WINNERS & LOSERS: Los Angeles takes MLS Cup with Pando goal

Winners:

The LOS ANGELES GALAXY, which finished the regular season in fourth place of the Wetsern Conference, is MLS champion thanks to a 1-0 overtime win over New England on a goal by late sub Guillermo "Pando" Ramirez, who saw only 30 minutes of action in the Galaxy's previous seven games. Ramirez had taken a team-high 62 shots in the regular-season but scored only once, on a penalty kick.

The USA's tie 1-1 against Scotland in Saturday's friendly gave several players who hadn't figured in the qualifying campaign to impress Coach Bruce Arena. Left back JONATHAN SPECTOR defended solidly and launched several forays down the flank. Also showing well enough to stay in the picture during World Cup preparations was defensive midfielder BRIAN CARROLL.

In the first-leg of playoffs for the final spots in World Cup 2006, SPAIN thumped Slovakia, 5-1. SWITZERLAND upset 2002 World Cup third-place team Turkey, the CZECHS eked out a 1-0 win over Norway. BAHRAIN picked up a 1-1 tied in Trinidad. URUGUAY managed only a 1-0 win over Australia in Montevideo.

Losers:

NEW ENGLAND's MLS Cup history now reads 233 minutes of play without scoring. The Revs, who fell, 1-0, to Los Angeles in overtime on Sunday, lost in similar fashion to Los Angeles in 2002, when it was another Guatemalan, Carlos Ruiz, whose goal in overtime – then sudden death – downed the Revs.

American defender OGUCHI ONYEWU of Standard Liege has been handed a four-game suspension by the Belgian federation for two red cards he received earlier this season.