for the visitors. In the 25th minute, a terrific ball from Brandon McDonald from the center circle freed Chris Klein all alone down the right flank, and he finished with aplomb for the opener.
Edson Buddle started his goal-scoring bonanza six minutes later. Taking the ball outside the area, he raced forward, powered through a trio of FCD defenders and lashed a left-footed shot home.
The score was 3-0 in the 34th minute when Duilio Davino deflected a Landon Donovan cross from the left side into his own goal, then five minutes later, Davino popped up a corner kick clearance in the goal area and Buddle came in to poke it home from close range.
FC Dallas pulled a goal back after the break when Kenny Cooper stood up his defender on the left and popped in a cross from Dominic Oduro to head home for his first goal on the campaign. But 10 minutes after FCD were left a man down when Adrian Serioux was sent off for a hard tackle on David Beckham, Buddle completed his hat trick when he headed home a classic Beckham outswinging early cross from the right flank.
At BMO Field, the hottest teams in Major League Soccer were meeting in the second Trillium Cup match on the year, Toronto FC with three wins and a draw in their last four games, and the Crew riding a five-game winning streak.
Both teams came close to scoring -- and in each case, their goalkeepers had other means to thank for keeping the game scoreless. In the first half, Crew winger Robbie Rogers was able to carve out space on the left side of the area and get wide of TFC 'keeper Greg Sutton, but defender Tyrone Marshall was perfectly placed to clear the ball off the line.
After the break, both teams opened up a bit more and the home side went closest in the 60th minute through Laurent Robert. His shot from the top of the box beat Crew 'keeper William Hesmer, but not the left-hand post.
At Toyota Park, the Fire had won three games in a row and five of their last six, entertaining a Houston Dynamo team that finally put an end to their six-game winless run to start defense of their title the weekend before.
The Dynamo took the lead after 17 minutes. Ricardo Clark let fly from outside the area; his shot deflected off the boot of Fire midfielder Chris Rolfe and Dwayne De Rosario instinctively poked out his head to divert it again, Jon Busch left completely helpless as the ball flew into the goal.
But the Fire levelled the score in the 28th minute. Cuauhtemoc Blanco swung in a free kick from the right corner and Calen Carr rose up to powerfully head down, the bounce taking the ball past Pat Onstad and over the clearing attempt of Wade Barrett.
In the second half, the rain began lashing down in Bridgeview and the Dynamo scored the winner eight minutes from the end. Richard Mulrooney hooked in a quick free kick from the right flank and Bobby Boswell got up to nod home a looping header for his first goal since joining the Orange.
At Gillette Stadium, the defending Eastern Conference champion Revolution were looking to put together back-to-back wins for the first time on the season, while the Earthquakes has lost twice and drawn once since the first victory in their return to MLS.
The Revolution were two goals to the good before the match was a quarter old. In the sixth minute, Steve Ralston drove in a low free kick from the right and it skimmed off the bottom of Shalrie Joseph's boot, holding it just enough for Kheli Dube to sweep in behind and thump it into the net for his first professional goal.
Calamity then doubled the lead in the 23rd minute. A free ball was bouncing behind the Earthquakes backline and as Joe Cannon came off his line to collect, former Revolution defender James Riley -- on his return to his one-time home -- tried to head the ball back to his 'keeper, but instead powered it high over his head and into the goal.
The Earthquakes were kept without a shot on goal for the entire match. They went close in the game's final minute, but Ramiro Corrales saw his drive ring off the crossbar.
At Giants Stadium, the Red Bulls had quietly put together a four-game unbeaten run while the Wizards were playing the fourth of their six-game road swing, losers of two in a row.
The visitors took the lead after 20 minutes. Carlos Marinelli swung in a corner kick from the left and Jimmy Conrad flashed forward before sending a glancing header from the near post back inside the far upright for his third goal on the season.
The Wizards then seemed to be home and dry 13 minutes from the end when Red Bulls midfielder Dave van den Bergh was sent off after throwing an elbow toward the head of Kansas City's Davy Arnaud as the two battled for the ball in midfield.
But the Red Bulls hit for the equalizer four minutes later. Jozy Altidore found Juan Pablo Angel at the top of the area, and he turned and slipped the ball to Danleigh Borman, who raced in and stabbed home his second goal in as many matches.
At Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Thursday night, the Rapids came into the first Rocky Mountain Cup meeting of the season with three losses in their last four games, while Real Salt Lake had put an end to a three-game winless streak the previous weekend.
A quiet match burst to life after the break. Herculez Gomez turned and ran from the center circle, knocking the ball out to Colin Clark on the left flank. He drove in a low cross for Omar Cummings, who it turned it home first-time inside the near post for the 65th-minute opener.
The Rapids finished off the match seven minutes from the end. Matias Mantilla slapped the ball down as Herculez Gomez tried to pop it past him in the area, and Christian Gomez struck the resulting penalty hard into the left of the goal, giving Nick Rimando no chance for his second goal on the season.
