both from the head of center back Jimmy Conrad. First Conrad headed home a Carlos Marinelli free kick in the 52nd minute, then in the 54th minute he powerfully headed a corner kick from the heart of the area into the back of the net. It was Conrad's first career two-goal game, and his first MLS goal since June 25, 2006.
But the Rapids pulled back level with two goals within 12 minutes. There was an immediate answer in the 57th minute when Jose Burciaga Jr. popped up to score against his former club, hitting a shot from the left side of the area that snuck inside the near post. Then John DiRaimondo scored his first professional goal, driving home a low shot after the ball popped free from a scramble on a corner kick.
The Wizards claimed the victory with three minutes to play when substitute Scott Sealy -- who minutes earlier had a shot cleared off the line -- knocked home a deflected Jack Jewsbury cross for the match-winner.
At Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo were trying to rebound from a 3-0 loss to New England in their season opener, while FC Dallas saw Chivas USA score a late tying goal to deny the Hoops victory.
Franco Caraccio gave Houston the lead in the 21st minute, rising up to head home a Corey Ashe cross from the left corner for his first MLS goal.
But Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad went down with an injury, and English league veteran Tony Caig was beaten by the first two shots he saw -- both from FC Dallas striker Kenny Cooper. Cooper ran onto a through ball and looped it over the 'keeper from the edge of the area in the 35th minute, then hit a low shot on the half-turn from the top of the box just before halftime.
The Dynamo pulled level in the 57th minute when Geoff Cameron aimed a low cross for Brian Ching in the goal area, only for the ball to bounce off FCD defender Drew Moor and into the goal. But it look less than a minute for the Hoops to regain the lead, Houston native Arturo Alvarez running free behind the Dynamo defense and beating Caig from inside the area.
FC Dallas seemed on their way to the club's first win ever in Houston until Cameron popped up to score a minute into stoppage time, ripping a rising blast from just outside the area that sailed under the crossbar.
At The Home Depot Center on Thursday, the Galaxy were back home for the first time in 2008, after their season-opening defeat in Colorado, facing their long-time rivals from northern California, the Earthquakes returning to action after a two-year hiatus.
It seemed as if the expansion team had a dream start when Ryan Cochrane headed home a corner after just two minutes, but the flag was up for offside.
Seven minutes later, David Beckham had his first MLS goal since coming to the league. Landon Donovan picked off a ball in midfield and sprung Beckham with a perfectly weighted through ball on the right. Beckham slotted the ball underneath Joe Cannon from the edge of the area for the ninth-minute opener.
Then in the 37th minute, the roles were reversed. Beckham this time played provider, lobbing a ball over the San Jose backline for Donovan to run onto. Donovan beat Cannon to the ball, looping a shot over the 'keeper and into the net.
At Toyota Park on Thursday night, it was a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Championship. The Revolution opened their new season with an impressive 3-0 victory against Houston in a rematch of MLS Cup 2008, while the Fire got a late equalizer from Cuauhtemoc Blanco for a 1-1 road draw with Real Salt Lake.
Just four minutes into the game, the Fire had the lead. Justin Mapp was set free down the left and picked out Chad Barrett with a rolling cross, and the fourth-year striker turned the ball home first-time.
Then three minutes later the game turned upside down, Revolution midfielder Jeff Larentowicz shown a straight red card by referee Baldomero Toledo for a tackle on Chicago's Brandon Prideaux.
The home side then exploded for three goals before the half was out. Barrett was able to round the Revolution on the endline, and after the Revolution were unable to clear a loose ball, Tomasz Frankowski poked home from close range for his first MLS goal (22).
Blanco made it 3-0 when he converted a penalty kick after Sainey Nyassi tripped up Justin Mapp when the Fire winger made a surging run into the area. Then two minutes later the rout was complete, Blanco swinging a long cross-field ball to Barrett, who knocked it back into the mixer for Frankowski and he banged the ball into the net on the turn for his second on the night.
At RFK Stadium, D.C. United were back home for their league opener in the nation's capital off two consecutive shutouts, at Kansas City to open the 2008 MLS season, then by Pachuca in Mexico in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal. Toronto FC was also looking for a first goal on the year, shut out in Columbus to start the season.
It was D.C. United who exploded from the gates, scoring twice in the opening five minutes of the game. First Luciano Emilio latched onto a ball that the TFC defense couldn't deal with and prodded it under goalkeeper Greg Sutton from inside the box after just two minutes.
Emilio then cracked a rising shot that crashed off the crossbar. Devon McTavish headed the rebound goalward, only to be denied by Sutton, but Santino Quaranta came into to knock home the rebound for his goal since his return to the club where he began his career.
The Reds were left a man down after just 22 minutes when Kevin Harmse was sent off for a harsh two-footed tackle on Gonzalo Peralta in midfield. But United didn't take advantage until after the break, when Marcelo Gallardo came in unmarked at the back post to finish off Quaranta's cross-shot from the right (52).
United made it 4-0 in the 78th minute as Jaime Moreno scored his MLS record 113th league goal, taking possession of the ball in the TFC area and coolly rolling a tidy finish just inside the far post. Toronto finally broke through two minutes from the end, Maurice Edu rising up to meet a Jim Brennan cross from the left corner and looping a header inside the post.
At The Home Depot Center on Saturday, the expansion class of 2005 met after each took a point from their season openers, Chivas USA coming back for a 1-1 tie in Dallas, while Real Salt Lake were pulled back by a late goal from the Chicago Fire.
Chivas took a 32nd-minute lead when Sacha Kljestan opened his 2008 account. Maykel Galindo collected the ball in midfield and raced forward, sliding a through ball for Kljestan on the right and ran onto it and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
After the break, it was one of the RSL old boys who doubled the lead for the Red-and-White. Kljestan took a pass on the right side of the area centered it to Harris, who knocked the ball past Nick Rimando from close range (55). But two minutes later RSL got back to within one, Kenny Deuchar scoring his first MLS goal, heading home a freekick swung in by Javier Morales from the left.
It was the other former RSL striker now with Chivas, Alecko Eskandarian, who put the crowning touch on the win. He raced in alone on Rimando and rounded the 'keeper, carrying the ball almost to the goal line before gleefully thumping it home. Chivas USA is still unbeaten all-time against RSL at home, with six wins and a draw in seven meetings in Carson.
At Giants Stadium, the New York Red Bulls were opening the season under new coach Juan Carlos Osorio, while the Columbus Crew were coming off a 2-0 victory against Toronto FC at home as they started their season the week before.
The home side got the start they were looking for, scoring after just 47 seconds. Dave van den Bergh took the ball in midfield and paced forward before letting fly from all of 30 yards. The ball skipped off the turf and past Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer for the quickest goal in Red Bulls history.
By eight minutes in, it was 2-0. A corner kick from the right sailed by the back post, but Juan Pablo Angel got to it first and knocked it back into the goalmouth. Defender Kevin Goldthwaite was there, beating a defender to the ball to tap it in.
The Red Bulls had a glorious chance to make it 3-0 in the second half, when Jozy Altidore was pulled down by Columbus defender Danny O'Rourke in the area. But Hesmer saved Angel's penalty kick, the second spot kick stopped in as many weeks by the Crew goalkeeper.
