making his professional debut -- put the visitors into the lead after 54 minutes with a piledriver struck from well outside the area. But just eight minutes later the Fire hit for the leveller through some free kick magic from Justin Mapp, whipping a curling effort right over the end of the wall and inside Jonny Walker's right-hand post.
At The Home Depot Center, the Galaxy came into the match with a six-game winless run, while Chivas USA had won back-to-back matches for the first time in club history, after a second league win and survival in their first U.S. Open Cup match.
But after a bitterly contested first hour that saw neither team give any quarter, the introduction of Herculez Gomez as a substitute for the Galaxy changed the match. Just three minutes after coming on he sent a long-range blast past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan, off the inside the post and into the goal to put the Galaxy into the lead (64).
Then after narrowly missing on a couple more chances, he sealed the match in stoppage time, sent in alone by Naldo da Conceicao before coolly slotting past Guzan from just outside the box for his third goal in two games (93+).
At RFK Stadium, the San Jose Earthquakes came into the match riding a seven-game unbeaten streak but had no answer for the dynamic duo of Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno as D.C. United rolled to a comprehensive defeat.
Gomez gave United the lead after 25 minutes when he hammered a skipping drive past Quakes 'keeper Pat Onstad from all of 25 yards. Then United doubled their lead shortly after the break with a wonderful goal from Moreno. Josh Gros lifted a cross from the left and Moreno settled it on his thigh with his first touch before volleying home inside the post with his left foot with his second (50).
The duo then combined to kill off the match on 70 minutes. Freddy Adu knocked the ball to Moreno and continued his run, taking the attention of the entire Earthquakes back line. That allowed Moreno to find Gomez all alone in the heart of the area, and he neatly slid the ball past Onstad for his eighth goal of the campaign.
At Arrowhead Stadium, Real Salt Lake hadn't won in 10 games in all competitions, while the Kansas City Wizards were trying to win back-to-back games for just the second time on the season.
Scott Sealy gave the home side a dream start by being in the right place at the right time. Right back Brian Roberts got off a quick shot that beat D.J. Countess at his near post, but came back off the base of the post. But it bounced right to Sealy, who tapped into the empty goal from close range (8).
But Real pulled level just two minutes later, Chris Brown latching onto a poor clearance and striding into the area before hammering home a looping drive.
Yet the Wizards nosed back in front through bizarre circumstances. A corner was swung in from the left and Countess went out to play it. Under pressure from a trio of K.C. attackers, he slapped the ball back toward his own goal and a pair of Real defenders on the line just couldn't keep it from completely crossing (27).
Then Sealy doubled the lead after Preki skipped through three tackles as he meandered through the Real penalty area before sliding the ball to the rookie, who beat another defender before hitting a low shot to the back of the net.
Just before the break RSL got back to within one, a cross from Luke Kreamalmeyer from the left flank finding Jordan Cila at the near post, and he flicked a header home inside the back stick (44). But they could get no closer over the final 45 minutes.
At Giants Stadium, the MetroStars came out of a tepid first half to take a lead shortly after the interval, only to be pegged back in short order by the Colorado Rapids as the teams settled for a share of the points.
Ante Razov took advantage of some good fortune to put the home side ahead after 51 minutes. Amado Guevara saw the ball tackled away right on the edge of the box, but it went right to Razov, and his long-range effort took a slight deflection before sneaking past Rapids 'keeper Joe Cannon.
But the Rapids pulled level just nine minutes later. Ritchie Kotschau whipped in a pinpoint cross from the left touchline and Jeff Cunningham strolled onto the end of it, hammering a first-time volley from the corner of the six under the crossbar for his league-leading ninth goal of the season.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
