Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC entered the win column for the first time in 2008 in impressive fashion while FC Dallas and the Chicago Fire remain the league's only unbeaten teams after weekend victories in Week 3 in Major League Soccer.
Real Salt Lake jumped out to an early lead and cruised from there, defeating D.C. United 4-0 at home on Saturday evening, while Toronto FC got a late game-winner to knock off the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 on the road on Sunday. FC Dallas also won for the first time this year, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-0, while the Chicago Fire also won on the road, getting the game's only goal as they spoiled the return of the San Jose Earthquakes to the Bay Area.
The Colorado Rapids moved to the top of the Western Conference, going to New England and coming away with an impressive 1-0 victory against the Revolution, and the Columbus Crew returned to their winning ways in the wildest game thus far in the young season, fending off Chivas USA for a 4-3 victory. The Kansas City Wizards and Houston Dynamo played to a scoreless draw in the final game of the round.
At Rice-Eccles Stadium, Real Salt Lake were returning home after opening the season with a draw and a loss, while D.C. United were looking to behind them the disappointment of elimination from the CONCACAF Champions' Cup despite a home victory at midweek against Mexico's Pachuca CF.
But within 20 minutes RSL had jumped out to a two-goal lead. In the 12th minute, Kyle Beckerman ripped a low shot from just outside the area after racing up the middle unmarked to collect a return pass, beating United goalkeeper Jose Carvallo. Then in the 19th minute, a long ball was looped into the penalty area from midfield, and Fabian Espindola corraled it on the bounce before banging a volley from an angle off Carvallo and into the goal.
Real put the game away with two late goals. Beckerman scored his second 12 minutes from the end when Findley laid back a ball at the top of the box and the RSL midfielder lashed it home inside the right-hand post. Then in the 87th minute, Findley took advantage of a weak header aimed back for Carvallo, popping it over the 'keeper and into the empty net.
At The Home Depot Center, the LA Galaxy were home for the second of four matches in a row after winning for the first time the week before against San Jose. Toronto FC were concluding a three-game road swing to open the campaign, after losses in Columbus and at D.C. United.
Danny Dichio put TFC into the lead in the 42nd minute. Amado Guevara looped the ball into the Galaxy penalty area, and after a missed clearance, Dichio turned and drove the ball inside the far post.
But it took barely a minute for the Galaxy to respond. Chris Klein picked out Landon Donovan with a long pass, he juked around a TFC defender and hit a low drive past TFC 'keeper Greg Sutton for the equalizer.
Yet the Reds moved back in front again in the 53rd minute. Laurent Robert hit a piledriver of a freekick directly on goal that Galaxy 'keeper Steve Cronin could only parry, and Jarrod Smith was quickest to the rebound and headed home.
It took just five minutes for the Galaxy to respond again. This time a cross was played in from the right and Marco Velez slipped and fell while trying to clear, and referee Alex Prus ruled the TFC defender handled the ball as he fell on the ball. Donovan drove the ball past Sutton to level terms again.
But two minutes from the end Toronto FC took a lead they did not give up. A long ball from Robert was claimed by Jeff Cunningham in a one-on-one battle with Galaxy defender Greg Vanney, and the veteran striker ripped a low drive from outside the area that found the back of the net and gave TFC the win.
At Pizza Hut Park, FC Dallas were coming into the match looking for a first win on the year after conceding late goals in two successive draws, while the Red Bulls opened the season the week before with a home win against Columbus.
It took the Hoops just 51 seconds to open the scoring. Andre Rocha swung in a cross from the right flank and Arturo Alvarez got on the end of it, flashing in front of a defender to head home for his second goal on the campaign. It was the second-quickest goal in FCD club history.
Kenny Cooper salted the game away with his third goal of the season in the 66th minute, pulling him into a tie with Landon Donovan for early Golden Boot honors. A long ball from Adrian Serioux from inside his own half found Cooper racing in alone behind the New York defense and he raced in on goal before slotting inside the right post.
At McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, the Earthquakes were making their return to the Bay Area for the first time in two years after opening the season with a loss at the LA Galaxy, while the Fire had a draw and a win already to their credit.
A very warm day in northern California saw the game's only goal come early. Cuauhtemoc Blanco's through ball played Tomasz Frankowski in alone on goal, but Joe Cannon stopped the initial shot. But Chad Barrett was quickest to it and slid the ball underneath the Quakes 'keeper.
The Fire withstood a late rally, as two shots San Jose hit the woodwork in the closing seconds and Shea Salinas somehow put a rebound of the second over the bar from just a yard or two away from the goal.
At Gillette Stadium, the Revolution were returning home after winning for the second time on the season at midweek, coming away from Kansas City with a 3-1 win against the Wizards, while the Rapids had also played in a visit to Kansas City, a 3-2 loss there the weekend previous.
A rain-lashed night saw the goalkeepers at both ends make a series of fine stops and the game's only goal came in the 58th minute. From a freekick near the left corner, Jose Burciaga Jr. whipped in the service and Nick LaBrocca rose up unmarked at the far post to snap home a header for his first professional goal and give the Rapids the victory.
At Crew Stadium, the home-standing Crew were back home after losing for the first time on the season, at New York, while Chivas USA followed a season-opening draw with a win in their first home game.
The Crew took the lead in the 26th minute when Guillermo Barros Schelotto converted from the penalty spot after Jim Curtin collided with Alejandro Moreno in the Chivas penalty area.
Sacha Kljestan pulled Chivas USA level in the 33rd minute with a stunning goal, a wonderful curling effort from outside the area that sailed inside Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer's left-hand post. But Columbus took a lead into the break when Moreno scored two minutes later, sidefooting home a Schelotto pass as the two broke in alone on goal on the counter.
Robbie Rogers made it 3-1 in the 71st minute, sent in behind the Chivas defense on the left by Schelotto and slotting home inside the near post.
But Chivas got back to level terms with two goals inside seven minutes. Slipped through all alone behind a pulled-up Crew backline, Jesse Marsch raced in alone on goal before driving a low shot past Hesmer (72), then Paulo Nagamura took a square pass straight out from goal and curled a long-range shot that Hesmer could only tip on its way to the back of net.
Yet just four minutes later the Crew hit for the winner. A long ball from the right from Danny O'Rourke sailed over a defender and was brought down by Rogers, who hammered a wicked low drive from outside the box that knuckled on its way to goal, sailing through Brad Guzan's hands in the Chivas goal for the winner.
Chivas finished the game with nine men after Francisco Mendoza received a second caution and Kljestan saw a straight red in the final minutes.
At CommunityAmerica Ballpark, the Wizards were playing their final home game for two months, with two wins and a loss thus far in their season-opening homestand, while Houston Dynamo were looking for a first league win of the season after being eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions' Cup at midweek with a 3-0 loss to Deportivo Saprissa in Costa Rica.
There were no goals on the night, but goalkeeper Kevin Hartman of Kansas City and Houston's Tony Caig were called upon for their share of heroics. The closest either team came was early in the second half when Brad Davis was sent through by Dynamo playmaker Dwayne De Rosario. Hartman's could only turn Davis' blast onto his own post, but was able to scramble back and smother the rebound.
