D.C. UNITED: D.C. United will face Jamaica’s Arnett Gardens, who visits the nation’s capital on April 11, in the return match of the CONCACAF Giants Cup quarterfinal pairing … D.C. United will face German Bundesliga power Bayer Leverkusen in an international friendly on Wednesday, May 23, at 8:00 p.m. in RFK Stadium … Midfielder Mark Lisi, currently completing his studies at Clemson University, has joined United on a fulltime basis after making arrangements with his professors to complete his work via correspondence … Santino Quaranta and the United States under-17 national team will arrive in St. Louis, Mo., Thursday (April 12) to make final preparations before facing off against Jamaica, Canada and El Salvador in the FIFA U-17 World Championship qualifying tournament at Saint Louis University on April 18, 20 and 22 … Quaranta will write periodic journals for MLSnet.com during the U-20 WC Qualifying Tournament. METROSTARS: The MetroStars pledged one dollar to the El Salvador Earthquake Relief Fund for every ticket sold in their 2001 MLS season opener against New England … As a result, the team will donate $30,753, thanks to the second largest home opener crowd in team history … The team will hold training sessions Tuesday through Thursday this week beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET at Kean University-East Campus in Union, New Jersey … Training session lengths vary, but generally last from 90 minutes to two hours … The team will travel to Denver, Colorado Friday morning via Newark Airport … The MetroStars will hold a special media luncheon for the “NASL Reunion Weekend” in New York City on Wednesday, April 18 … Location and time will be announced later this week. MIAMI FUSION: The Miami Fusion and the City of Miami will host a news conference at the Orange Bowl tomorrow (April 11) at 2:30 p.m. (ET), to announce the team’s plans to play a limited number of regular season games at the legendary grounds later this year … Miami will take to the road for the first time in 2001 as they visit Eastern Division rival New England this Saturday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. (ET) … Fusion defender Ivan McKinley was a member of the Revolution from 1997-2000 before being traded to the Fusion in exchange for forward Eric Wynalda on July 8, 2000 … Revolution midfielder/forward Andy Williams joined New England on March 29 after being selected in the MLS Waiver Draft … Revolution Head Coach Fernando Clavijo was head coach of the Florida Thundercats of the National Professional Soccer League from 1998-99 and has a home in South Florida … Defender Carlos Llamosa is expected to make his Fusion debut on Saturday after missing the season opener against the Rapids due to a red card suspension carried over from 2000 … The Fusion will play an exhibition match at the Cocoa Expo Sports Center against the Cocoa Expos tonight at 6:00 p.m. (ET). NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION: 2000 New England Revolution Rookie of the Year Rusty Pierce has been practicing with the team after being slowed by a hamstring injury throughout much of the preseason and could see his first action of the season against the Fusion … Revolution forward Eric Wynalda and midfielder Andy Williams will be facing their former team when the Fusion come to town … Midfielder Leonel Alvarez was credited with the Revolution’s lone goal Saturday … The goal was his second as a member of the Revolution and matched his total for all of last season … Alvarez last found the back of the net April 1, 2000 against the Los Angeles Galaxy. CHICAGO FIRE: The Chicago Fire announced the re-signing of defender Evan Whitfield to a multiyear contract yesterday (April 9) … U.S. national team head coach Bruce Arena was the keynote speaker at the annual FireWorks For Kids Season Kickoff Luncheon held this afternoon at the Chicago Hyatt Regency … Fire midfielder Diego Gutierrez and defender Andrew Lewis will miss this Saturday’s home opener due to red card suspensions … This Thursday, midfielder Chris Armas will be a guest on the WUSN AM (US99) morning show, while Josh Wolff will be featured on WBBM FM B96’s “Eddie and Jobo” Friday morning show at 7:30 a.m. (ET). COLUMBUS CREW: The Columbus Crew will take to the road for the first time during the 2001 MLS regular season, when they take on the Tampa Bay Mutiny on Saturday, April 14, at Raymond James Stadium at 7 p.m. … The Crew will complete its FC Giants Cup quarterfinal series against CD Saprissa of Costa Rica at Crew Stadium, this Wednesday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. Saprissa owns a 2-0 lead in the two-leg aggregate goals series, with its victory in San Jose, Costa Rica, last Wednesday (April 4) … The Crew need to win 2-0 to force overtime, while a 3-0 victory will clinch a semifinal spot. DALLAS BURN: The Dallas Burn named Armando Pelaez as an assistant coach for the team … The 39-year-old is a native of Venezuela and has been involved with the Olympic Developmental Program the past four years … He has coached in the USL and was a professional player for 11 years … Burn forward Jason Kreis underwent an MRI yesterday after he hyper-extended his right knee vs. Tampa Bay last Saturday, the same knee that he had arthroscopic surgery on in February … As part of the Dallas Burn 5th Major Sport Program, the team will conduct a training session in conjunction with the Rowlett Youth Soccer