon Effect), while the bottom three could be losing fans due to their uninspired play.

FCD has to be the most troubling club to Commish Don Garber. Losing 2,000 fans per game is bad, especially when you only draw 13,000. If Kenny Cooper leaves, the former Burn could be in danger of losing even more fans.

Overall, attendance on average was down 310 people per game. Not a big move, so nothing to be too distraught over. But…

Any downward move is tough to bear for a league talking about expanding to 18 teams in the next couple of years. Not to mention, the ol’ Beckham Bump will soon lose its luster (or the man himself may bolt overseas). 

So, no, this was not the year MLS exploded. Perhaps that year will never come. I hate to say it, but I am a little disheartened by these numbers.

But, as they say, who knows what next year will bring?

I, for one, hope it brings more butts squarely into the seats. I need my MLS.

Dallas is currently tied for the last spot in the playoffs. Well, not really…

Even though both Dallas and Colorado have 34 points (and Dallas has a huge goal differential lead), they were 0-2-1 against the Rapids this year, so they’ll lose the tiebreaker even if they finish neck & neck in points.

They need to win outright. It could happen.

They finish the year with Toronto, Salt Lake and L.A., none of which are in the MLS elite. But, two of those games are away, which has been bad news for them this year (3-5-5).

Then again, they have been finishing very strong. No losses in five straight results.

The fact is though, they were very lucky to draw with SJE last weekend. If Ed Hochuli were a MLS ref, he would likely have been the culprit on that 89th minute call that cost the Quakes the win. It was a debatable penalty, at best. At worst, it was a straight up scam. Since it was at Pizza Hut Park, let’s call it what it was: a homecooked deep dish gift. 

They haven’t needed to rely on late penalties to win every game lately though. Kenny Cooper has been their savior this year and could break the team single season goals scored record. Cunningham has been a nice addition too. But I just don’t see the former Burn making its way into the postseason this year. Why?

I think Toronto will shock them this weekend at Pizza Hut Park. Barrett has been playing fantastic, and Dallas’s mojo appears to be running out. Then, they have a midweek game against Mexican-partner Tigres UANL before facing RSL in its new stadium. I think they’ll be exhausted by then and flame out of the playoff hunt with a second straight loss.

Even if they can come away with a win in the season’s final game at the HDC vs. L.A., I think it will be too little, too late for Dallas.

In order to make me look stupid, Dallas will need Cunningham to continue his freakish tear. He’s amazing (when he wants to be). They’ll also need Dario Sala to keep impressing between the posts. He’s been one of the more underrated keepers in the league for a long while now.

They will also need Schellas Hyndman to continue to earn his keep with his new peers: MLS head coaches.

There is still no biographical information on Hyndman on the FC Dallas Official Website even though he was hired in June.  I guess they either have a lazy webmaster or Hyndman’s been too busy trying to keep the Hoops in the hunt he hasn’t had the time to give them any bio material.

All I really knew about him when he was hired was that he was with SMU for nearly a quarter century and  was a damn good NCAA coach. He’s slowly become more comfortable in MLS. After starting his tenure 1-3-3, he has managed his squad to a 5-3-3 record since the All-Star game. He seems to be coming into his own as a pro coach and could help his squad achieve quite a dramatic turnaround.

You know one thing I did learn about Hyndman recently?

He has a black belt in karate. Which is pretty fitting if you think about it.

To Dallas, Hyndman has been like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid. He’s helped them escape their fate as a bullied underdog, and gotten them just a few steps from the big tournament.

Now, the question is whether they can take those final steps.

There are only five weeks left in the MLS regular season, and no team has been statistically eliminated from competing in the playoffs. Parity, it seems, has been delivered by the league as promised.

Unlike in the EPL where results are relatively easily to predict (or Serie A, where they are sometimes predetermined), MLS results seem to be almost arbitrary this season. Just when you think you can write someone off (San Jose or L.A., for example), they come fighting back. The only thing that has been foreseeable is that something unforeseen will happen.

