MLS Weekend: The Donovan Show

WASHINGTON, DC (Apr 27, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- On yet another big night in Carson, it was Landon Donovan making himself the difference against co-tenants Chivas USA.  Also, DC United gets the calls and finds their form against Real Salt Lake.

Chivas USA 2 - Los Angeles 5

"He's a special player, Landon is," said Galaxy midfielder David Beckham. "He's a player that given the chance, he'll score a goal, and he proved tonight that he's not just all about goal scoring in the box. He can do outside the box as well with the goals he scored tonight."

That would be Donovan's 18th minute opener, the 59th minute scramble that got the lead back, and the Galaxy's fourth in the 78th.  Alan Gordon scored twice for LA, in the 76th and 84th, with Donovan and Beckham getting the assist on the last goal.  Sacha Kljestan and second-half sub Ante Razov scored for Chivas USA in the 38th and 62nd minute.

"That's the name of the game," said Chivas USA coach Preki.  "Sometimes you don't play well, sometimes you play well, sometimes you play well and get nothing, sometimes you make mistakes and get punished for them. Tonight we made mistakes and we got punished."

DC 4 - Salt Lake 1

Taking the lead as Jaime Moreno converted penalties in the 31st and 52nd, DC United dominated the offense.  Santino Quaranta hit the third in the 67th and Marcello Gallardo put a ball in the upper corner that a goal full of keepers wouldn't have stopped in the 80th.  Carey Tally got RSL's goal in the 77th minute.

DC coach Tommy Soehn has come under significant criticism for what seems like a degraded version of what has made DC United a good team even in bad years.  The lack of depth and the unwillingness to make the kind of moves that most would expect from a team of this calibre call even marginal choices into question.  His in-game management has been up and down, making the right moves one week and unable to keep the game from getting away the next. 

Saturday night was no mandate, but Soehn's first half substitutions made sense.  DC established the wing, starting dropping balls off for the trailing runner, and basically looked like a team playing to a strategy rather than just playing.  That remains rare for Major League Soccer, especially when it works. 

Chicago 2 - Colorado 1

John Thorrington was the difference for Chicago, scoring in the 53rd and 84th minute to get the win.  Colorado got one back late, with Tom McManus getting service from Christian Gomez in the 86th minute. 

From what was the best start in the Western Conference, Colorado have stumbled into a losing record.  Though six points from five games is still good for third in the West, in the combined table they fall to 9th behind DC United (6th in the East) on goal differential.

Kansas City 0 - Toronto 2

Don't look now, but the Mo Jonhston experiment might be 5th in the Eastern Conference, but they've got a better record than anybody in the West.  Whatever the relative risk in signing Amado Guevara, he made Saturday's game his against a good enough Wizards squad.  Guevara was the score line, hitting in the 56th and 78th minutes, even if the opener was clearly offside. 

"It's the first time I've played against Claudio Lopez," Guevara said.  "For me it's about pride and pleasure to play against players that have that stature and are coming to the league to raise that quality and the game."

Houston 0 - Columbus 1

One corner kick in the 22nd minute and Alejandro Moreno gets the goal and the win, leaving Houston wondering how they only put six of 15 shots on frame.  "The team's been excellent in effort, desire, attitude, work rate, back and forth and just never stopping, said Houston coach Dominic Kinnear.  "We're just not getting exactly what we're looking for, but we sure are looking for it hard."

Fair enough, but then again he is describing the team with the worst record in Major League Soccer.  Right now, Houston becomes the likeliest suspect for the panicked change, especially in a season where they need the sway of being an elite multi-time champion as they argue for a new stadium.  Though nobody can take away those championships, having the same record as the new Earthquakes isn't exactly pushing the point.

For Columbus, this was Sigi Schmid's century win.  "It means that I've been around for a while," he said.  "But really, what it means is that I've had the privilege of coaching some good players and some guys who have helped achieve that."

There's something to be said for being around for awhile.

San Jose 0 - New York 2

A Mike Magee penalty in the 79th minute gave New York their second win of the season, moving them out of last place in the Eastern Conference.  Jozy Altidore added the insult goal in the 95th minute, basically erasing whatever forward progress San Jose might have taken from this one.

Instead, the Earthquakes are still trying to figure out their transition play and how to stabilize a defense that should be their focus point.  The result leaves them second from bottom in the West, ahead of Houston on goal differential with Houston a game up in number played.