By Ridge Mahoney, Senior Editor

Ties all around, even in Edmond, Okla., where the Wizards and Burn play a 1-1 stalemate in an exhibition. In league action, the Fire goes goalless for the second straight week yet ties the Quakes, 0-0; and the Galaxy and D.C. United finish up with a goal apiece.

GOALS: Good strikes brightened the Galaxy-D.C. match.

Ronald Cerritos, who had just come into the game, ran onto a cross from Josh Gros and smashed it high into the net for a 1-0 D.C. lead. Golazo!

Carlos Ruiz equalized with five minutes left by knocking Brian Carroll off the ball at the edge of the penalty area, and then drilling a shot over Nick Rimando and underneath the crossbar with the outside of his right foot. Fantastico!

SAVES: San Jose keeper Pat Onstad, who frustrated the Fire in MLS Cup 2003 with 10 saves including a penalty kick, turned away five shots to thwart Chicago once again.

A sharp kick save deflected a low Damani Ralph shot wide of the post and Onstad turned away several well-hit shots, including a sweet Ante Razov volley. Razov shook his head in disbelief when the tipped ball sailed over the bar.

''Mr. Onstad continues his very good fortune,'' said Razov, whose penalty Onstad saved in last year's championship game. ''One day that will end.''

Henry Ring, Zach Thornton's backup the past three seasons, blocked a blast from Landon Donovan for his only official save of the day. So far, he's earned the No. 1 jersey in his battle with ex-Burn keeper D.J. Countess.

''There's no controversy,'' said Fire coach Dave Sarachan. ''We said all along it was Henry's job to lose.''

Ring has logged back-to-back shutouts as the Fire opened the seasons with consecutive 0-0 games. Chicago was blanked in back-to-back games last year but not since it began play in 1998 had it played two 0-0 MLS games in a row.

''When goalscorers don't score they get frustrated,'' said Sarachan. ''We're not sneaking up on anybody this year and it's not going to be an easy task to score goals. We can't press or push it; if he just keep playing, the goals will come.''

FOULS? Ramiro Corrales of the Quakes was sent off in the 73rd minute following a wild sequence of incidents.

Fire midfielder Andy Williams, well within the 10-yard zone mandated for free kicks, jumped to deflect the kick and seconds later uprooted Richard Mulrooney — and won the ball — with a fierce tackle. His subsequent dribble was abruptly halted by a knifing Corrales takedown from the side that produced a red card.

Both teams felt they had legitimate penalty claims waved off by referee Jair Marrufo.

DaMarcus Beasley was knocked down by an onrushing Onstad in the first half but Marrufo gave a corner kick.

''I might have nicked [the ball] with my hand,'' said Onstad of the challenge. ''Maybe I got away with one there but there were a couple at the other end when Landon [Donovan] got taken down that could have been called.''

Donovan twice was felled in the penalty area by tackles that could have been whistled but weren't.

''I asked him and he said he got clipped but I thought Chicago could have had a couple like that in the first half,'' said Quakes' coach Dominic Kinnear. ''The calls kind of balanced themselves out in the larger picture of the game.''

EXPANSION EXHIBITION: Bobby Rhine and Diego Gutierrez scored goals as Dallas and Kansas City played a 1-1 tie in front of 6,738 fans in cold, rainy conditions at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla.

Edmond is one of the potential expansion sites being considered.