who did what, what it means and what to look for next:
Kansas City 2, Colorado 2
Man of the match: Davy Arnaud did the heavy lifting on both goals - even if he got only one assist officially. Yes, it was Eddie Johnson who recorded his league-leading 11th and 12th strikes. But Arnaud spun past defender Ugo Ihemelu brilliantly to set up K.C.'s first goal, and then maneuvered his way past two defenders before hitting the post and creating the tap-in second goal.
Bigger picture: The Rapids' desperation tactics - kick, frustrate and foul tactically - worked as the Wizards got worked up about matters and slipped away from their usual fast passing, fast movement game. But who could blame Fernando Clavijo's team for trying to get results by any means? The Rapids were 0-6-2 with just three goals since May before Sunday's match.
Pressure point: This was a rugged match, with eight yellow cards and one red - and there probably should have been further ejections. So rancorous was the match, Wizards manager Curt Onalfo nearly got into a scuffle en route to the tunnel at halftime. And league officials, as they have previously this year, might well take a look at Mehdi Ballouchy's vicious elbow at the halftime whistle. It drew only yellow, but took Sasha Victorine out of the match.
New York 1, D.C. United 0
Man of the match: Claudio Reyna has a little chameleon in him. This game was short on fluid movement and reliable passing, but long on defensive will and hustle. So Reyna spent his evening at Giants Stadium orchestrating, protecting the inconsistent back line and generally doing what he could to produce some offense in the absence of Juan Pablo Angel.
Bigger picture: Jaime Moreno and Ben Olsen might not exactly be young men anymore, but they are important to United. Neither played Sunday, and Olsen was especially missed for the bite and presence he brings. And Juan Pablo Angel was obviously missed by a Red Bulls team that directed just two shots on goal, despite playing at home.
Pressure point: The last three times on the field, Tom Soehn's club has lost to Harrisburg in the U.S. Open Cup, saw a 3-0 lead disappear against FC Dallas and fell to the Red Bulls. With SuperLiga and its potent field starting this week, it's not a good time for a slump. United appears to have plenty of competent players, but not enough who are making a difference at the moment.
Columbus 2, Toronto 0
Man of the match: Guillermo Barros Schelotto followed a relatively quiet first half with a much more active second. He supplied a nice pass out wide, then slipped into the penalty area with an unnoticed, late run to open the scoring. His pinpoint free kick goal for a 2-0 lead seemed to suck all the remaining life from Toronto.
Bigger picture: Sigi Schmid's Crew have things figured out at home, where Columbus has won its last four. In fact, the most recent three wins were shutouts. After ample tinkering, Schmid seems finally to have identified players who will produce results. Danny Szetela, fresh off a good tournament in the FIFA Under-20 Championships, became the 25th player to start for Columbus this year. With a good account Sunday he gives Schmid yet another option.
Pressure point: While players all around him flourish, Eddie Gaven had another quiet match for the Crew. With Kei Kamara, Andy Herron and Robbie Rogers, among others, available to start, Gaven could soon be relegated to sub duty unless he can begin bothering defenses the way he did early in the season.
New England 3, Houston 3
Man of the match: Pat Noonan's opener for the revolution was brilliant improvisation as he slyly and skillfully chipped onrushing Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad. Later, Noonan's important assist on Taylor Twellman's goal was all about desire. Noonan worked around defender Eddie Robinson, poking a ball into the middle for an easy finish.
Bigger picture: David Beckham might be the talk of the league, but Houston Dynamo is clearly the class of it right now. Dominic Kinnear's team is unbeaten in 11 matches - although that nifty shutout streak was chopped off at 726 minutes. Houston played level with a good New England side despite missing starting midfielders Ricardo Clark, Brian Mullan and Brad Davis. Now, they'll have to sustain momentum through SuperLiga, hoping to emerge on the other side without losing initiative in the MLS Supporters' Shield chase.
Pressure point: Steve Nicol-coached teams aren't used to allowing three goals or more in matches. And yet that has happed three times in the Revs' last eight MLS matches. Jay Heaps is getting beaten too often in one-on-one matchups. The spectacularly steady Michael Parkhurst misplayed a ball Sunday that led to Houston's second goal. And a Wells Thompson giveaway was the genesis of Dwayne De Rosario's 28-yard wonder strike.
