and in the process, gave Dominic Kinnear the head coaching position for this summer's MLS All-Star Game, to highlight Week 14 of the Major League Soccer season.
The Dynamo came back to claim a 1-1 draw at home with a 10-man Real Salt Lake, running their unbeaten streak to 11 games and taking over sole possession of the lead in the Western Conference standings and the chase for the Supporters' Shield at the halfway point of the season.
The Colorado Rapids continued their good run of form, rolling 3-0 over D.C. United at home, just the second loss for the Eastern Conference leaders in more than two months. Seattle Sounders FC remained just ahead of the Rapids in the West, coming back for a 1-1 draw against the New York Red Bulls, their second draw in the week and seventh in the last 10 games.
The San Jose Earthquakes won for just the third time on the season and handed the Los Angeles Galaxy a second consecutive defeat off a 10-game unbeaten run, a 2-1 win in the second California Clasico of the season. And FC Dallas handed the Columbus Crew their first loss in 10 games, coming back with two second-half goals for a 2-1 victory.
At Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo came in having won five games on the trot and having allowed just three goals in their last 10 games, while Real had put an end to a seven-game winless run the week before with a victory at the LA Galaxy.
On another hot night in the Bayou City, the visitors took the lead in the 28th minute. Yura Movsisyan moved toward goal before laying off a backheel to Fabian Espindola, and his curling effort toward the far post deflected off Dynamo center back Bobby Boswell and past a wrong-footed Pat Onstad.
But after the break, the Dynamo began to turn up the pressure. Real went a man down in the 58th minute when Jamison Olave delayed a throw-in from being taken and received a second yellow card from referee Jair Marrufo.
Then in the 74th minute, RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando came well off his line and fouled Brian Ching at the edge of the area while trying to claim a bouncing ball. But from the resulting penalty, Rimando saved a Brad Davis effort that was struck almost down the center of the goal.
The Dynamo finally hit for the equalizer in the 89th minute. Ching laid off a pass for Brian Mullan on the right flank and raced into the box. Mullan floated in a high cross and Ching got onto the end of it unmarked, snapping home a header for his fifth goal on the year.
At Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids were coming off a second bye week of the season with two wins and four draws in their last six games, while United had played a fiercely contested 3-3 draw at Seattle just three days earlier.
It took the Rapids just 11 minutes to open the scoring. Pablo Mastroeni played a through ball up the middle of the park and Omar Cummings outraced a United defender into the area before collecting himself and coolly curling home a shot inside the right post.
Then just before halftime, Cummings doubled the Colorado lead. Racing onto a poorly hit backpass, Cummings rounded goalkeeper Josh Wicks wide and drove the ball into the goal for his fifth goal on the season and third in the last two games.
Cummings played provider four minutes after the restart. Racing down the left flank, he rounded the corner and laid the ball across the goal where Colin Clark tapped home first-time at the far post for his third goal on the season.
At Giants Stadium, the Red Bulls were playing their lone home game amidst a seven-game stretch, riding a five-game losing streak, including three in a row away from home. Sounders FC had followed up their first win in nearly two months with a hard-fought 3-3 draw with D.C. United at midweek.
The Red Bulls took the lead in the 40th minute. A clearance bounced off the back of Sounders FC defender Tyrone Marshall and Juan Pablo Angel reacted quickly to it, racing into the area and slotting home past Kasey Keller for his fifth of the season.
But three minutes into first-half stoppage time, Sounders FC evened the score. Jeremy Hall was caught in possession in the right corner, stripped of the ball by a Fredy Montero sliding tackle. Montero quickly got up and raced into the area, firing high over Danny Cepero at the near post for his third goal in as many games and seventh on the season.
At Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the old California foes once again moved up the coast to resume their rivalry. The Galaxy had lost for just the second time on the season and the first time in more than two months the week before, while the Earthquakes had seen a modest three-game undefeated run come to an end in Seattle.
Yet the home side led after just six minutes. Pablo Campos took on Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter in the area, and as he tried to cut past him toward the post, Berhalter dragged him down. Campos took his own penalty area, just guiding it past Donovan Ricketts' dive at the left post.
The Quakes doubled their lead nine minutes into the second half. Chris Leitch took a pass from Bobby Convey on the right and flighted a high cross to the back post. Campos headed the ball across goal and Ryan Johnson snuck it at the back post to force the ball home off Ricketts' hands for his sixth goal on the season.
Eleven minutes later, the Galaxy pulled a goal back. A Mike Magee freekick into the mixer was headed by Alan Gordon -- but right to Jovan Kirovski, and he nodded home a quick reactive header for his first goal of 2009. But the Quakes withstood withering pressure over the final minutes to hold out for the win.
At Pizza Hut Park, the Crew had righted their early struggles with four wins in their last six games and no losses in more than two months. FC Dallas had seen its four-game undefeated run come to an end the week before at Houston.
On a hot night in north Texas, the reigning MLS champions took the lead in the 17th minute. Guillermo Barros Schelotto swung in a corner from the left and Eric Brunner powered a header into the goal that took a deflection off FC Dallas defender Pablo Ricchetti.
But the Crew began to wilt in the heat and FCD pressed the advantage. The home side leveled terms in the 80th minute when Eric Avila collected a pass in midfield and set off forward before curling a majestic shot from outside the area into the upper right corner for his first professional goal.
Then in the 87th minute, FCD got the game-winner. David Ferreira was dribbled toward goal in the area when he was tripped up from behind by Crew center back Chad Marshall and referee Terry Vaughn pointed to the spot. Kenny Cooper stepped up and fired home for his seventh goal on the season.
