[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] A thumping by Colorado completed a miserable week for the New York Red Bulls, who were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by USL-2 club Crystal Palace Baltimore on Tuesday. David Beckham scored the Galaxy’s lone goal in a loss to the Revs. For highlights and lowlights of last week’s MLS action. …
4. The New York Red Bulls gave up four goals for the third time this season as they fell, 4-0, at Colorado in front of a season-high 18,776 crowd. In the Fourth of July fireworks game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids ended a four-game winless streak that included three losses, getting goals from Tom McManus, Mehdi Ballouchy, Colin Clark and Omar Cummings. New York has one win in its last five games.
5. David Beckham‘s strike for Los Angeles in its 2-1 loss to East leader New England was his fifth of the season. Beckham, known more for his assists than his goals, last scored more than five goals in a season when he struck six times for Manchester United in the 2002-03 season. His average per season scoring over his career is 5.8 goals. Beckham has played in 14 of the Galaxy’s 15 games this season and has also notched six assists. The Galaxy, which is 6-6-3, is on a three-game winless streak. It is 2-3-1 in its last six games.
ADAM CRISTMAN scored both of New England goals. The second-year Virginia product upped his season total to six goals.
112. Ante Razov‘s 28-yard free kick in 88th minute the provided the gamewinner in Chivas USA’s 1-0 victory over San Jose. The win puts Chivas USA into a tie with Los Angeles atop the Western Conference. The Southern California rivals meet on Thursday. Razov’s strike was his 112th career goal, putting him six goals behind D.C. United’s Jaime Moreno.
10. The Earthquakes have scored a league-low 10 goals in 14 games.
ABE THOMPSON headed home in stoppage time (91+) to earn FC Dallas a 1-1 tie with Kansas City, which got its goal on a first-half Scott Sealy strike setup by Claudio Lopez. Thompson scored two stoppage-time goals in FC Dallas’ last game – a 2-1 U.S. Open Cup win over Miami FC Blues — in the waning seconds of the first half (48+) and second half (92+). A crowd of 16,765 attended the July Fourth clash at FC Dallas’ Pizza Hut Park.
17,172 showed up at Crew Stadium on Saturday for Columbus’ biggest 2008 home crowd – postgame fireworks were part of the show — and saw Chicago take a 2-0 lead by the 25th minute on goals by Chris Rolfe and Calen Carr. But the Fire’s winless streak was extended to five games after Guillermo Barros Schelotto set up Emmanuel Ekpo (36th minute) and Steven Lenhart (87th) to earn Columbus a 2-2 tie. Schelotto now has eight assists this season. Two weeks ago, the rookie Lenhart’s first career goal was an 88th minute strike that earned the Crew a 3-3 tie with Los Angeles. Rolfe’s goal ended Chicago’s 341-minute scoreless drought.
CUAUHTEMOC BLANCO, the 35-year-old Mexican who helped create Rolfe’s goal, has played all 1,260 minutes for the Fire this season. The only other Fire player to play every minute is keeper Jon Busch.
6 yellow cards, one red card (Salt Lake’s Chris Wingert) and zero goals were on offer for the 17,898 fans in Salt Lake who watched their team against defending champ Houston.