who did what, what it means and what to look for next:
Toronto FC 1, Houston 0
Man of the match: Ronnie O'Brien was on the spot to knock away one early ball that got past goalkeeper Greg Sutton and could have scuttled TFC's first clean sheet. Later in the first half, the Irish flanker served a perfect ball on a free kick that turned into the only goal Toronto would need to take down the champions.
Bigger picture: Things looked grim earlier this year for TFC. But with two wins already, Mo Johnston's team is well on its way to easily eclipsing the previous low-water mark for expansion clubs: Chivas USA won just four games in their debut season in 2005.
Pressure point: Any match involving Houston right now is a 1-0 contest waiting to happen. Five of Dynamo's first seven (a total which includes the club's match on Saturday as well) have been 1-0 results. Another was a scoreless draw.
FC Dallas 2, Chicago 1
Man of the match: Young Colombian Juan Toja is looking like one of the league's top offseason signings. His tireless running gets him into spots of influence all over the field. Thursday, Toja's late run into the Fire penalty area turned into a game-winning goal, his second match decider in a row for Dallas.
Bigger picture: Toja can get forward more comfortably now because Pablo Ricchetti is available to sit deep in the middle of a three-man midfield. With Adrian Serioux running again and aiming for a June or early July return, the middle of the FCD lineup looks better and better going forward.
Pressure point: Fire coach Dave Sarachan experimented by pushing promising defender Dasan Robinson into the midfield. But Robinson seemed uncomfortable there. With Chris Armas not having an especially effective match in distributing the ball from his central spot, and with Chicago unable to field a right-sided player who can pose much of a threat, Robinson had little chance to make much of an impact.
Colorado 1, Kansas City 1
Man of the match: Rapids veteran Pablo Mastroeni enjoyed another strong match at center back, which is especially impressive considering how much injury-related instability the back line is dealing with at the moment.
Bigger picture: Previously injured Carlos Marinelli was a 53rd minute substitute for the Wizards and he definitely adds something to the offense when he's available. On the other hand, he, Eddie Johnson and Yura Movsisyan don't seem to read each other well at times, something bound to improve with more time in games and in training.
Pressure point: Since christening Dick's Sporting Goods Park so successfully with a rousing win against D.C. United in the MLS season opener, the Rapids have posted three ties and a loss at their new ground. The lack of results at home somewhat mitigates that great road result from a week earlier in New York.
New England 1, at Houston 0
Man of the match: Goalkeeper Matt Reis' night included a big effort on Ricardo Clark's point-blank shot and a couple of other telling saves. Plus, the preternaturally composed 'keeper was always in command as the New England defense absorbed lots of pressure and held off eight Dynamo corner kicks.
Bigger picture: The Revs know how to get it done on the road, where they rarely are dominant, but simply recognize how to win games. (Even games when they take just three shots, as in Saturday's contest.) They remain well organized defensively, don't panic when the opponents control possession and know that Taylor Twellman will make any chance dangerous at the other end. The result: they are 3-1-2 on the road this year.
Pressure point: The frustration may be sinking in at Robertson Stadium, where Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario each vented toward the referee. One star, at least, is keeping his poise: Ricardo Clark was Houston's best player.
New York 4, Columbus 0
Man of the match: Juan Pablo Angel was at his opportunistic best as the Red Bulls demonstrated how to make the very most of limited chances. His night included a goal and an assist and 90 minutes worth of smart, selfless work off the ball.
Bigger picture: Bruce Arena has some interesting choices ahead. John Wolyniec was strong Saturday but must (most likely) move to the bench for promising Jozy Altidore to get time. And injured midfielder Markus Schopp should return from injury soon. But does that put surprising rookie Dane Richards on the bench? Arena mentioned in post-game comments that he might rest Richards here and there to help the youngster avoid hitting the "rookie wall."
Pressure point: With four goals in seven matches, the Crew are actually on pace to dip even lower in offensive production than in 2006, when the club recorded just 30 goals in 32 games and flirted with the all-time league mark in that category. Making a difference around goal was, once again, was the culprit Saturday.
D.C. United 2, at Toronto 1Man of the match: United forward Guy-Roland Kpene changed the match with his energy, his defense-stretching speed and nice passing. United midfielder Brian Carroll also had what was probably his best match this year.
