Back at it after a week off. A fairly full schedule, and unlike last week, I was able to see at least some of the action.


Remember that these aren't recaps, but attempts to identify the one thing that most affected the match in question. Full recaps and video highlights are linked for your convenience. I've also added the attendance for those of you that are into that type of thing.


Here we go.


FC Dallas 2, Seattle Sounders 2
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 8,512

The One Thing: The Penalty That Wasn't


A complete and utter gift of a point for FC Dallas, and a crushing blow for a Sounders team on the first leg of a long road trip. There's simply no way to convince me that the penalty was legit; it may have looked questionable in real time on television thanks to two Sounder players converging on the ball, but a referee should never call it from a much closer distance. That being said, Sounders fans obsessed just a little too much over the next few days; I guarantee you, Rave Green nation, that you'll be on the good end of more than a few terrible calls this season, and that this will all even out in the end. Such it the state of things in MLS.


New York Red Bulls 2, Philadelphia Union 1
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 15,619

The One Thing: Orozco's Hand Ball


The Union aren't nearly as poor as I thought they might be, but they do seem to have a tendency to blow games with stupid decisions and boneheaded mistakes. Case in point on Saturday, when the Union were on their way to at least a point in the first edition of the Red Bulls-Union rivalry. Unfortunately, Michel Orozco arm flailed, the ball hit it, and Juan Pablo Angel buried the resulting penalty. The Union aren't exactly Keystone Kops-esque out there, showing flashes of quality on a fairly regular bases (insert obligatory Roger Torres love), but we have to just shake our heads at their self-destruction.


Columbus Crew 1, Real Salt Lake 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 15,619

The One Thing: GBS From the Spot


From the look of things through the wonders of streaming video, this game was played in a monsoon, which might explain why the only goal came from a penalty. Real Salt Lake pushed hard for the equalizer, but Will Hesmer shut them down. The champs continue to underachieve; while beating Columbus on the road wasn't going to be easy, the game was obviously there for the taking with a one goal deficit for fifty-plus minutes. Credit to Columbus for making the penalty stand up, and three points is three points. On a side note, a nod also goes to the 14k+ Crew fans that should up in the terrible conditions.


New England 1, Colorado Rapids 2
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 8,142

The One Thing: Mastroeni's Blast


Pablo Mastroeni doesn't score a lot of goals, so when he does, it's notable. Even more so when it's a 35-yard game winner on the road; Colorado and New England look to be middle of the pack teams (again), but when half the league makes the playoffs, middle of the pack can get you a chance at a title. The Revs continue to struggle without their dread-locked midfield anchor Shalrie Joseph; it's natural to wonder if Mastroeni gets the winner if the Grenadian was in the lineup. Nevertheless, give Colorado credit for winning in New England, where it's not always easy.


Chicago Fire 2, Houston Dynamo 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 11,312

The One Thing: Cameron Goes Down


The loss of Geoff Cameron in the 28th minute changed this match, allowing Chicago to dominate midfielder and get forward on the suddenly toothless Dynamo; Husidic and Lowry got the goals for the Fire, but it was Houston's best player leaving with a knee injury that tilted the scales to the Fire. The match spiraled into a chippy affair that saw referee Ricardo Salazar eleven cards in total, including two yellows back-to-back for Danny Cruz and a straight red to Krzysztof Krol two minutes later. Houston, especially if Cameron is out for a significant amount of time, could be in serious trouble moving forward.


Kansas City Wizards 0, Los Angeles Galaxy 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 10,045

The One Thing: Kamara's Miss of the Century


Poor Kei Kamara. He might never live down his unbelievable miss, one so ridiculous that The Sun highlighted it prominently on their website. The ball was there to be hit, Kamara whiffed, landed, and knocked the ball over the line with his hand. Give credit to the assistant referee, who made the correct call from the sideline; how he was able to process what happened while certainly being shocked that it had, I don't know. The Wizards, by all rights, should have handed LA their first loss of the season, and were the better side through much of the match. I'm guessing Peter Vermes and Kei Kamara both wish they had a time machine at their disposal right about now.