Association at Rowlett High School tonight, followed by an autograph session … Dallas will train at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday through Friday at the Blue Sky Sports Center, before departing for San Jose Friday afternoon. TAMPA BAY MUTINY: The Tampa Bay Mutiny opens their home schedule on Saturday against Central Division foe Columbus and former University of South Florida star Jeff Cunningham … The Mutiny have faced the Crew more than any other opponent (including playoffs) … The Mutiny are 13-7-0 all time against the Crew, 6-4-0 at home including wins in the last three in a row at home by a combined score of 10-3 … Tampa Bay has won its last seven overall against Columbus, with the last meeting resulting in a thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind effort at Crew Stadium on August 30 where Mamadou Diallo had his second hat trick of the 2000 season … Mamadou Diallo has six goals (12 points) versus the Crew, the most for Diallo against any MLS side … Carlos Valderrama, who had two assists at Dallas, needs one point to become only the second player in team history to record 100 points in his career (Steve Ralston has 113); “El Pibe’s” 77 Mutiny assists account for nearly 30% of Tampa Bay’s all-time goals (284) … The Dallas match was the 24th multi-assist contest of Pibe’s career … Scott Garlick, last year’s MLS record-setter with 184 saves, already leads the league after one week (seven) … Garlick enters Saturday’s match one victory shy of tying the Mutiny record for wins by a goalkeeper (32); ironically, that record is currently held by his potential counterpart on Saturday, Mark Dougherty of Columbus. COLORADO RAPIDS: The Rapids were off to a positive start in their opening game against the Miami Fusion at Lockhart Stadium, only to see a 1-0 lead disappear when MLS Player of the Week Alex Pineda Chacon scored two goals … The team has not won a season opener yet, going 0-6 as it lost all six games on the road … The defense, however, was missing its veteran central defenders Robin Fraser and Marcelo Balboa and Trinidadian defender Keyeno Thomas … Scotsman John Spencer made an auspicious debut, scoring a goal in his first MLS match and South African newcomer Neathan Gibson also came close to hitting the back of the net had it not been for a spectacular Nick Rimando save … Imad Baba, Geoff Aunger and Steve Herdsman also made their Rapids debut … The Rapids also missed a chance to win their first match at Lockhart Stadium … The team returns to the friendly confines of Mile High Stadium where it has won four of the six matches against the MetroStars in the series’ history … The Rapids have only lost one home opener over the team’s five year history, a 1-0 decision to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998 … Last year’s top scorer Junior Agogo, will make his 2001 debut after serving a one-match suspension carried over from last season. KANSAS CITY WIZARDS: The Kansas City Wizards return to Arrowhead for their home opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (ET) … The Wizards trail the all-time series against Los Angeles 8-10-1, but are 6-4-0 at Arrowhead … The Galaxy has outscored the Wizards 31-21 all-time during the regular season … Roy Lassiter is now two points away from becoming the first MLS player in the 200-point club … A tie versus Los Angeles will give the Wizards 200 points all-time … Seven of the eleven Wizards who started in 2000 MLS Cup started in the opener versus D.C. … Nick Garcia’s team-high streak of consecutive games played will be halted at 33, due to this week’s red card suspension … coming into today’s contest Jose Burciaga was called in to U-20 U.S. National Team camp for a 14-day training camp beginning April 9th … Media Day for the Wizards will be on Thursday, April 12, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. LOS ANGELES GALAXY: The Los Angeles Galaxy hit the road for the first time in 2001 to take on the defending MLS Cup Champion Kansas City Wizards on Saturday, April 14, at Arrowhead Stadium … Defender Alexi Lalas, who returned to MLS after a year-long hiatus in the broadcast booth, will make his first trip to Kansas City since playing his final game as a Wizard on October 9, 1999, a 1-0 loss to the Galaxy … The Galaxy will hold a closed-door scrimmage against the Under-20 U.S. National Team today in the Rose Bowl at 5:00 p.m. (ET) … Midfielder Alex Bengard, a fifth round draft choice (57th overall) in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, signed with the league on Saturday (April 7) … A native of Chino Hills, Calif., Bengard was previously a college-protected player training with the team. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: San Jose will hold training sessions at 10:00 a.m. through Friday of this week at West Valley College (Wed., Thurs.) and Spartan Stadium (Tues., Fri.) … Frank Yallop won his coaching debut 3-2 Saturday night against the Galaxy … Coaches making their debuts for the Clash/Earthquakes are now 4-0 in the history of the club … Laurie Calloway led the Clash to a 1-0 victory over D.C. United in his first match, which was also MLS’ Inaugural Game, on April 6, 1996 … Brian Quinn coached his first game on June 28, 1997, and led the team to a 3-1 victory … Lothar Osiander also coached the Clash to victory in his first game, a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on September 26, 1999.