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This Week In MLS

April 13, 2010 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


MLS Week 3 rewind

There were goals galore to highlight the season's third week. MLS Player of the Week Sebastien Le Toux scored the first goal in club history for Philadelphia Union - and then completed a hat trick for the club's first win, at home against D.C. United. The New England Revolution's Zack Schilawski became the third rookie in MLS history to hit for a hat trick in a 4-1 win against Toronto FC. Edson Buddle continued his hot start, scoring both goals as the LA Galaxy remained perfect on the year with a victory at Houston. The Kansas City Wizards are also unbeaten and untied, defeating Colorado as Kei Kamara scored the game's lone goal. Chivas USA and the San Jose Earthquakes also won for the first time this season.

Saturday, April 10

New York 0 at Chivas USA 2 Columbus 2 at FC Dallas 2

D.C. United 2 at Philadelphia 3 Seattle 2 at Real Salt Lake 2

Toronto FC 1 at New England 4 Los Angeles 2 at Houston 0

San Jose 2 at Chicago 1 Colorado 0 at Kansas City 1

U.S. Open Cup kicks off

Major League Soccer's teams will begin their road toward the 2010 U.S. Open Cup when play-in matches begin this week. Six teams - Columbus, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Chivas USA and defending champion Seattle - have already earned places in the final round-of-16. They will be joined by two qualifiers from the play-in rounds.

The U.S. Open Cup play-in schedule:

GAME A: Philadelphia Union at New York Red Bulls, April 27 (Red Bull Arena)

GAME B: New England Revolution at Game A Winner, May 12

GAME C: Real Salt Lake at San Jose Earthquakes, April 14 (Buck Shaw Stadium, )

GAME D: Colorado Rapids at Kansas City Wizards, April 13 (Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City)

GAME E: FC Dallas at D.C. United, April 28 (RFK Stadium)

GAME F: Winner Game B vs. Winner Game D

GAME G: Winner Game C vs. Winner Game E

Winners of Games F and G qualify for U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 (to be played June 29-30).

MLS quotables

"Listen, it is the only way when my whole country is in mourning. There is only one way to pay respect to all these people I know, these people who are my friends, and that is to not be on the sideline. I know it is my job to coach these guys, but when there is a tragic event like that, you have to do this."

-- Philadelphia Union head coach Peter Nowak, referring to his decision not to coach from the sideline after a plane crash killed 97 people on Saturday including Polish President Lech Kaczynski

"I feel the same things I was feeling in my first game in Seattle. The crowd was wonderful behind us for the 90 minutes. It's important as a player to feel that. Even when we dropped to 2-2, they were still behind us."

-- Philadelphia Union striker Sebastien Le Toux

"I don't think last year's team would have been able to do that. I think this year's team is so much more focused and conditioned to get results."

-- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman to the Dallas Morning News, on the stoppage-time draw

"You've got a bull's-eye. There's no secret about that. Everyone comes in and they're playing harder. They're playing stronger and they're more physical with you. You can feel it every day, but we embrace it."

-- Real Salt Lake midfielder Will Johnson, on being the defending MLS Cup Champions

Previewing Week 4: April 15-17, 2010 (all times ET)

Thursday, April 15

Philadelphia Union at Toronto FC, 7 p.m. (ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes / ESPN360.com)

Union won the first game in club history with team manager Peter Nowak watching from a suite, following the death of the president of Poland and other top officials earlier Saturday in a plane crash. His assistant, John Hackworth, handled all in-game coaching duties

Acquired by Philadelphia in the expansion draft, MLS Player of the Week Sebastien Le Toux was the first player signed in Sounders FC history after playing two seasons for the USL First Division Seattle Sounders (2007-08).

Union now face four consecutive games on the road before playing their second game at Lincoln Financial Field, vs. Chivas USA on May 15. That will be final home game before the opening of PPL Park on June 27.

Toronto FC started five players Saturday who were not with the club at the start of the season just three weeks ago - defenders Dan Gargan and Raivis Hscanovics and midfielders Martin Saric, Nick LaBrocca and Nane Joseph. Since taking over the club last November, Preki has seen nine players depart and 11 new players added.

Saturday, April 17

Kansas City Wizards at Seattle Sounders FC, 3 p.m. (MLS Direct Kick package)

The Wizards were the first team to defeat Seattle, winning a 1-0 decision at Qwest Field last April 11.

The Wizards will play host to Colorado in a U.S. Open Cup play-in game Tuesday - just 72 hours after the teams met in league play.

Kansas City has opened its season with back-to-back shutout victories for the first time in club history. It's the fifth time the Wizards have opened the year with two consecutive wins.

Pat Noonan made his first start for Seattle, partnering Fredy Montero in attack against Real Salt Lake with Freddie Ljungberg playing a wide right midfield role.

Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo, 4 p.m. (TeleFutura)

The Dynamo have not lost to Chivas USA in their last nine league meetings, since a 3-2 Chivas win Aug. 26, 2006. Houston has won five of those matches, including victories in both meetings a year ago.

The Dynamo are undefeated at Robertson Stadium against Chivas, with victories in six of eight all-time meetings (two draws), including a 2-0 win in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2006.

After suffering losses in the first two games with a single striker, Chivas USA coach Martin Vasquez started Chukwudi Chijindu alongside Maicon Santos against New York. The result: the first two goals of the season for Chivas USA. "He said he was thinking about playing a 4-4-2 instead, and Jonny (Bornstein) and I fully supported it," Sacha Kljestan said to The Daily Breeze. "It's what we played for a long time and we understand it the most."

Houston holding midfielder Richard Mulrooney, who missed the last half of the 2009 campaign after undergoing knee surgery, re-injured the knee against Los Angeles and was forced off after 29 minutes.

FC Dallas at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. (MLS Direct Kick package)

The teams have split their two meetings in each of the last two seasons, each winning on their home ground.

Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul saw his personal shutout streak of 358 minutes dating back to last year ended bizarrely when he fumbled a shot off the post into his own goal.

Rookie Zach Loyd made his MLS debut for FC Dallas, starting at right back. Heath Pearce moved to left back and Jair Benitez, the First Kick starter there, moved into the midfield.

Chicago Fire at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. (MLS Direct Kick package)

The Fire have not defeated D.C. United since a 2-0 win at RFK Stadium on May 8. 2008. United have won four of the five games since with one draw, including two wins in three 2009 meetings and the past three meetings at Toyota Park.

Jaime Moreno scored the 132nd league goal of his MLS career, but none perhaps as strange as Saturday, when Philadelphia goalkeeper Chris Seitz dropped the ball and Moreno faked him out before rolling it into the open net.

37-year-old United defender Juan Manuel Peña suffered a hamstring injury that forced him from the field after just 15 minutes. United have allowed an League-high nine goals through three matches.

Salvadoran defender Deris Umanzor made his MLS debut for the Fire, starting at left back in place of Polish defender Krzysztof Krol.

New England Revolution at San Jose Earthquakes, 10 p.m. (MLS Direct Kick package)

Since the Earthquakes' return to the league, the Revolution have won three of the four meetings, including both in 2009.

The Revolution's Steve Nicol became the third coach in MLS history to reach 100 victories.

Zack Schilawski's hat trick was the third in MLS history scored by a rookie. The previous two: Brian Maisonneuve, Columbus (vs. San Jose), Sept. 7, 1996; Pat Noonan, New England (vs. MetroStars), Oct. 25, 2003. The three goals came in a 9-minute span, equaling the third-quickest hat trick in MLS history.

The Revolution scored three goals from wide positions, something helped by the addition of Shalrie Joseph. An MLS MVP finalist a year ago, Joseph had missed the first two games.

The Earthquakes won in their first road game of the season this year. Last year, their first (and only) road win came Sept. 27 at D.C. United.

Real Salt Lake at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. (FSC / FSE)

Real Salt Lake went undefeated against the Galaxy a season ago, including a 2-0 win at The Home Depot Center on June 13, 2009, and winning MLS Cup on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time.

The Galaxy are the second team ever to open the season with three shutout victories (Seattle Sounders FC became the first last year). They have not allowed a goal in their first three games, the fourth-longest streak to start a season in MLS history.

Edson Buddle became the fifth Galaxy player to score goals in each of the first three games of a season, joining Welton (1998), Cobi Jones (2000) and Carlos Ruiz (2002, 2004). Buddle has already matched his 2009 total of five goals on the season.

RSL suffered a pair of first-half injury blows in their weekend draw against Seattle, with Javier Morales suffering a groin injury and Ned Grabavoy an ankle injury. Neither played in the second half, and RSL head coach Jason Kreis described both injuries as serious.

After starting his first MLS game the week before, RSL striker Alvaro Saborio came off the bench vs. Seattle - and scored his first MLS goal in the stoppage-time equalizer.

Sunday, April 18

Toronto FC at Colorado Rapids, 5 p.m. (MLS Direct Kick package)

Toronto FC have won all three meetings with Colorado at BMO Field. The Rapids have won two of three encounters at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Both teams will be facing midweek matches before they meet in Commerce City - the Rapids remaining in Kansas City for a U.S. Open Cup play-in match Tuesday, and Toronto FC making their 2010 BMO Field debut Thursday against expansion Philadelphia Union.

Kansas City's game-winning goal against Colorado came from a free kick headed in by Kei Kamara. The Rapids have allowed three goals on the season - one on corner kick, one a penalty kick, and one on a free kick.

The trip to Colorado is the third away game of the opening four to start the season for Toronto FC.

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