Chivas USA 3, San Jose Earthquakes 2
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 14,389

The One Thing: Chijindu's Insurance Goal


When Chukwundi Chijindu broke away and beat Joe Cannon for Chivas USA's third goal, it looked to be just salt in the Earthquakes' wound; but it turned out to be the difference between three points and one when San Jose's Steve Beitashour rocketed home a second Quakes tally. This was a thoroughly entertaining match, though one that proves nothing about two sides difficult to assess; Chivas appears to have taken a step back under Martin Vasquez, an though San Jose is clearly better than in 2009, it's too early to tell if they'll be a playoff contender. The West is stacked, so if Chivas is going to have a chance at the post-season, these were three crucial home points they needed to hold onto.


Toronto FC 2, Seattle Sounders 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights
Attendance: 18,394

The One Thing: A Lucky Bounce


The tired legs of a spent Seattle squad, playing their second match in four days while on a long road trip, was likely a factor in their inability to put away chances. Still, Toronto did just enough to win, and in part thanks to a lucky bounce off of the referee that indirectly led Dwayne DeRosario's 58th minute goal. Stefan Frei saved the Reds' bacon on multiple occasions, the unusually quiet crowd at BMO finally had reason to cheer, and a disappointed Sounders squad came up empty handed in Canada. Life in MLS isn't fair, and sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Note from JD: I was unable to watch most of the MLS action this weekend, so Matt Acconciamessa from US Soccer Daily is filling in with this week's "The One Thing".

***

Since I haven’t been contributing here nearly as regularly as I once did, I decided to help Jason out this week and write up MLS Week 4’s “The One Thing” post. As is the case with the previous editions, this isn’t meant to be comprehensive (the game reports are linked, if that’s what you’re looking for), but is instead intended to focus on the one thing that had the biggest impact on the match. Enjoy:


Toronto FC 2, Philadelphia Union 1
Recap – Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Roger Torres

TFC gave me two chances this weekend to point out their lackluster play, so for their midweek match, I’ll instead talk about the Colombian gem that Piotr Nowak has found. Once again, 18 year old Roger Torres turned in a very strong performance in the midfield, distributing well and floating a gorgeous ball behind the defense to set up Philly’s lone goal just before halftime. Despite being a man down, the Union actually fared quite well in the opening 10 minutes of the second act, largely thanks to the hard work of Torres. But this all changed when the America de Cali loan player was subbed off in the 55th minute. Without their minute maestro, the Union soon found themselves on their heels and eventually on the losing end of a 2-1 final score.


New York Red Bulls 2, FC Dallas 1
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Bouna Time

A week after making being featured in “The One Thing” for all the wrong reasons, Bouna Coundoul redeemed himself with a game-changing save in the second half of NY’s comeback win. Trailing 1-0, the Red Bulls very nearly fell into a deeper hole, but Bouna came to the rescue, robbing David Ferreira from point-blank range with a great reaction save. The diving stop was just enough, pushing the ball into the post, after which it was cleared by the defense. Just 30 seconds later, Juan Pablo Angel leveled the score, and NY went on to add a second in the final minute of regular time to record their second home win of the season. Without Bouna Coundoul’s crucial save in the 56th minute, the outcome likely would have been a lot different.


Seattle Sounders 1, Kansas City Wizards 0
Recap – Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Playing until the final whistle

The Wizards had gotten off to a good start to their 2010 campaign, and they very nearly added a result at the unfriendly confines of Qwest Field to their growing list of early season accomplishments. They played well enough to earn a draw and very well could have walked out with win with some better finishing, but instead they got back on the plane to KC empty-handed. Their strong 90+ minutes of play were wiped away because of a defensive lapse in second half stoppage time, where substitute Michael Fucito was able to sneak behind the defense on a throw in and fire a shot from 10 yards out into the back of the net. If the Wizards are really going to be one of the league’s elite this season, they’ll have to learn how to close out games like this one. Seattle was almost guilty of the same offense, but fortunately for them, Kasey Keller made a fantastic save on Chance Myers just a minute after Fucito’s tally to preserve the clean sheet and secure a victory.


