Random Thoughts

Brad Davis and the Dynamo had reason to celebrate during Sunday's 3-1 win over Kansas City. (T. Shea/Getty Images)

The Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew both extended their leads atop their respective conferences as Week 24 of the Major League Soccer season wrapped up over the weekend.

The Dynamo won for the fifth consecutive home game, getting a pair of second-half goals from Nate Jaqua on their way to a 3-1 victory against the Kansas City Wizards, extending their advantage atop the Western Conference to seven points. And the Crew won the marquee match of the weekend, Guillermo Barros Schelotto scoring one goal and setting up two as Columbus rolled over the New England Revolution 4-0 to raise their margin to five points in the East.

Chivas USA moved into playoff position in the West, winning the back half of their home-and-home series with Toronto FC, 3-1. They are now trailed by just two points by the San Jose Earthquakes, who moved into fourth place in the division with a 2-1 win against D.C. United.

In the East, the Chicago Fire moved into a tie for second with New England after their 1-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls. There are now four teams tied with 26 points at the foot of the MLS overall table, after the Colorado Rapids knocked off FC Dallas 1-0 on MLS Primetime Thursday and the Los Angeles Galaxy came back in a 2-2 draw with Real Salt lake.

At Robertson Stadium, the Dynamo had lost just once in league play since mid-June. winning of five of their previous six contests. The Wizards had won just once in their previous seven matches.

On a hot, steamy afternoon, the Dynamo drew first blood. Kei Kamara chased down a long flick-on to the left of goal, and after holding up the ball, laid it back for Brad Davis to smash home first-time under the crossbar from just inside the area (28). For Davis, it was his second goal to go with six assists over the past seven league matches.

After the break, the Dynamo blew the game open with a brace from Jaqua. First, Kamara corralled a long pass on the right flank and sent Stuart Holden racing into the area, and the young midfielder slid a pass to Jaqua to bang home in the 57th minute. The two assists on the afternoon for Kamara marked the first two of his MLS career.

Then 12 minutes later, Jaqua struck again. Craig Waibel launched a perfect through ball from the midfield stripe and sent the big striker in alone on goal, and he finished with aplomb for his fourth goal in seven league games since his return to the league.

The Wizards got a late consolation goal when Davy Arnaud charged down a clearance attempt by Wade Barrett, fought off the Dynamo fullback to reach the deflection and powered the ball home from close range, his second goal in as many games.

At Crew Stadium, the Crew and Revolution came together after having traded the top two spots in the Eastern Conference back and forth for a few weeks. The Crew were winners of three in a row heading in, while the Revolution had a win and two ties after losing back-to-back games in league play.

It took the Crew nearly the entire first half to break through, but they finally did in the 40th minute. Robbie Rogers sent in a rolling cross from the left, and while it was knocked away from Steven Lenhart, Guillermo Barros Schelotto followed up to hammer the ball into the goal for his sixth goal on the campaign.

The Crew doubled their lead in stoppage time just before the break. Schelotto swung in a freekick from along the left touchline and Andy Iro rose up to nod home, his first career goal as a professional.

The Crew put the game away with two goals from substitute Jason Garey. First, in the 67th minute, Schelotto went racing forward at the Revs defense, held up to allow Garey to come back onside, then floated a masterful chip that Garey chested down before lashing home past Matt Reis. For Schelotto, it was his league-leading 18th assist on the campaign, the seventh time in a game he'd recorded two assists, including each of the Crew's last four games.

Then in the 90th minute, Garey was sprung by Pat Noonan, making his first appearance against his former club, and banged home his third league goal on the season. For the match, the Crew outshot the Revolution 27-4, including a 14-1 advantage in shots on target.

At BMO Field, the teams were meeting in the back end of a home-and-home series after Chivas USA won 2-1 in Carson the week before. It was Chivas USA's first league victory after a six-game winless run, while TFC had won just once in their previous 10 games.

Despite missing nine starters to international duty, Toronto FC took the lead in the 30th minute. Chad Barrett sent a cross from the left flank, finding Rohan Ricketts beyond the far post, and he knocked the ball back into the goalmouth for Tyler Rosenlund to tap home for his first professional goal.