For example, take a quick look at last week’s game between Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake. The Goats had been pretty bad this year (especially on the road), despite the fact they currently sat third in the anemic Western Division. RSL had been looking impressive and hadn’t just been solid at home, they were freaking undefeated. Throw on top of all that the fact that it was RSL’s last game ever in Rice-Eccles Stadium, and you better believe gamblers everywhere had RSL as a sure winner in this match-up.

But then, they played the game and Chivas won. It didn’t make any sense on paper but it happened.

Such has been the theme of the entire 2008 MLS season. On paper, some things look to be certain, but on the pitch, it’s been a whole other story. Even Miss Cleo couldn’t have predicted the following:

Columbus was supposed to be mired in defensive battles all-season. Instead, Schelotto’s touch has made them the second highest scoring team in the league this year.

New England was supposed to take a step back after losing Dorman and Noonan. Instead, unheard of guys from Africa have stepped up and made the team a contender again.

Houston was supposed to lack fire power after losing two important strikers to clubs overseas. Instead, they brought back some homegrown talent to dominate the West.

Chicago was supposed to be fractured after a falling out with their old coach. Instead, their new coach has rallied them into a cohesive unit for a great run.

New York was supposed to be out of luck when Altidore jetted for La Liga. Instead, crafty veterans have kept their playoff dreams afloat.

DC United was supposed to dominate after “upgrading” from Gomez to Gallardo. Instead, Soehn’s bunch has looked schizophrenic and Gallardo is easily the biggest flop of the 2008 season.

Chivas was supposed to build on last season’s success. Instead, Preki’s players have stalled and must now fight for their post-season lives.

Kansas City was supposed to finally achieve offensive acumen with Lopez. Instead, the Louse has rivaled Gallardo as one of the biggest disappointments in MLS.

Colorado was supposed to shed their defensive image for Gomez’s run and gun offense. Instead, the Rapids have run dry on offense and have had to rely on no-name defensive mids to keep their playoff dreams intact.

Real Salt Lake was supposed to stay at the bottom of the table in obscurity. Instead, their inspired play have taken them within grasp of their first playoff berth.

Dallas was supposed to flat-out stink without their offensive spark, Ruiz. Instead, Kenny Cooper has the seeming also-rans looking to run straight into the playoffs.

Los Angeles was supposed to be darn good, what with Beckham, Donovan, Ruiz and Co. Instead, the Gals have been bad. Really bad.

San Jose was supposed to sink to the bottom of the league table. Instead, they’ve been the best MLS story of the year by refusing to quit.

Finally, Toronto was supposed to stink this year. Instead…

Well, I guess they have stunk.

One out of 14 ain’t bad.

On the strength of first-half goals from Dominic Oduro in the ninth minute and Kenny Cooper in the 28th, FC Dallas defeated Mexico's Club America 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Pizza Hut Park.

America, who finished the game with nine men after two players were sent off in the final 12 minutes, saw their lone goal come on a penalty kick by Alfredo Moreno in the 33rd minute.

Oduro put the home side up 1-0 in the ninth minute thanks to a great assist from Bruno Guarda. The Brazilian midfielder dribbled almost to the touchline, taking an America defender with him, then laid the ball off to Oduro, who was about seven yards from goal. The Ghanaian striker then calmly sent it into the far side of the net.

Cooper too benefited from a great assist, his coming from fellow Dallas native Drew Moor in doubling the lead. The FCD captain dashed up the right flank and spotted his teammate open in virtually in the same spot from where Oduro scored minutes prior. Moor hit a perfect ball and Cooper then finished with a shot into the far side of the net to make it 2-0.

In the 33rd, America drew a goal back after Moreno converted a penalty kick. He stepped to the spot after Moor took him down about 10 yards from goal. FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala went the right direction, going right, but Moreno hit his shot inches over Sala's outstretched hands.

America's Alejandro Arguello was ejected in the 78th minute after delivering a hard elbow to the head of Guarda, then the Aguilas dropped to nine men in the 89th minute when Antonio Castro was sent off for a hard kick to FCD forward Jamie Watson near the far sideline.

FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman used a lineup sprinkled with starters and reserves. Up top, he went with Cooper and Oduro. The Hoops' midfield consisted of Dax McCarty on the right, Guarda and Pablo Ricchetti in the middle with Eric Avila on the right.

In the back, Hyndman went with Blake Wagner on the left, Brek Shea and Aaron Pitchkolan in the middle with Drew Moor wearing the captain's armband on the right flank. Dario Sala started between the posts.

Early on, the FCD attack was on the offense. In the second minute, a slow roller by Cooper toward the America goal was saved by 'keeper Armando Navarette. Three minutes later, Oduro got his first serious look at goal when he blasted an attempt toward the far post but Navarette delivered a great diving save to deny him.

But following the America goal, the Aguilas attack came to life as Rafael Marquez had a pair of chances at the equalizer in the 35th minute. His first opportunity came when he shot the ball high. But literally seconds later, Marquez was unmarked at the far post, but put his uncontested header high over the goal.

In the 43rd, Marquez was active yet again and this time nearly converted, but his shot plastered the right post at the last moment. Seconds later, the America striker struck a great ball from 20 yards out but Sala made a diving save to deny his effort.

At the break, America held the edge in shots 11-7 with six of the Aguilas' efforts being denied by Sala.

America continued their push in the second half when in the 48th minute, Juan Carlos Mosqueda hit one right at Sala.

In the 54th minute, things got a little interesting when Oduro and Navarette collided on a 50-50 ball about 13 yards from goal and both fell to the ground hard. With the net open, McCarty had a chance at making the game 3-1 but his shot was offline.

As the half progressed, America got stronger. Marquez fed Moreno in the 59th about 20 yards from goal but Sala was once again there to deny.

The chances for FCD were few and far between in the second half but in the 62nd, the Hoops were awarded a free kick about 30 yards out. Cooper stepped up and took it but his effort was more of a slow roller that was well-played by Navarette.

In the 65th minute, Hyndman went to his bench bringing on Andre Rocha for Avila and taking out McCarty for Jamie Watson.

After a shot by Watson was saved by Navarette in the 71st, things got heated when Arguello was sent off. The America striker delivered an apparent high elbow to Guarda that drew blood and was quickly ejected by referee Jason Anno.

In the 89th, things again got heated when Castro kicked Watson hard on the far sideline. Matters got tense enough that security personnel dashed over to defuse the situation.

Sala finished the night with nine saves and was clearly the star of the afternoon for FCD. The Hoops, who are 0-3-1 in their last four league games, return to MLS action next Saturday when they face D.C. United at RFK Stadium.

Numbers are good for many things. For example, counting, measuring, and ranking Miss America contestants are just three of number’s manifold, essential uses. Without numbers, the rules by which a society lives would have no merit. In fact, can you even imagine a world in which no one abided by the five-second rule?

Numbers are also used alot in sports. Whether it’s the salary cap, rules of discipline or keeping score, we need numbers to know who wins and loses and to ensure everyone plays fair. We also look to numbers to assess a team or player’s quality and to predict future results.

For centuries, people have argued that numbers may have magic powers. I don’t place much emphasis on such myths, but I am also wary of writing them off completely, especially when one considers how any number can have great significance to a MLS squad this season:

1. One, as in the number of games New York, Toronto and Houston have lost at home this year or the number of one goal games LAG has won.
2. Two, as in the number of games DCU has tied all season or the outrageous average number of goals per game LAG has ceded this year.
3. Three, as in the number of games CMB has currently won in a row.
4. Four, as in the number of game winning goals Steve Ralston and Kenny Cooper have scored for their respective teams.
5. Five, as in the number of game winning assists Guillermo Barros Schelotto has generated for CMB or the number of multi-goal games Mr. Donovan has had for LAG this season.
6. Six, as in the number of consecutive games Luciano Emilio scored a goal earlier this year. 
7. Seven, as in the poor number of goals RSL has scored in away games all year or the number of games CHI played earlier this year without losing or tying.
8. Eight, as in the number of yellow cards Mr. Nagamura has received for CHV this season or the number of times CMB has won a game by one goal.
9. Nine, as in the number of shutouts CHI’s Jon Busch has had this year.
10. Ten, as in the number of games since LAG’s last win or the number of goals CHV has scored in the last 15 minutes of this year’s games (they’ve scored just one in the first 15 minutes).

