Scott Sealy scored two goals to lead the Kansas City Wizards into the Major League Soccer playoffs with a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas on Saturday.
Kansas City clinched a playoff spot with the win. Its first-round opponent won't be determined until the league's final regular-season game Sunday. The Chicago Fire, who have a chance to reach the playoffs, host the Los Angeles Galaxy.
FC Dallas already had clinched a wild card berth in the Western Conference Semifinals.
In other matches Saturday, Columbus Crew edged D.C. United 3-2, the New England Revolution drew 2-2 with Toronto FC, Real Salt Lake downed the Colorado Rapids 1-0 and Chivas USA played out a scoreless draw with the Houston Dynamo.
Sealy broke a scoreless tie in the 39th minute. After a Dallas turnover, native Texan Davy Arnaud passed across to Sealy on the left side., who fired a shot into the net to the left of goalkeeper Ray Burse.
The Wizards went ahead 2-0 in the second half during the 55th minute. Jack Jewsbury kicked the ball in front of the goalie box, and Sealy drilled in a low shot for his seventh goal this season.
Robbie Rogers scored two goals and Columbus finished a disappointing season on a high note, defeating D.C. United at Washington D.C.
The Crew, already eliminated from the playoffs, snapped United's 13-game unbeaten streak, handing United their first loss since July 22.
Rogers scored in the 21st minute, when he sneaked a left-foot shot past goalie Troy Perkins. He added a goal in the 91st minute to give the Crew a 3-1 lead.
D.C. midfielder Christian Gomez had two goals, scoring in the 89th and 92nd minutes.
At Toronto, striker Danny Dichio scored in the 90th minute to give Toronto FC a draw with New England.
Collin Samuel opened the scoring for Toronto.
Michael Parkhurst and Taylor Twellman scored for New England, which is headed for the playoffs and faces the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Dichio, who was making his first appearance in eight games after being out with an ankle injury, finally connected for Toronto, hammering in a hard shot from just outside the box.
Robbie Findley scored in the 87th minute and Real Salt Lake defeated the Rapids, ending Colorado's hopes of making the postseason.
Real Salt Lake was last place in the Western Conference and already out of postseason contention. Colorado needed a win over Real Salt Lake and some help to get to the playoffs.
Chivas USA held off Houston at Carson, California and secured the Western Conference title.
Chivas finished one point ahead of nemesis Houston, which knocked Chivas out of the playoffs a year ago en route to winning the MLS Cup.
Chivas had to do it down a man for most of the game; midfielder Lawson Vaughn was shown a red card in the 40th minute after tackling Richard Mulrooney.
17 October 2007
While England go in search of Euro 2008 qualification in Russia on Wednesday, David Beckham is set to begin his bid to be fit for what could be a decisive qualifier against Croatia.
Beckham has been sidelined for the past six weeks with a knee injury, but he stands to make a bit-part return from the bench in LA Galaxy's clash with New York Red Bull.
And that bodes well for England boss Steve McClaren, who may still need the former England captain for November's qualifier with Croatia.
A draw in Russia would leave England still needing a point against the Group E table-toppers, and everybody remembers Beckham's last-gasp heroics in similar circumstances against Greece back in 2001.
Galaxy coach Frank Yallop confirmed: 'We're not going to force him in there. It would be nice to get him on the field at some point because he's such a good player. He would be a pretty valuable substitute I would think if he's available for our team. I think he's going to be a little bit rusty obviously, not being in the squad, not training with the guys, but I think he's moving well.'
Beckham's more immediate challenge is to prove he is worth a starting place for The Galaxy, who have won five games on the bounce.
'I'm not going to just change the line-up with the people coming back from injury,' added Yallop.
'For me it's a great message for people coming back that they have to work their way into the team. That's the correct way to have it.'
12 October 2007
QPR'S new boss Francesco Guidolin has been given a £20million transfer war chest - and will launch an audacious bid to bring Alessandro Del Piero to Shepherd's Bush.
Juventus legend Del Piero, 33 next month, is expected to leave the Serie A giants after not being offered a new deal and has already been made an offer by MLS club New York Red Bulls.
But QPR's new owner Flavio Briatore, the Formula One tycoon, wants to see whether he can lure Del Piero to Loftus Road in one of the most unlikely transfers ever seen in English football.
Del Piero remains one of the biggest names in world soccer - and Briatore knows that signing him would put Rangers on the map.
Former Palermo boss Guidolin, 52, has already made moves to bring in ex-Juventus chief scout Franco Ceravelo - and that link could prove influential.
Rangers are currently in deep relegation trouble but Briatore is desperate to make them the glamour club of the Championship - on the way to regaining the top flight.
Briatore has already welcomed his ex-girlfriend, supermodel Naomi Campbell, into the directors' box at QPR - Del Piero would be another unlikely arrival.