THIS AND THAT FROM ROUND 16
Technician's notebook:
• Sometimes goals originate off defensive breakdowns: lack of pressure on the man with the ball, failure to mark off the ball, etc. But sometimes, it just comes down to individual battles. Check out a breakdown of Kansas City's opening goal against Colorado: Sasha Victorine beats Rapids defender Facundo Erpen on the dribble to penetrate the attacking third. Victorine finds Davy Arnaud, who takes a touch and spins around Ugo Ihemelu, which is no small feat considering the center back's excellent speed. Then Eddie Johnson's burst of speed puts the necessary half-step of separation on Brandon Prideaux. Johnson gets to the right spot before a sliding Prideaux and slips the ball into the near post.
• If Eddie Johnson could stay alert for the early ball out of midfield the way Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan and Andy Dorman watch for the quick release from Shalrie Joseph in New England, the Wizards would be even more dangerous than they are.
• Danny Szetela played as a defensive midfielder Sunday alongside Danny O'Rourke for Columbus. His introduction into the Crew starting lineup does three important things for the Crew: First, he hits a nice diagonal ball, which gives the Crew the option of being a bit more direct. It makes the Crew a bit more athletic in the middle, as opposed to when Duncan Oughton is in there. And, Szetela's continued performance would allow Stefani Miglioranzi to remain at left back, where he looks quite comfortable and more effective than Rusty Pierce, who has held that spot for most of the year. With Chad Marshall and Marcos Gonzalez continuing to get it done in the middle, and Frankie Hejduk enjoying a turn-back-the-clock season at right back, Columbus suddenly seems to have a crackerjack back line.
• The Wizards second goal against came off a Colorado midfield giveaway. There is no better team in MLS this year - perhaps ever - at punishing teams' mistakes in their own half. It was Facundo Erpen who gave this one away for Colorado.
• Mehdi Ballouchy debuted for Colorado after last week's trade (in a swap with Real Salt Lake for Kyle Beckerman). Ballouchy hustled around as part of a three-man central triangle. But, just like at RSL, Ballouchy gets less effective as he gets closer to the opposition goal. He passes well enough in the middle third, but can't quite manage to create the difference-making sequences in the attacking third. Jovan Kirovski, meanwhile, who has spent most of his time for the Rapids this year as an attacking midfielder, played as a second forward alongside Herculez Gomez.
Something of a shocker: In a match with eight yellow cards and one ejection, tough guys Pablo Mastroeni and Nick Garcia carefully avoided entry into referee Tim Weyland's notebook. That's not to say that Mastroeni didn't have an impact on this combustible match. He was the catalyst for two Kansas City yellow cards within the game's first 32 minutes. Mastroeni frustrated Carlos Marinelli to the point that he collected an early caution. Then Mastroeni verbally baited Eddie Johnson, who gave the Rapids' veteran midfielder just enough of a shove to draw yellow.
Sarcastic comment of the night: This from Columbus Crew play-by-play announcer Dwight Burgess, who obviously believes Guillermo Barros Schelotto should have been an All-Star selection, after the Argentinean wiz scored his second on the night: "If Schelotto keeps doing things like that, he may find himself an All-Star!"
Guessing on the spot (kicks): It used to be that goalkeepers needed to guess left or right in order to have any hope of stopping a spot kick. Now, however, holding your spot is a real option - or should be. Landon Donovan is putting most of his spot kicks (internationally and in MLS) right down the middle. And so did Jovan Kirovski for Colorado on Sunday.
All-Star recovery blues: Did the All-Star game (and accompanying travel) adversely affect some MLS highlight makers? Ronnie O'Brien, who busily patrolled the right wing Thursday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park against Celtic, didn't have a good night passing Sunday against Columbus. Shalrie Joseph did OK in New England, but did fail to track Brian Ching on Dynamo's second goal. And Revs standout Michael Parkhurst wasn't at his best on that goal, either. All three played at least 80 minutes in the All-Stars' 2-0 win Thursday.
Ching's big July: Brian Ching has shaken off a slow start to 2007 and has now scored in three of Dynamo's last five matches. He got Nos. 5 and 6 for the season Sunday against the Revs. He must like July; Ching struck in three of Houston's five July matches last year.
Another "De Ro" candidate: Joseph Ngwenya's audacious goal in Chicago on July 12 is going to be hard to top for Goal of the Year. But you just know Dwayne De Rosario, master of the jaw-dropping effort, is going to have something to say in that matter. De Rosario has won the yearly honor twice and was a finalist one other year. His bending, dipping 28-yard strike might well be in the mix this year.
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.