And then there’s zero. I can’t remember from third grade math whether zero is really a number or not (perhaps the absence of a number?). But zero has been real important to Real Salt Lake this year. That’s the number of times they’ve been beaten at home. If not for such dominance, RSL would have seen its playoffs hopes dashed a month ago, so I guess for RSL fans, no number is the most magical number of all.

Yannick Reyering is known for being a great football player.

He's just not used to the helmet and pads quite yet.

The 6-foot-6 German forward is no stranger to kicking in front of a packed house, but this will surely be a new start for the three-time All-ACC selection and former preseason All-American, as Reyering makes the move from the pitch to the gridiron.

Reyering has never exactly been known for taking the conventional route in life.  He chose to attend the University of Virginia because he liked what he saw when he googled "college soccer" from his PC in Germany.

Well, at least he did his homework.

Reyering knew he could get exposure at Virginia, but it would come at a price.  Since Reyering played with a club team while a youth in Germany, the NCAA only allowed him three years of eligibility for the soccer team.

Nevertheless, Reyering was an instant hit at Virginia.  His confident personality and penchant for hitting clutch shots made him a fan favorite.  Reyering led the team in shots, points, goals and game-winning goals as just a freshman.

Reyering's terrific sophomore season helped propel Virginia to its first Final Four in nearly a decade where they lost to UCLA.

He finished his career with 39 goals and over 20 assists, numbers that would impress anybody.

However, draft day in the MLS was unkind to Reyering.  So instead of accepting his spot in the MLS Supplemental Draft to FC Dallas, Reyering decided to come back to school and, since soccer was not an option, he decided to use his final year of eligibility and make his move to the gridiron.  Reyering tried out to be the Cavaliers' new place kicker.

Now, making the transition from soccer player to field goal kicker is not that rare a tradition.  After all, Connor Hughes, one of Virginia's all-time best kickers, was a former soccer player.  However, most of these candidates rarely achieve the kind of success of Reyering a three-year starter and leading goal scorer.

They also have a more than a few months to try and learn.

However, Virginia football did not have time to spare.  The Cavaliers had to replace both of their kickers and the cupboard appeared bare.

Reyering, though, gave Virginia head coach Al Groh an interesting option.

As he put it, the kicking situation had gone from "horrible to hopeful."

Well now the hope of Virginia's special teams rests solely with Reyering, as he has been named the starter over Chris Hinkebein and Robert Randolph.  Not bad for a guy who had never kicked a football until April.

Reyering has improved over time during training camp in Charlottesville and has clearly shown to have the most powerful leg of the contenders.  Everyone raves about his potential and it is hard to argue that he can only improve during the course of the year as he gains experience.

It will be interesting to see if one of the best penalty kickers in Virginia history can show the same ability to come through in high-pressure situations a few miles down the road at Scott Stadium. 

Reyering admitted that there probably is more pressure in football, since missing a free kick is not exactly the same as a go-ahead field goal, but he also told the Daily Progress that he loves pressure and his career so far has proven that.

I, for one, am very interested to see what the future holds for Virginia.  I think Reyering might just be the right man for the job despite his utter lack of experience. 

A kicker needs a particular mindset; some might argue he even needs to be a little crazy.  Well Reyering, with his helicopter dance celebrations and brash personality may be just what the doctor ordered.  He even enjoyed being smacked around when they ran a fake in practice.

Reyering is never shy on confidence and has always shown an ability to bounce back from bad performances.