Houston Dynamo 3, Chivas USA 0
Recap – Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Lovel Palmer

After losing Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark in the winter window, there were some questions about how the Dynamo would replace the all-star duo. On Saturday, Lovel Palmer did his best to fill that void, helping Houston to a 3-0 victory in his first career MLS start. His solid midfield play in the opening half was capped off by a spectacular 30 yard bomb into the far side-netting beyond the outstretched arms of Zach Thornton, doubling his team’s lead en route to a shutout victory. It was Palmer’s first MLS goal, and the stunning strike should earn him Goal of the Week honors.


Chicago Fire 2, DC United 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights


The One Thing: Brian McBride

Carlos de los Cobos looks like a pretty smart guy after bringing on Brian McBride as a 75th minute substitute in a 0-0 game on the road. Four minutes after coming on, the USMNT and Fulham legend made his presence felt, setting up the Fire’s opening goal with a delicate flick to a trailing Marco Pappa inside the box. 10 minutes later, he doubled the lead by adding a goal to his stat line, muscling off Carey Talley to get his head on a long free kick from Andrew Dykstra. There wasn’t a lot behind the header, but it had just enough to sneak by Troy Perkins at the near post and secure three points for the visitors. Overall, McBride’s 15 minute appearance was a super-sub performance in every sense of the word.


San Jose Earthquakes 2, New England Revolution 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights


The One Thing: The Earthquakes’ Defense

With all due respect to Chris Wondolowski’s goal, this game was decided by the SJ defense. Joe Cannon turned in a fantastic performance in goal, recording six saves along the way, including a couple of point blank stops late in the second half. The one shot that did manage to beat Cannon was kept out by a Bobby Convey goal line clearance, which proved to be a pivotal point in what was then a 0-0 match. On the other end of the field, it was Ike Opara creating havoc on set pieces, nearly burying one in the first half before heading home his second goal of the year in the 72nd minute.


Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Real Salt Lake 1
Recap – Goal.com
Highlights


The One Thing: Edson Buddle

Another game, another couple of goals for Edson Buddle, who brought his season total up to seven with a brace in LA’s victory. This latest performance has some claiming he should be in South Africa, while others are trying to hold off on jumping on the Buddle bandwagon. Regardless of his national team status, Buddle continues to rack up the goals in bunches. DC United Director of Marketing Communications Kyle Sheldon put it best with this tweet: “At this rate, Edson Buddle is going to score 52 goals this season. Is that good?” Yep, it’s been that kind of start for the Galaxy striker, whose production has helped the Galaxy take all 12 points from their first four matches.


Colorado Rapids 3, Toronto FC 1
Recap – Goal.com
Highlights


The One Thing: TFC’s defensive miscues

As I alluded to earlier, the Reds didn’t exactly do a lot to instill confidence in their fans this weekend, with their Sunday match against Colorado having a lot to do with that. All three Rapids goals came as the result of a poor play from the Toronto defense. Conor Casey converted a first half penalty after an overzealous slide from Adriann Cann led to his handling the ball in the area, while Jeff Larentowicz scored on a direct kick from 20 yards out thanks to a huge hole in the wall created by a jump to the side from Julian de Guzman. To cap off the defeat, Maxim Usanov pulled down Conor Casey inside the box on a long ball, sending him to the spot once again for another PK goal. TFC has given up 10 goals in four games; only DC United (11) has allowed more. Yikes.

After a light schedule last week, MLS dropped the bomb on us in Week 3; eight games, all in one day, making it incredibly tough to follow them all. Nevertheless, here I am, trying to take one thing out of each.


