and the Supporters' Shield -- as they extended their unbeaten streak to eight games in an impressive week to highlight Week 23 in MLS over the weekend.
United opened the week with a six-game winning streak, which they took to Chivas USA and came away with a 2-2 draw with the hottest team in the Western Conference. Then on Sunday, after a cross-country trip, United scored three second-half goals to overcome a deficit for a 4-2 victory against the New England Revolution in a top-of-the-table clash. Emilio scored four of United's six goals in the week, shooting him into sole possession of the MLS Golden Boot.
Chivas USA maintained their good run on Sunday as well, rolling over the New York Red Bulls 3-0 at The Home Depot Center behind a pair of goals from their own in-form striker, Maykel Galindo. But they made up little ground in the Western Conference, as Houston Dynamo maintained their lead with a wild 4-3 win against Real Salt Lake behind a Nate Jaqua hat trick, and FC Dallas kept touch with a 2-0 win against Toronto FC, who saw their lengthy scoreless drought continue.
The Chicago Fire jumped into playoff position with a 1-0 victory at Columbus, leaping over both the Crew and Colorado, who saw the Los Angeles Galaxy keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a 3-1 home win against the Rapids.
At RFK Stadium, the teams came in separated by just a single point in not only the Eastern Conference standings but also the MLS overall table. United hadn't lost since July 22, lengthening their unbeaten streak on Thursday, while the Revolution were coming off a two-week layoff after winning for a second match in a row, Aug. 25 vs. New York.
United took the lead in a highly contested affair in the 31st minute. Jaime Moreno spied Fred slipping in behind the Revolution back line, and curled a pass over the top for the Brazilian to run onto. Despite a hint of offside, Fred brought the ball down before lashing home for his seventh goal, and fourth in the last six games.
But the Revolution pulled ahead with goals on either side of halftime. First, Khano Smith sent in a cross from the left corner that Taylor Twellman masterfully chested down before ripping home a left-footed drive from the heart of the area for his fourth goal in the last five games. Then nine minutes into the second half, Jay Heaps provided the final touch of a corner kick that bobbled on the line under Troy Perkins as he and a United defender desperately sought to keep it out.
Yet United came storming back. On a day that Moreno was honored in a pregame ceremony for taking over the league's all-time goalscoring lead, he came through. He latched onto a deflection of his own shot in the area before delicately chipping over Matt Reis for career goal No. 110 in the 59th minute.
Then Emilio salted the game away. He was given credit for the game-winner when Christian Gomez's shot from outside the area deflected off Emilio's left foot and went the other way past Matt Reis (67). But there was no question about his second: Brian Carroll made a storming run down the left flank and whipped in a cross for Emilio, who came running in at the near post and nodded home for his league-leading 18th goal on the campaign.
At The Home Depot Center on Sunday, Chivas USA saw their three-game winning run come to an end, despite coming back for an historic draw on Thursday against D.C. United, while the Red Bulls had stopped a two-game slide with a vital home win against Chicago the weekend before.
Chivas USA got the quick start they were looking for. A cross from Ante Razov over the goalmouth found Sacha Kljestan on the right, and after nutmegging Kevin Goldthwaite as he challenged, Kljestan drove in a low cross that Galindo knocked home first-time for a fourth-minute opener.
Galindo then doubled the Chivas lead in the 57th minute. Racing onto a long ball from the Chivas half, he outfought Seth Stammler to latch onto it before racing into the area and then chipping the ball over a recovered Stammler and New York goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus for his 11th goal on the season and fifth in the last five games.
Chivas put the game away 20 minutes from the end when substitute Laurent Merlin was bundled over the area. Ante Razov stepped up and converted the first penalty awarded to the Red-and-White since October of last year, his seventh of the year and now the 106th of his league career.
At Robertson Stadium, Houston Dynamo were looking to recover from a stretch that had seen them win just once in seven games, while Real Salt Lake were coming off back-to-back wins for the first time all season.
It didn't take long for Jaqua and Dynamo to provide a preview of coming events. Corey Ashe picked up a loose ball on the left side of the area and drove in a low cross that Jaqua turned home after just six minutes. But Real pulled level in the 18th minute when Fabian Espindola claimed the ball after a challenge and, from almost on the byeline on the left, ripped a low drive off the inside of the far post for his second MLS goal.
Yet just 10 minutes later Dynamo again took the lead. Richard Mulrooney served in a free kick from out on the left, and Eddie Robinson outleaped the RSL defense to nod home. Then three minutes after the second-half restart, Jaqua hit for his second in almost a carbon copy of his first, touching a rolling Ashe cross from the left past RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando.