I may not know if this latest move by Groh will be genius or a disaster but I do know this: it'll be entertaining to watch.

Where: Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL
When: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 7:00 PM
What: 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying semi final Round
Prediction: U.S. wins 2-0

The U.S. kicks the home section of the semi final round of World Cup qualifying with a game with Trinidad and Tobago in Chicago. The U.S. is in an interesting group with Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala.

The teams play a round-robin schedule with the top two teams advancing to next year’s regional finals, which will produce three World Cup qualifiers and a fourth team that goes to a playoff against the number five nation in South America for another berth.

While the U.S. will be favorites to take the top spot in the group it will not be easy with trough road trips to Cuba (first time in 61 years), a date at Guatemala’s intimidating Estadio Mateo Flores on August 20th and a test in Port of Spain against a resurgent Trinidad and Tobago.

With such difficult road games it is essential that the U.S. get maximum points from all its home games.

This World Cup game is perfectly timed for the U.S. as the European season will be underway, and the MLS season is still in full swing. That means all the U.S. players who play in Europe will be available for selection including Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley and Freddy Adu.

In exhibition games this earlier this summer against England, Spain and Argentina, it was very apparent that the U.S. was lacking a quality goal scorer. Whether Brian Ching or Kenny Cooper can step up and fill that role will determine how far the U.S. gets in South Africa in 2010.

The Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago are trying to recapture the kind of form that saw them reach their first FIFA World Cup finals two years ago in Germany.

T&T hopes took a big hit in the summer when Kenwyne Jones of Sunderland was injured against England and he will miss this game. T&T is led by Stern John of Southampton who is the country’s all-time top scorer and finished only two strikes behind Mexico’s Jared Borgetti in the race for CONCACAF’s top marksman honors in the qualifiers for Germany.

Other Trinidad stars expected to be in the squad for this game are Gary Glasgow, Densil Theobald, Avery John and Carlos Edwards and Marvin Andrews.

Buy U.S. vs Trinidad Tickets

Stadium Location:
Toyota Park
7000 S. Harlem Avenue
Bridgeview, IL 60455
708-594-7700

Parking Fees: Cars $15; Limos $30; Buses/RVs $30

Directions:
Toyota Park is centrally located approximately 15 miles southwest of downtown Chicago in Bridgeview, Ill. The stadium is easily accessible from the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and is approximately 5 minutes from Midway Airport.

From Chicago:
Use I-55 South and exit to Harlem Avenue. Turn left at Harlem Avenue, and continue south 2.5 miles to the stadium entrance.

From North:
Take I-294 East to I-55 North and exit to LaGrange Road south. Merge left onto Archer Avenue, continue east on Archer Avenue 2.5 miles, and turn right onto Roberts Road. Follow Roberts Road south to 71st Street, turn left, and proceed east to the stadium.

From West:
Take I-55 North and exit to LaGrange Road south. Merge left onto Archer Avenue, continue east on Archer Avenue 2.5 miles, and turn right onto Roberts Road. Follow Roberts Road south to 71st Street, turn left, and proceed east to the stadium.

From Southeast:
Use 79th, 87th or 95th Street to access Harlem Avenue. Turn right onto Harlem Avenue. Continue north on Harlem Avenue to parking lot entrances at 70th and Harlem.

From South:
Use I-294 West and exit to 95th Street. Turn left at 95th Street, continue west to Roberts Road, and turn right. Follow Roberts Road north 3 miles to 71st Street and turn right. Proceed east on 71st Street to the stadium.

From Southwest Suburbs:
Use LaGrange Rd. or Harlem Avenue. to 95th Street. From Harlem Avenue, go west to Roberts Road and turn right. Follow Roberts Road north 3 miles to 71st Street and turn right. Proceed east on 71st Street to the stadium

From 95th St. and LaGrange Road go east to Roberts Road and turn left. Follow Roberts Road north 3 miles to 71st Street and turn right. Proceed east on 71st Street to the stadium.