Keep in mind that each match's "The One Thing" is dependent on how much of it I'm was able to see, and in those cases where I couldn't catch any of the action, I'm focusing on the one moment, player, or decision that influenced the match the most (read: highlights).


If you're looking for a more comprehensive match report, I'll link to one in each capsule, and I've added a link to the match highlights as well.


Chivas USA 2, New York Red Bulls 0
Recap - UPI
Highlights

The One Thing: Bouna's Blunder

It was bound to happen eventually; the New York Red Bulls had gone two matches without conceding a goal, played organized and energetic defense, and collected six points in the process. But all good things must come to an end, and Bouna Coundoul was the one responsible for killing the good feelings. New York may have deserved to lose on the road, but the manner in which Chivas the match winner is a crushing blow. Coundoul was beaten by a deflected shot, attempted to recover when he realized the ball had come off the post, then knocked the ball into his own net. Ouch.


Philadelphia Union 3, DC United 2
Recap - MiamiHerald.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Le Toux DOOP's United

It would be unfair to make this about anything other than Sebastian Le Toux's hat trick, even if United were very poor for 45 minutes and Dejan Jakovic put them in a bad position on the game-winning free kick. Credit to the Union for putting on a good show for their home fans in the first ever Philly MLS game, and credit Le Toux for being sharp enough to put away his chances. That was a much improved Union team this week, and while they might still finish at the bottom of the East, they've at least shown that they can compete. One other moment that stands out: Alejandro Moreno's cross-field ball to a streaking Le Toux for Philly's second goal of the game.


New England Revolution 4, Toronto FC 1
Recap - Soccer365
Highlights

The One Thing: The Reds Lay Down

Yes, Zach Schilawski scored a hat trick, a marvelous feat for a rookie. But what stood out at Gillette was TFC's crumbling defense and utter lack of effort or concentration in the second half. TFC had a chance to win that game, and instead rolled over for the Revs. I'm not sure what Preki is doing in Canada, and perhaps more of the blame lies at the feet of Mo Johnston and those constructing the roster; but the TFC fans deserve better, and if there's already dissension in the lockerroom in April (perhaps evidenced by Jim Brennan's retirement), that spells a very long season indeed. Credit the Revs, with Shalrie Joseph returning the the lineup, for showing that they can score without Taylor Twellman or Edgaras Jankauskas.


Kansas City Wizards 1, Colorado Rapids 0
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Ryan Smith, the Good and the Bad

Smith has been a bit of a revelation through two games in Kansas City, and is making a mark despite being somewhat of an unknown quantity. Saturday he contributed the free kick that found Kei Kamara's head for the lone goal of the match, but there's a reasonable argument that he shouldn't have even been on the field to take it. Early in the game Smith spiked the ball in the direction of referee Landis Wiley after being called for a foul, and got off with only a warning. I'm not going to judge Smith on one discretion, but it certainly wasn't a smart thing to do. Six points for the Wizards is a great start, and holding down a potent Colorado attack, with the aid of a tiny field, should give them even more confidence going forward.


Houston Dynamo 0, Los Angeles Galaxy 2
Recap - ESPN Soccernet
Highlights

The One Thing: Edson Buddle is (Still) on Fire

Scoring is scoring, no matter how you get it done, and it therefore doesn't matter that Buddle was gifted his first by Pat Onstad's failing to cover the short side on a sharp angle and his second by lax Houston defending. A striker's job is to score goals, and Buddle has done it five times already in 2010. That's a blistering pace, and if the Galaxy can weather the Donovan-less storm in the middle of the season, they will be clear MLS Cup favorites come playoff time. Houston's scoring problems with Brian Ching out injured were only magnified by the performance of Buddle on the other side, and this game might be the first in a troublesome stretch for the Dynamo.


