if only reversed.
The rebuilt Earthquakes opened a two-goal lead in the game's first 21 minutes, Brian Ching left completely unmarked to head home a Brad Davis cross from the left (13), then Ronald Cerritos converting from the penalty spot after Ricardo Clark was upended in the area after rounding Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis on a play where the New England 'keeper was fortunate not to receive his marching orders.
But it was a new Revolution side after the break, and they eventually pulled level. Pat Noonan ran onto a long ball out of midfield from Clint Dempsey that beat the offside trap and slotted home for the first (52).
Then after Taylor Twellman hit the crossbar and was denied by San Jose 'keeper Pat Onstad on a breakaway -- and after the Quakes were reduced to 10 men when Eddie Robinson was sent off -- the Revolution claimed the equalizer when Twellman gathered in a long ball from substitute James Riley, rounded a defender and Onstad and rolled the ball into the empty net (73).
Here's Kinnear's team (4-4-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel, Troy Dayak, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Danny O'Rourke, Ricardo Clark (Ian Russell 86), Brad Davis - Ronald Cerritos (Ryan Cochrane 72), Brian Ching (Alejandro Moreno 68)
"It was really a tale of two halves," said Kinnear. We came out great and I thought that we deserved to be up 2-0 at halftime. We wanted to keep going forward in the second half, but I think that we got too stretched out and they took advantage of that. We are disappointed because we could have had three points."
Said Dayak: "We're a very young team -- we're going to get better. Most of the game was like a prizefight -- it was back and forth with no tempo. When we stopped tackling, we struggled a bit."
The Earthquakes set a club record for fouls committed in a match when they were called for 30 fouls by referee Baldomero Toledo. The previous mark was 27, set in a match against the Chicago Fire on May 26, 2002.
CD CHIVAS USA
The Chivas USA era began on a bit of a frustrating note, as defending MLS Cup champion D.C. United claimed a 2-0 victory against the expansion club on Saturday afternoon at The Home Depot Center. Chivas are not alone at the foot of the Western Conference, as they are one of three clubs without a point from their first weekend.
Before a passionate crowd decked out in the red and white stripes of parent club Chivas de Guadalajara, D.C. United spoiled the first-ever match for Chivas USA -- coached by Thomas Rongen, who led United to the third of their four MLS Cup triumphs in 1999.
Josh Gros put United ahead in the first half with the simplest of tap-ins of a rolling Brian Carroll cross at the far post after a counterattack split apart the Chivas defense (32). Then after Chivas had narrowly missed a number of quality chances, Christian Gomez put the game away 14 minutes from the end when he deftly chipped Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan after latching on to the ball in the penalty area.
Chivas USA coach Thomas Rongen sent out his team as expected, but he was forced into a change after barely a half-hour when Francisco Gomez was injured in a tackle. That meant Francisco Mendoza came on and assumed the attacking midfield role, with Hector Cuadros dropping deeper in midfield.
Here's Rongen's team (4-3-3): Brad Guzan - Ezra Hendrickson, Aaron Lopez (Isaac Romo 74), Ryan Suarez, Orlando Perez - Francisco Gomez (Francisco Mendoza 32), Hector Cuadros, Ramon Ramirez - Arturo Torres (Antonio Martinez 58), Thiago Martins, Matt Taylor
"We are extremely disappointed that we couldn't show our fans more than zero points," Rongen said. "On the other hand, I thought we displayed some things that will make us a good team. On the counters, an experienced team was able to expose us, but overall, there are a lot of positives. Unfortunately, the negative is that we couldn't get a result out of it.'
Experience really showed in the timing of the two United goals. On the first, Mendoza had just come on as the substitute for Gomez, and while Chivas were still getting organized, United broke on the counter. On the second, Ezra Hendrickson was just getting up from a heavy collision and again D.C. took advantage.
"Those were the two softest goals I've ever seen," Ryan Suarez said. "At the end of the day, there's no excuses. I don't much (care) if we're a new team or if this guy speaks Spanish or if this guy speaks (Portuguese) and we speak English. The game's universal. You need to understand it. Counterattacks? That's the easiest thing to stop .You either take a foul and you get your yellow card or you get numbers behind the ball."
Said Chivas captain Ramon Ramirez: "In soccer, a few seconds of a lack concentration can cost you the game and I think that's what it was today. Today we saw where we stand and where we need to improve and get better as a team in order to compete in this league."
The club suffered a significant loss during the week when an MRI examination showed Gomez suffered a sprain of his left ankle and MCL in his left knee. He will be out of action for 4-6 weeks.
Costa Rican international central defender Douglas Sequeira rejoined the club in training this week, after missing the opener following his participation in his country's two World Cup qualifying matches immediately prior, a 2-1 home win against Panama and a scoreless draw away to Trinidad & Tobago.