Public Transportation:

CTA – Orange Line
Fans may take the CTA Orange line to Midway. At Midway, you can connect to the “TOYOTA PARK Express” PACE BUS. The bus will drop you off at TOYOTA PARK and will also be available to bring you back to the Midway stop after the conclusion of the game.

Buy U.S. vs Trinidad Tickets

Dear Major League Soccer,

I've been holding this in for some time, but I think it's time I expressed my true feelings:

I hate you.

I know this may seem harsh after the long relationship we've had. From DC United's MLS Championships to Ricardo Clark's assault on Carlos Ruiz. From McBride leaving the Crew to Taylor Twellman crying every year at the finals. It's been a great ride, but I can't hide it any longer. I hate you.

Every weekend I am forced to watch slow, boring, uninteresting and horrific soccer. It's painful. But like an annoying girlfriend that's been around for years and years, it's been hard to sever the tie.

Of course, there are Brian Ching's amazing headers and DeRosario's ridiculous bending free kicks. Then there is the speed of Dominic Oduro and the flying saves of Matt Reis. I won't deny that you give me some action here and there, but it's time you accept the fact that it's just not good enough. The problem is that the breathtaking moments happen rarely.

For the most part, it's terrible.

I hope that one day you will realize that the reason for your lack of quality, dullness, horrible first touches, and never ending turnovers can easily be fixed with one small adjustment. Beckham isn't playing in the United States because of prestige or distinction. He is here for the money, and maybe because the United States isn't a bad place to live and work, especially when your wife is the boss.

He is here because he is making $1,000,000.00 per week. Whether it's endorsements, jersey and ticket sales, Adidas contracts or just plain salary. Beckham makes more in one day than some MLS players make in a year.

It doesn't sound right because it isn't right. It's simple: quality players will leave when they are offered more money.

Adjust your salary regulations and maybe the future Altidores will be happy with their surrounding players, their salary and (oh yes, it IS possible), world class play in the United States. Until then, we are officially on a break and I will be fulfilling my needs with every means possible.

Even if it means watching Mexico's horrific excuse for a league.

Until we meet again, Diego

By winning against Toronto, the New England Revolution assured that they will have the best record in the east at the half way point of the season and that Revolutuion coach Steve Nicol will coach the MLS All-Stars against West Ham United FC of the English Premier League on July 24

Dynamo, FC Dallas tie 1-1
Kenny Cooper scored in the 62nd minute to help FC Dallas tie the Houston Dynamo 1-1 on Thursday night. It was the third time this season FC Dallas and Houston have played to a tie. Brian Ching’s sixth goal in seven games gave Houston (4-4-7, 19 points) the lead before Cooper tied it up.

Houston (4-4-7, 19 points) missed a chance to tie Los Angeles for first in the Western Conference while FC Dallas (4-6-5, 17 points) is tied for fourth with Chivas USA.

New England 2, Toronto 1
Thanks to Steve Ralston, New England got back to its winning ways and beat Toronto FC, 2-1. After having their seven-game unbeaten streak snapped in their last match, the Revolution wasted little time getting on the scoreboard against Toronto.

Ralston scored his team-leading fifth goal in the 12th minute to supply New England with an early 1-0 lead. In the 59th minute Ralston struck again to record his first multi-goal game since September 18, 2004 and the fifth of his career.

In the 78th minute Toronto spoiled Matt Reis’ bid for his league-leading sixth shutout as Amado Guevara sent a free kick into the box and Maurice Edu battled for position and was able to head it past Reis. In the last ten minutes Reis once gain rescued NE with several outstanding saves.

Kansas City 1, Real Salt Lake 0
An own goal in the 89th minute helped the Kansas City Wizards snap a seven-game winless streak with a 1-0 triumph over Real Salt Lake. The Wizards’ last victory was a 1-0 win at Chicago on April 20. The shot was deflected in by defender Tony Beltran off a header by Kansas City’s Davy Arnau, which followed a free free kick 30 yards outside the penalty area.