FC Dallas 2, Columbus Crew 2
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Avila's Equalizer

By all accounts, this was a slobberknocker of a soccer match; things got chippy in the second half, and the crazy finish that saw an cracking goal from Eric Avila to equalize fit right in. Crew players swarmed the referee in the aftermath, protesting that Avila handled the ball before gaining control and snapping the shot. Those that did show up in Frisco got themselves a show, both with the back and forth nature of the game and the amazing finish to end it. A road point isn't the end of the world for Columbus, but having a win snatched away at the death, and with what they believe was a handball, has to sting. Schelotto is probably still yelling at the ref right now.


Chicago Fire 1, San Jose Earthquakes 2
Recap - OurSportsCentral
Highlights

The One Thing: Jason Hernandez' Save

Big moments in this match made the choice difficult; with Tim Ward's bad back pass that caught Andrew Dykstra out to Ward's failure to mark Ike Opara on the game winning goal also in the mix, I couldn't really have gone wrong. But if Jason Hernandez isn't standing on the line when Collins John's rips a shot towards the Quakes' net in the 73rd minute, San Jose doesn't even have a chance for the win. The game's biggest moments were defensive-blunder related, and unfortunately for Chicago, they couldn't take advantage. On the other end, I'm giving Andrew Dykstra a pass for costly mistake, even if his communication with CJ Brown as lacking; as mentioned, that situation is on Ward, who lazily hit a back pass that ended up in no man's land. On a side note, the Chicago color commentator is terrible.


Real Salt Lake 2, Seattle Sounders 2
Recap - Goal.com
Highlights

The One Thing: Saborio's Last Gasp

Photo Service Fail: None available for this week

By all rights, Seattle should have left Utah with three points in hand; instead, they limped away with one after giving up an added time equalizer to Alvaro Saborio. This was probably the best game of the weekend, living up to its billing as a clash between two Western Conference contenders. To say Saborio's effort came deep into stoppage doesn't do it justice; the header off a RSL corner came almost literally on the last kick of the ball. Saborio was a handful for the Sounders backline from the moment he stepped on the field as a substitute for Robbie Findley, and nearly leveled the match fifteen minutes earlier. A draw seems just about right having seen what I did, and though Seattle will find reason to be disappointed, they can't ultimately complain about getting a point on the road against the defending champs. Now to sort out that set piece defending...

In an effort to cover the week of play in Major League Soccer, I'm introducing new feature called "The One Thing". These won't be match reports or recaps but will instead grab the most glaring (to me at least) story or element from the game. Keep in mind that each match's "The One Thing" is dependent on how much of it I'm able to see, and in those cases where I wasn't able to catch any of the action, I'll be focusing on the one moment, player, or decision that influenced the match the most (read: highlights).

If you're looking for a more comprehensive match report, I'll link to one in each capsule.


Here we go with the abbreviated Easter schedule, covering the full spectrum of defensive performances, the revival of striker on the West Coast, a surprising upset, and the usual from Omar Cummings.


Houston Dynamo 2, Real Salt Lake 1
Recap - Zach Woosley for Goal.com

The One Thing: Jamison Olave Happened

Things were looking pretty good for Real Salt Lake, and it appeared that they were going to start the season with two road wins; then Jamison Olave single-handedly gifted the Dynamo two penalties and a full three points. Olave is talented, and is still one of the best defenders in the league when he's not ill-advisedly leaving his feet in the penalty box, and whether you believe both calls were clear or not, he unfortunately put himself in a position to be called when he went to ground. Dive or no dive, Olave's mental mistakes were considerable. Lucky, lucky, Dynamo.


LA Galaxy 2, Chivas USA 0
Recap - LA Times

The One Thing: Maicon Santos' Miss

Sure, Edson Buddle scored a brace, and sure, LA probably deserved to win the game; but Maicon Santos' missed sitter, with the ball literally five yards from the goal line and begging to be slammed home, is the resonating image from the first Los Angeles derby of the year. If Santos scores, the game is tied and Chivas has a chance to salvage a point; as it was, they gave up a late goal to the Donovan-Buddle combo, killing any chance they had of coming back. Chivas didn't play well, but it's games like these, lost on chances like Santos', that will come back to haunt them down the stretch of the season when they're fighting for a playoff position.


