It didn't take long for Landon Donovan to show that he really does play well where he's comfortable. In his first game in his return to Major League Soccer, in his first game in Southern California with the Los Angeles Galaxy, he scored two goals and set up a third to lead his new club to an impressive 3-1 victory against Real Salt Lake to highlight Week 2 of the 2005 MLS season.
There are no teams with two victories after the second week of the season, as the Columbus Crew saw their league record 19-game unbeaten streak ended in a 3-0 loss to the New England Revolution in Foxborough, Mass. Chivas USA took their first point, scoring a late goal to grab a wild 3-3 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes. D.C. United and FC Dallas both remained unbeaten, United and the Chicago Fire playing to a 1-1 draw, while FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids battled to a scoreless draw.
At The Home Depot Center, it took Donovan just nine minutes to open his Galaxy account. Jovan Kirovski took a pass in the area and laid it back to Donovan at the top of the area, and he clinically drove a low left-footed shot inside the right post.
Jason Kreis pulled Real level when he scored the first goal in club history, swooping in to smash home the rebound after Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman failed to hold a low angled drive from Dipsy Selolwane (29).
But then just before the break an opportunistic Donovan put the Galaxy ahead for good (44). A Guillermo Ramirez cross from the left took a deflection and went high into the air, coming down at the back post. Donovan slipped between a defender and goalkeeper D.J. Countess to head home from close range.
Cobi Jones then rounded off the scoreline in the 72nd minute when he scored his first goal since June 14, 2003. Donovan won the ball in midfield before freeing the Galaxy original on the right, and he dribbled into the area before lashing home a low shot inside the far post.
At Gillette Stadium, the match burst into life in the second half when the Revolution finally took advantage of their dominance throughout the match.
Clint Dempsey gave the Revolution a 64th-minute lead when he powered home a diving header, Jay Heaps whipping in a driven cross from the left after Pat Noonan completely changed the field with a long ball over the entire penalty area.
Noonan then doubled New England's lead on 82 minutes when the Crew failed to clear from their own area, Columbus 'keeper Jon Busch parrying Taylor Twellman's shot but only into the path of Noonan who slammed the ball into the back of the net.
Twellman then played provider for New England's third, breaking down the right on a counter before rolling a centering pass that substitute Andy Dorman flicked underneath Busch with a last gasp touch with the outside of his right boot, the ball just crossing the line ahead of Robin Fraser's desperate clearance attempt.
At Spartan Stadium, Chivas USA also gained their first point and scored their first goal in a wild match. Thiago Martins scored the first goal in club history after just three minutes, touching home an Orlando Perez cross from the left flank. But just before the break the Earthquakes pulled level through some freekick magic by Brad Davis, who curled the ball around the wall and inside the left post from almost on the top of the area.
Hector Cuadros again gave Chivas the lead when he powerfully headed home an Ezra Hendrickson cross (73), but the Quakes responded with two goals in four minutes, both from Davis services on free kicks. First Troy Dayak leaped up and sent a looping header over Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan from a nearly impossible angle (75), then Brian Ching scored his first goal of the season, knifing to nod home at the near post.
But then just after the 90 minutes ticked over, Chivas scored on a set piece of their own. Jesus Ochoa floated in a free kick from the left into the area where Douglas Sequeira fought off a challenge and spun a header past Pat Onstad inside his left-hand post for the equalizer.
At RFK Stadium, D.C. United returned to league wars as they and the Chicago Fire settled for a draw with goals on either side of halftime.
Mike Petke put United ahead just before the break when he raced onto the end of a Christian Gomez freekick from the left flank and touched it home from close range (40).
But just after the break the Fire pulled level when Ivan Guerrero cleared the ball from right on the touchline and set rookie Chris Rolfe free in alone on United 'keeper Nick Rimando. He made no mistake for his first professional goal, driving a low shot home from just inside the penalty area.
In Denver, FC Dallas also remained unbeaten on the young season while the Colorado Rapids continued their good form at home. But the game almost took an abrupt change in the first minute when Carlos Ruiz's corner found Eddie Johnson, but his header was denied by the crossbar.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