Bigger picture: Mo Johnston's TFC team can't be faulted for effort. The Canadians lead the league in fouls and yellow cards. They had 20 fouls and four cautions at BMO on Saturday. Three fouls were on Danny Dichio, who is going to continue to be a physical presence and a menace for opposing defenders.
Pressure point: Tom Soehn has some choices to make where Jaime Moreno is concerned. Moreno was more effective Saturday after he dropped back into the midfield. On the other hand, Moreno may not have the speed to play there permanently without becoming a defensive liability, so the manager would have to add a defensive midfield structure around him - and even the league's newest 108-goal scorer might not deserve all that.
FC Dallas 2, Real Salt Lake 1
Man of the match: Chris Gbandi was having a stellar match even before his back-breaking game-winner blew into the upper right corner. Little trouble came down his side on defense - especially with the hard-working Juan Toja screening the left side in front of Gbandi.
Bigger picture: Carlos Ruiz was back in the first 11 Sunday after missing one start due to injury and another due to disciplinary action. Something still seems missing from his game, however, as Ruiz continues to struggle to make an offensive imprint on matches. Then again, he started the 2007 season slowly, without a goal in the team's first five matches, then rallied to record 13 for the year.
Pressure point: The match at Pizza Hut Park was the first of four road contests in 14 days for Jason Kreis' team, including a U.S. Open Cup contest Wednesday at Colorado. Andy Williams might be part of the solution as Kreis looks for his first win as a head coach; Williams' introduction Sunday enlivened RSL, which was a much better team after intermission and may have deserved at least a point off the match.
Los Angeles Galaxy 1, Chivas USA 1
Man of the match: Chivas USA's Maykel Galindo attacked unpredictably all afternoon, going at the Galaxy defense from various angles. And he got the game's first goal on a perfectly timed run.
Bigger picture: Maybe the Super Clasico should always be played at night, as both the crowd and the players seem just a little more lively under the lights. The fans inside the nearly-packed Home Depot Center never seemed to achieve the fever pitch usually attached to this rivalry. Perhaps if Landon Donovan had converted his early chance, the game would have evolved differently and the crowd would have reacted in kind.
Pressure point: The Galaxy defense was certainly better than in last week's stinging home loss to New England. Rookie center back Ty Harden enjoyed a much improved match, all but neutralizing Chivas USA forward Ante Razov. The Chivas defense wasn't bad overall, but where in the world was any pressure on Donovan as he drove home the equalizer? Talk about the one guy Chivas can't lose track of inside the penalty area.
THIS AND THAT FROM WEEK 7
Technician's notebook:
• Clint Mathis served as an attacking midfielder Saturday, and credit the Red Bulls veteran with plenty of defensive industry in the club's 4-0 win. Mathis would probably prefer the second forward's spot, but having him available to be effective in different roles provides Arena the luxury of greater options.
• Young Rapids midfielder Jacob Peterson seems to bring something to the Colorado offense. He came into Saturday's 1-1 draw with Kansas City and made things happen with his speed, entering the match in the 69th minute for Herculez Gomez.
• Tom Soehn's decision to remove defender Facundo Erpen and replace him with forward Kpene helped D.C. United seize control of the team's win against Toronto. Not only did United add an extra attacker, but the bold, attack-minded move allowed Moreno to drop into the midfield.
• Earlier this year after a win at Los Angeles, FCD manager Steve Morrow played basically the same lineup three days later at the New York Red Bulls, with horrible results. This time he followed a Thursday win (and subsequent travel) by making three changes for a Sunday date, all on the front line. Dominic Oduro, Carlos Ruiz and Arturo Alvarez started in the places of Ramon Nunez, Kenny Cooper and Abe Thompson - albeit in a different tactical arrangement.
Kinnear has work to do: Houston manager Dominic Kinnear obviously has some issues to sort out. Not only are some players showing signs of frustration, but Dwayne De Rosario continues to struggle with inconsistency. Saturday, Kinnear removed the two-time MLS MVP runner-up when the club trailed in a match - which certainly must signal the manager's growing concern. Kinnear seems to be facing the first real crisis of his managerial career - and this is when coaches truly test themselves.
Robinson called up: Just when things were going better for Toronto (with two wins in its last three matches), the team will lose important midfielder Carl Robinson for two matches. The Welshman has been summoned for national team duty, as his country faces New Zealand in a May 26 exhibition and then meets the Czech Republic in a Euro 2008 qualifier on June 2. The club expects Robinson to return for its home match against the New York Red Bulls on June 6.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