Colorado Rapids 2, Chicago Fire 2
Recap - Our Sports Central

The One Thing: Was That a Penalty?

First, a note about Omar Cummings: He's good. But the crucial moment for the home team was Marvell Wynne's maybe-a-foul-maybe-not on Patrick Nyarko in the box, which was judged to be a penalty referee Terry Vaughan. Wynne was playing centerback again for Gary Smith, and having already been muscled aside by Collins John for the first Fire goal, now found himself the reason the Rapids earned one point instead of three. Harsh for the Rapids, and particularly harsh for Wynne. A Jamison Olave situation, this was not. Fair result? Probably. Fair on that particular penalty? Don't think so.


DC United 0, New England Revolution 2
Recap - CSN Washington

The One Thing: United Impotence

A good team wins this game going away at home, which can only lead me to believe that United is not a good team at the moment. They controlled possession through the bulk of the game, found themselves in the box with the ball on multiple occasions, but could never put it in the net. One too many passes, a hesitancy to pull the trigger, and a lack of forward strength did them in. DC might have a new coach, but nothing appears to have changed. Thanks to United's inability to turn possession into goals, New England jumped up for a nice road win thanks to a brace from Kenny Mansally, after the home team had run themselves ragged and gotten lazy.


Seattle Sounders 0, New York Red Bulls 1
Recap - Associated Press

The One Thing: New York's Defense

Who knew? The Red Bulls draft a surprisingly mature rookie, Tim Ream, pair him with an MLS veteran in Mike Petke, bring in Bouna Condul to play in goal, and suddenly they have a solid defensive core. Holding the Sounders down at home is no mean feat, and credit should be given where it's due. That doesn't mean that the Red Bulls will keep it up all season, but there's no reason to believe that their defense will be a liability, barring a major injury. That in itself is a big victory for New York, and it's clear Hans Backe has made a difference. Winning in Seattle, and breaking the terrible road losing streak they had, should be throw immediately into the "bonus points" pile, a collection they'll hope to add to and will certainly be happy they have when we get to playoff time. Seattle, for their part, will be fine.

In an effort to cover the week of play in Major League Soccer, I'm introducing new feature called "The One Thing". These won't be match reports or recaps but will instead grab the most glaring (to me at least) story or element from the game. Keep in mind that each match's "The One Thing" is dependent on how much of it I'm able to see, and in those cases where I wasn't able to catch any of the action, I'll be focusing on the one moment, player, or decision that influenced the match the most (read: highlights).

If you're looking for a more comprehensive match report, I'll link to one in each capsule.


Here we go with an eventful First Kick weekend, which brought quality goals, dominant teams, and a few surprises.


Seattle Sounders 2, Philadelphia Union 0
Recap - AP via Fox Soccer

The One Thing: Union rough play

It would be nearly impossible to make anything else the focus for this game. The Union came out, with all of their youth and inexperience on full display, and tried to bully Seattle. That's not to say that the Sounders weren't guilty of their own moments of roughness, but Nowak's side was beyond the pale. And then Nowak goes and complains, calling Freddie Ljungberg "dishonest"? I'm no fan of Freddie's penchant for simulation, but Nowak's off his rocker here. Seattle looks good, though it's tough to tell how good they actually are until their tested by a more cohesive team that isn't suffering from debut jitters.


