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MLS Weekend Recap

September 20, 2003 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Landon Donovan scored the first hat-trick in San Jose Earthquakes club history, pulling the Western Conference leaders all alone to the top of the Major League Soccer overall table, thanks also to a victory in Colin Clarke's first match in charge of Dallas Burn as Week 25 of MLS action wrapped up on Saturday.

Donovan's hat-trick - his first in his professional career - gave the Earthquakes a 4-1 victory away to Kansas City Wizards and left San Jose with 46 points, three ahead of Eastern Conference leaders Chicago Fire, which fell 2-0 to Dallas in Clarke's first match as Burn boss after Mike Jeffries was dismissed earlier in the week.

The Fire saw their lead in the East narrowed thanks to a dramatic golden goal from John Wolyniec, as MetroStars defeated Columbus Crew 1-0 at Giants Stadium. But neither of the other teams battling for places in the MLS Cup playoffs in the East took advantage, as an equally dramatic extra-time winner from Carlos Ruiz gave Los Angeles Galaxy a 1-0 victory against D.C. United, while New England Revolution played to a scoreless draw against Colorado Rapids.

The Earthquakes exploded for four goals for the third time this season as the Wizards saw their winless streak extended to nine matches in front of a club-record crowd of 30,308 at Arrowhead Stadium. Donovan scored the only goal of the first half after he surged diagonally through the area through the Wizards rearguard following a long pass from the left (26).

Defender Eddie Robinson headed home a corner kick in the 54th minute to double the 'Quakes lead, but Davy Arnaud pulled a goal back for the home side five minutes later when he potted the rebound of a saved Chris Klein shot.

But Donovan finished off a wonderful wall pass with Dwayne DeRosario, sweeping in from close range in the 70th minute to rebuild the lead, then finished off the match when he curled home a shot from inside the box deep into stoppage time.

The three points gave San Jose the advantage for the MLS Supporters' Shield with five matches to play, after first-half goals from Toni Nhleko and Eddie Johnson ended a four-match losing run for Dallas in Clarke's first game in charge - the victory against Chicago just the club's second in their last 10 contests.

Nhleko gave the home side a dream start, slotting home the rebound of a Johnson shot that was parried by Zach Thornton after just seven minutes, then Johnson side-footed home from close range two minutes into stoppage time, finishing off a low cross from Ali Curtis in the left side of the area.

At the Meadowlands, Wolyniec's stunning strike in the 101st minute pulled MetroStars to within three points of Chicago. It was just the second victory in the last eight matches for Bob Bradley's side, who gained at least two valuable points on all three teams below them in the tight battle for the Eastern Conference playoff places.

With the final whistle coming at any second, Amado Guevara lofted a seemingly harmless freekick from the center circle into the Columbus end, where Wolyniec took it out of the air with a tremendous first-time left-footed volley. It was his fifth goal of the season, and third in the last five matches, and put an end to the Crew's unbeaten run at four games.

The goal also left MetroStars three points ahead of D.C. United in the Eastern Conference, Los Angeles Galaxy pulling into third place in the West after Ruiz's 99th-minute goal settled a bitterly-contested battle at The Home Depot Center.

Just as it seemed both teams would share the spoils, substitute Diego Serna hooked in a short cross from the right, Ruiz powerfully driving a clear header off the turf that bounced off United 'keeper Nick Rimando's hands before trickling over the goal line for his league-leading 14th goal of the campaign.

New England Revolution couldn't lift themselves out of last place in the East, playing to a scoreless draw with Colorado Rapids at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, the visitors ending the match with just nine players though extending their unbeaten string to six matches (and 11 in their last 12).

The Revolution were gifted a glorious opportunity midway through the second half when referee Alex Prus adjudged Taylor Twellman was bundled over by Wes Hart in the area, but Rapids 'keeper Scott Garlick turned aside Twellman's tame penalty. Colorado's Kyle Beckerman was red-carded in the 43rd minute, but the teams were brought level on 54 minutes when Prus sent off Revolution midfielder Brian Kamler. Then, four minutes into extra time, Pablo Mastroeni was shown red for a second bookable offense.

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