Real Salt Lake (5-6-4) lost for the first time since a 2-1 defeat at FC Dallas on May 24. It was 3-0-2—a club-record unbeaten streak—over that span.

Chicago 0, San Jose 0
A rare scoreless draw in MLS as Jon Busch posted his fifth shutout of the season, and the once high-flying Chicago Fire extended their winless streak to four games with a 0-0 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes (3-8-3, 12 points).

Busch, who leads MLS in goals-against average, need just one save to record his 31st career blanking as the Fire (6-5-2) ended a season-long three-game losing skid. Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon made four saves en route to his fifth shutout of the season and 61st career.

NY Red Bulls 1, Chivas USA 1
Ante Razov scored during first-half stoppage time to rally Chivas USA to a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls at The Home Depot Center. Dave Van den Bergh scored in the 26th minute on a free kick for the Red Bulls (5-4-5).

Razov leveled the contest for Chivas USA (5-6-3) after cleaning up a Red Bulls’ miscue in their own end. With time winding down in the half, the Red Bulls turned the ball over, causing goalkeeper Jon Conway to attempt to play the ball. Razov gained possession and alertly fired a shot into the vacant net for his second goal of the season and 111th of his career.

Columbus 2, Colarado 1
Emmanuel Ekpo scored in the 70th minute to snap a tie and lead the Columbus Crew (8-4-2) to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids (5-8-1).

Columbus had opened the scoring when Schelotto scored from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute. The Rapids netted the equalizer just seven minutes later when Conor Casey sent a cross to Nick LaBrocca on the right side of the box. LaBrocca drilled the ball on the ground past Hesmer on the left side.

It has been roughly two weeks since Steve Morrow was removed as the head coach in Frisco, and the only thing clear about the coaching situation is that Jose Mourinho and Sven Goran-Eriksson are no longer in the picture. Truth be told, those two men were never in the picture in the first place.

Whether or not Morrow should have ever been removed is arguable in and of itself, but one thing has become clear: Marco Ferruzzi is not the answer for FCD. It's time for a swift resolution to this situation before the season is completely lost.

I'll be the first to admit I was very critical of Morrow early in the season. His decision to play a three-man defensive line was never tactically astute, nor is any coach who would dare to pretend that Dario Sala is an acceptable number one keeper in any league other than your local Sunday afternoon recreational league.

What was worse on Morrow's part was his reluctance to move away from the 3-5-2 and give Davino and Co. more help. He seemed to miss the most fundamental of rules in all of sports: to win you must outscore your opponent.

However, Morrow needed more time. This team preformed exceptionally under him last season despite being forced to play that wretched excuse for a soccer player that Denilson has become. Morrow obviously won't be brought back in to lead this team, but he deserves another shot in MLS... once the league decides it's time to grow up.

The real culprit in Dallas though is clearly Michael Hitchcock. The Dallas GM has failed to deliver on all of his promises. His handling of the Denilson situation would have handicapped this team if Morrow had not insisted on the escape clause after the first year of the contract.

It was Hitchcock who also promised nearly a dozen sell-outs by the end of this summer; he's currently on pace for three of those. But the most disgusting thing from a fan's standpoint is that two weeks into the search we've neither hired or moved on from the clear frontrunner for the Head Coach vacancy.

Schellas Hyndman is the head coach at Southern Methodist University, a good friend of the Hunt family (who own FCD), and the clear front runner for the job. But that's all we know.

Is he interested in the job? We don't know? Has he been offered the job? Before yes, but for the current vacancy we have no idea.

Hyndman has been a long time target for the Hunt Sports Group. They have offered him the job on several occasions and are more than prepared to make him the Czar of Pizza Hut Park. It's time to get moving.

After a run of three games with three red cards for FCD, it's very clear that this team is shockingly devoid of leadership. That void very clearly starts in the GM's office.

It is time to name a coach and if it's not Hyndman, it's time to talk to Bruce Arena. But more importantly, it may very well be time to make a change in the GM's office.

Please, for the sake of the FCD faithful, just do something positive before it's too late.