Chivas USA 0, Colorado Rapids 1
Recap - Goal.com

The One Thing: Maybe Wynne's a centerback

Yes, Omar Cummings is good, and yes his goal should probably be the one thing; but Marvell Wynne's steadiness in central defense on Friday night was somewhat surprising, and has me wondering if we'll see the speedster there all year long. Wynne had just joined the Rapids after his trade from Toronto, played in the center due to injury, and looked like he belonged there. It's completely counter-intuitive to put such a speedy player anywhere but fullback, but perhaps Wynne's instincts and inability to cross actually make him more effective elsewhere. TFC tried him in other spots in 2009, and never found the right fit; with Preki dumping him and Smith stumbling into a good performance from Wynne in the center, maybe its finally time for Marvell to solidify himself.


FC Dallas 1, Houston Dynamo 1
Recap: Zach Woosley for Goal.com

The One Thing: Atiba Harris

Just a well taken goal. Harris had way too much space at the top of the box, but the finish was fantastic nonetheless. FC Dallas is an enigma, a team with speed and talent in many spots coming off one of the most uneven seasons in recent memory. If Houston is to be their usual selves despite the loss of Clark and Holden, they'll need to hold on to leads. Credit Harris for getting his shot and curling it nicely to the far post, and FC Dallas for stealing a point in front of a terrible home crowd.


Columbus Crew 2, Toronto FC 0
Recap: AP via Google News

The One Thing: Schelotto's Crew

If GBS goes down with injury for any meaningful length of time this season, the Crew's chances for a top seed in the East might be done. But for now, Schelotto is what makes Columbus go, and Saturday against Toronto was no different. My ability to see this match was hampered by struggles with a certain online streaming service (ahem), but I saw enough to glean that as good as Columbus is, they'd be much different without their Argentine star. Columbus wasn't great, and Toronto is obviously still unsettled (not even having a full compliment of players at the moment) but the better team carried the day.


New York Red Bulls 1, Chicago Fire 0
Recap: ESPN Soccernet

The One Thing: Joel Lindpere

New York's Estonian signing alone makes the Red Bulls a much better team than they were in 2009. With Juan Pablo Angel struggling to impact the game, Lindpere took it upon himself to provide the offense in the regular season debut of Red Bull Arena. It's too early to label Lindpere an impact newcomer, but I'm going to do it anyway; I'm also going to do as far as to say he could be a surprise MVP candidate by the end of the season. His influence is notable both on offense and defense, and combined with a great home environment, should help New York turn around their fortunes.


Kansas City Wizards 4, DC United 0
Recap: Steve Goff at the Washington Post

The One Thing: Wizards In-sync

What was that? United made Kansas City look like an All-Star team, and suddenly I'm worried I've massively underrated the Wizards. Ryan Smith (injury report pending) appears to be a great pick up, Kei Kamara looked dangerous all night, and the Wizards defense shut down DC. It's impossible to know how much of that was United being poorly prepared and how much was Kansas City's talent, but for one night the Wizards looked like East contenders. Their passing was crisp and on target all over the field, they created chances, and finished three. The Jewsbury penalty was simply the icing on the cake for KC and the salt in the wound for DC.


San Jose Earthquakes 0, Real Salt Lake 3
Recap: Goal.com

The One Thing: Javier Morales

Wow. Two goal of the year candidates right off the bat for Morales, a player who can carry RSL all by himself when he wants to. The Quakes are poor, and there was no reason to believe they would give the champs a serious test in the opener; but the emphatic way the Utahans won the game, and the quality shown by Morales, bodes well for a good start in Sandy. The first goal was particularly jaw-dropping. I think I'll go watch it a few more times.


Los Angeles Galaxy 1, New England Revolution 0
Recap: AP via the Boston Globe

The One Thing: Donovan's Impact

Though he failed to dominate the game, its clear that Landon Donovan heads into the MLS campaign a very confident player. His class was on display at several points against New England, and thought he'll need to adjust back to to teammates who might not always be where they should, he alone can push LA's offense. The Galaxy methodically beat a Shalrie Joseph-less Revolution that they honestly should have thumped by three or more; but the defense was solid, Donovan provided the perfect service that led to Buddle's game-winner, and the Galaxy showed why they are one of the Western Conference favorites.