making his MLS debut -- inside the far post. It was the league-leading 16th goal of the season for Cunningham, but Real could get no closer.
At The Home Depot Center, the teams came in tied for third place in the Western Conference, both with 39 points, three ahead of Real Salt Lake and just a point behind Houston Dynamo. Chivas had just two losses since July 8 (11 games), while the Rapids had just two wins in their last seven games.
Just as they had done a week before when they claimed a scoreless draw against the Galaxy on Victoria Street, the Rapids looked to close the game and break on the counter.
But Chivas found a way through in the 34th minute. A neat passing movement from Juan Pablo Garcia to Jonathan Bornstein saw the rookie slip Francisco Mendoza into the area. After skipping past defenders Dan Gargan and Aitor Karanka, Mendoza found himself alone in front of goal and nimbly slotted inside the right post past a diving Joe Cannon.
Nicolas Hernandez had a pair of quality chances in the second half, including one where he was in alone behind the Chivas defense, but Brad Guzan kicked that aside to preserve the win and put his side potentially one win away from a first-ever spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
At Crew Stadium, after two consecutive losses the Crew were in a position where they essentially needed to win out to have any hope of reaching the postseason. Dynamo had just one win in their last six league games, but were still grimly holding on to second.
The visitors struck first. Dwayne De Rosario took the ball some 30 yards from goal and hit a low shot that skimmed off the wet Crew Stadium turf and flashed past Bill Gaudette for his 11th goal of the season.
Although they had not created many clear chances, the Crew pulled level 10 minutes from the end. Duncan Oughton swung in a free kick from the right and Jason Garey got up to pound home a header for the third goal of his rookie season, keeping alive the Columbus postseason hopes by the slimmest of threads.
At Gillette Stadium, the Revolution were riding a three-game unbeaten streak and could secure their spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a victory, while the Wizards were returning from action after a two-week layoff still in possession of the fourth and final postseason spot in the East.
The home side got the start they were looking for, taking the lead after just 17 minutes. A good movement saw Steve Ralston swing in a cross from the right, which Andy Dorman slightly deflected on goal. Wizards 'keeper Bo Oshoniyi could only parry it back out, but Clint Dempsey rose up to powerfully head home off the underside of the crossbar and narrowly over the line.
New England saw a good chance from Dorman blocked by a sliding Shavar Thomas, then Jay Heaps somehow contrive to spoon a shot over from nearly on the goal line after a corner fell to his feet.
The Wizards punished the Revs for their misses in the 58th minute. Ryan Raybould hooked in a cross from the right, Sasha Victorine got up to head back across the area and Scott Sealy took advantage of a lax line to get in behind the Revolution defense and knock home the leveler past Matt Reis.
At RFK Stadium, the game was played in a celebratory air as the 1996 MLS Cup champion D.C. United -- coached by current Red Bulls boss Bruce Arena -- were honored before the match. United still held the best record in MLS despite just one win since July 15, while the Red Bulls had lost three of their last four games.
The teams traded goals over the opening 20 minutes. A Christian Gomez free kick was deflected into his own goal by Red Bulls defender Carlos Mendes (9), but after Facundo Erpen was adjudged to batted down a cross, Amado Guevara finished off from the penalty spot for the 20th-minute equalizer.
The game then burst to life over the final half hour. Minutes after coming on as a substitute, Jaime Moreno played a delightful one-two with Gomez to release the playmaker behind the Red Bulls back line, and Gomez made no mistake with a cheeky finish between the advancing Tony Meola's legs.
Then barely a minute later, Erpen was given his marching orders by referee Kevin Stott after clashing with New York striker John Wolyniec and elbowing and stomping on him.
Yet United doubled their lead in the 73rd minute. Moreno and Gomez linked to send Ben Olsen in all alone racing down the center of the park, and despite having Meola at his mercy, Olsen selflessly squared for the trailing Moreno to slot home his 105th career MLS goal.
The Red Bulls pulled back to within one nine minutes later. From nearly on the edge of the area, Guevara swung a viciously swerving free kick over the United wall and into the upper corner of the net. Perkins desperately threw himself to his left and got a hand to the shot, but could not keep it out.
However, D.C. produced yet another wonder goal one minute from full time, this time courtesy of Matias Donnet. Drifting in from the right flank, he took possession from Moreno and found ample space 25 yards out from goal before uncorking a knuckling blast with movement that befuddled Meola as it flew past.
Yet the evening's fireworks were still not over as Guevara ran at the D.C. back line 90 seconds into injury time and poked a well-weighted through ball into the box for Jozy Altidore to stroke past Perkins - but the final whistle came before there could be any more last-second heroics.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