Chivas USA pulled level 11 minutes later. Ante Razov found Daniel Paladini at the edge of the area, and after holding up to elude a defender racing past, Paladini drove home a rising blast for his first professional goal.

The task then got increasingly harder for TFC when, in first-half stoppage time, their only regular defender in the lineup, Marco Velez, was sent off along with Chivas USA striker Alecko Eskandarian after an altercation between the two.

After the break, Chivas pulled ahead in the 58th minute when Jonathan Bornstein took a pass from Razov in the area and slotted home past TFC goalkeeper Brian Edwards for his first league goal in more than a year. The Red-and-White then completed the triumph deep into stoppage time when Razov collected a long clearance and strolled in alone on goal.

At Buck Shaw Stadium, the Earthquakes came in riding a seven-game unbeaten run since early in July, winners of three of their last four, while United were coming off a midweek victory in the U.S. Open Cup Final, breaking a string of alternating wins and losses in a draw with New York the week before in league play.

Against injury-hit United, the Quakes took the lead in the 18th minute. Darren Huckerby won the ball on the left side and centering for Arturo Alvarez, who steamed in to lash a left-footed shot inside the right post for his third goal in five games since coming to San Jose.

Huckerby doubled the Earthquakes' lead after the break. Eric Denton's long ball freed Scott Sealy down the left flank, and he found Huckerby coming in from behind, who drove home a shot inside the left post for his fourth goal in six games since joining the league.

United pulled a goal 14 minutes later, as Rod Dyachenko intercepted the ball and fed Santino Quaranta, who skipped through a pair of defenders before curling a shot home past Quakes 'keeper Joe Cannon, but D.C. could get no closer.

At Toyota Park, the Fire had lost two of their last three after a seven-game unbeaten run, while the Red Bulls were one of the hottest teams in the league, with three wins and three draws in their last six contests.

The game's lone goal came in the 36th minute when Red Bulls defender Diego Jimenez won the ball in the area, but sent his clearance right in front of goal, where Stephen King intercepted and slid it home for his second goal of the season. It was the first goal allowed by the Red Bulls in 380 minutes; earlier, Jimenez had headed a Mike Banner shot off the line.

Jon Busch was called upon to make two saves in goal in recording his league-leading 10th shutout for the Fire, who have allowed just 18 goals in 23 league games.

At The Home Depot Center, the Galaxy were looking to give Bruce Arena his first win in his third game in charge of the club, while putting an end to a 10-game winless run dating back to mid-June. Real had rebounded from back-to-back losses in their last match, a Rocky Mountain Cup win against rival Colorado.

RSL appeared to have taken the lead after six minutes when Fabian Espindola nodded a Kyle Beckerman blast home, but the goal was eventually ruled out for offside. In celebrating his apparent success, Espindola injured himself and needed to be substituted.

With Espindola still off the field, the Galaxy took the lead. Edson Buddle broke down the RSL defense on the left and sent a half-shot, half-cross aimed toward the far post that slipped past goalkeeper Nick Rimando right to Bryan Jordan, who knocked it into the empty net.

But RSL drew even in the 21st minute. Chris Wingert flighted a cross from the right flank that Kenny Deuchar flicked on, and Yura Movsisyan got on the end to drive home from inside the box.

Then in the 52nd minute, Real pulled ahead. Will Johnson, making his first start since signing with the club, played a one-two with Movsisyan, receiving the return pass inside the area and bending a wonderful shot off the inside of the right post for his second career goal.

Yet the Galaxy came back with the leveler in the 69th minute. A cross from the left sailed over everything, but Jordan tracked it down and sent back in front of goal. The ball deflected off Alan Gordon to Edson Buddle, who settled, turned and fired, beating Rimando for his 13th goal on the season.

At Pizza Hut Park, both teams came in needing a victory. The Rapids had won just once in their last seven games and had been shut out in four of their last five, while FC Dallas has two losses and a draw after winning back-to-back contests.

The game's lone goal came on the hour mark. Terry Cooke swung in a corner from the right flank and Mike Petke shook his marker and found himself completely open, calmly nodding the ball back inside the near post for his first goal on the campaign and the match-winner.