Jaqua completed his hat trick and put Dynamo up 4-1 in the 57th minute -- again assisted by Ashe. This time it was the aerial route, the rookie sending a high cross to the back post that Jaqua headed down for his sixth goal of the year, fifth since moving to Houston from the LA Galaxy.
But Real weren't done. Javier Morales drove in a corner and Carey Talley nosed in front of Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad to head home in the 69th minute. Then RSL cut the lead to one in the 82nd minute when Kyle Brown latched onto a deflected shot in the Houston box and banged it home, but they could get no closer.
At Pizza Hut Park, both teams were looking to put an end to losing runs. FC Dallas had lost back-to-back games, both by shutout, while Toronto FC hadn't won since July 4, losing three in a row, and hadn't scored in nearly 11 hours of play.
Both goals came from the penalty spot. In the 36th minute, Abe Thompson was tripped up as he got behind TFC defender Tyrone Marshall in the area, and referee Hilario Grajeda pointed to the spot for the first time. The recently acquired Denilson -- who was at the heart of all the dangerous moments for FCD on the night -- knocked the penalty off the inside of the post, across the line and in for his first MLS goal.
Then in the 87th minute, Toronto defender Joey Melo wrapped up FCD striker Dominic Oduro as he tried to round him in the box, and Thompson converted this time to finish off the match.
Toronto had, once again, done everything but score. In the 84th minute Collin Samuel leapt at a rebound in the area and sent it goalward, but somehow FCD 'keeper Dario Sala came flying across to push the ball away with his left palm, and ensure TFC's MLS-record goalless streak would be at 732 minutes by game's end.
At Crew Stadium, the Crew came into the game still grimly hanging on to the final playoff spot, despite not having won since July 22, while the Fire were looking to continue a turnaround that had seen three wins and a draw in their last six games.
The game was delayed for more than a half-hour at the 38-minute mark as lightning storms and torrential rains rolled through the Ohio capital, nearly leaving the field flooded.
But there was no abandonment, and the visitors scored the game's lone goal in the 65th minute, just seconds after Marcos Gonzalez had hit the post at the other end for Columbus.
The newly acquired Wilman Conde flighted a long ball from the Chicago half over the top, and Paulo Wanchope ghosted behind the Crew back line to get onto the end of it. Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer slipped as he tried to come off his line, and that gave Wanchope the opening to curl home a shot for his second goal with the Fire.
At The Home Depot Center on Saturday, the Rapids came in riding a four-game unbeaten streak on the heels of a 10-game winless run, while the Galaxy were in the throes of a six-game league losing run and eight games without a win in MLS play.
After a quiet first half, the game sprang to life just after the break. Peter Vagenas played a ball over the top into the Rapids area, and as 'keeper Bouna Coundoul came off his line to try and claim it, it somehow skidded past him and Alan Gordon raced around him to tuck it home.
On the play Coundoul was injured and soon had to leave the game. In the 63rd minute Galaxy striker Edson Buddle beat substitute Zach Thornton as he raced in on a breakaway, chipping the ball over the MLS original to finish off a quick counterattack.
Seven minutes later the Galaxy made it 3-0 on a great goal. Chris Klein overlapped on the right and hooked in a cross to the back post where Kyle Martino came diving in to power home a header inside Thornton and the near stick.
The Rapids pulled a goal back a minute from the end when Mehdi Ballouchy stormed in to blast home a half-cleared free kick sent in from the right corner, but that was all Colorado could get.
On Thursday, it was a meeting of the two hottest teams in the league and United got off to a dream start against Chivas USA. A terrific touch from Christian Gomez found Jaime Moreno, who slid the ball to Luciano Emilio at the top of the area, and he cracked a rising blast into the upper left corner to give United a third-minute lead.
In the 26th minute, United had doubled the lead and Emilio had doubled his haul. This time Emilio sprung Moreno on the right, who ripped a bounding blast from the corner of the area. Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan was able to parry the shot, but the rebound fell right to Emilio in the goalmouth and he hooked it high into the goal.
But Chivas got some good fortune to start their fight back six minutes later. Troy Perkins came out of the area to clear a rolling ball -- and drove it right into Ante Razov. The ball bounced off Razov's back and past Perkins, trickling back to the goal and over the line just before the United 'keeper could pull it back.
On the hour, Chivas completed their comeback. A long cross was chased down by Sacha Kljestan on the right, and he cut to goal before laying back a pass for Lawson Vaughn. The defender hit a low shot that took a deflection on its way to goal, leaving Perkins helpless as it found home for his first professional goal.
