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 off 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.
At Arrowhead Stadium, the Wizards spoiled Fernando Clavijo's coaching debut with the Rapids by holding on for victory. The Wizards took a 2-0 lead into the halftime interval with a pair of goals in a six-minute span, Josh Wolff latching onto a long ball from Sasha Victorine before coolly hammering home an angled drive (34), then Jack Jewsbury pounding home a rebound of a blocked Wolff shot from just inside the penalty area (40).
The Rapids pulled a goal back through new signing Jeff Cunningham, who powerfully headed home a Chris Henderson cross (54), yet the Wizards restored their advantage when Wolff ran at the Colorado defense before freeing Chris Klein on the right, and he slotted home inside the far post (61).
The visitors caused some tense moments when they again cut the lead to one through Mark Chung, who ran onto a ball poked into the Wizards box and ripped a scorching drive past Bo Oshoniyi (81), but the Wizards held out for the win.
At Giants Stadium, an unbelievably difficult night greeted Real Salt Lake as they played to a scoreless draw with the MetroStars. Torrential rain and winds gusting up to 48 miles per hour made passing almost impossible, not to mention any sort of cohesive play.
Still, Real goalkeeper D.J. Countess was the hero on the night with two tremendous saves, saving from Sergio Galvan Rey in the first half when the Colombian striker raced in alone on goal, and then a remarkable stop on John Wolyniec in the second half when he dove to turn away a downward header.
At Crew Stadium, the new Columbus strike force of Edson Buddle and Ante Razov punished lax Galaxy marking for all three goals as the Crew ran their record unbeaten streak to 19 league matches.
Buddle scored the first two goals -- both within minutes of the start of each half -- with the sublimest of touches. He opened the Columbus account in the eighth minute when he met a Manny Lagos with a glancing header while completely alone in the area, then after the break, was allowed to stroll onto the end of a curling Razov freekick from the flank and touch it home from inside the goal area (47).
Razov then finished off the night when a cross intended for Buddle was cleared by a Galaxy defender -- but only as far as Razov, who calmly finished (54). The Galaxy's new signing, Landon Donovan, was unable to play after suffering from flu-like symptoms.
FC Dallas celebrated their change of name and look with a victory at the Cotton Bowl -- the club's big offseason signings all doing their part in the victory.
Richard Mulrooney -- a winter acquisition from San Jose -- gave FC Dallas a dream start when he smashed home a half-volley from outside the area after just two minutes, a Ronnie O'Brien cross from the left helped on by a flick header from another new boy, striker Carlos Ruiz.
Then just two minutes after the break, star U.S. international striker Eddie Johnson kept up his blinding form with his first league goal, diving in to head home a Carey Talley cross, neatly putting the ball off the inside of the post.
Fire defender Leonard Griffin was sent off in the 51st minute for a second bookable offense, but Kelly Gray pulled a goal back for the visitors with 17 minutes left. He headed the rebound of a saved Jesse Marsch shot into an unguarded goal, yet it wasn't enough.
A year ago at Spartan Stadium, the Earthquakes snatched a late draw with the Revolution with two goals in stoppage time. While not quite as dramatic in the season opener this year, the result was the same -- 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).
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
