2011 MLS Power Rankings: Week 20

After 20 weeks of play in Major League Soccer, we enter the race for the playoffs. Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are in the driver's seat after recording a comprehensive 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps to remain at the top of this week's Power Rankings.

You want movers? We got them. You want shakers? We got them. You want teams staying where they are? Yes, we have those, too.

We got it all, on this week's MLS Power Rankings here on Bleacher Report.

18. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Scraping the bottom of the barrel are Tom Soehn's Vancouver Whitecaps, who were trashed in befitting fashion by the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-0 at Empire Field in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

"We are obviously disappointed and today shows what a good team is all about," Soehn told whitecapsfc.com's Simon Fudge. "When LA get chances, they punish you. We came out with the idea of wanting to create a lot and get one in, so that way we could open the Galaxy up. Yet, when you don’t put away chances against a good team, they are going to come back and haunt you, especially guys like Landon Donovan."

“I think it happens a lot in soccer,” midfielder Shea Salinas told MLSsoccer.com's Martin MacMahon. “You get momentum and can’t find the back of the net, and things change. We have to finish those chances - I have to finish that chance and we go up 1-0 and it’s a different story.

“We knew exactly what they were going to do coming in. When they’re away, they sit with a block of eight and counter-attack. They like to frustrate you and that’s what they did. We got frustrated and tried to force the pass, lost it, and they counter-attacked and scored off it. It’s just a quick turn of events."

"This is not to disrespect anybody on this team - we gave away three amateur-level goals. The second, third, and fourth ones,” said former Galaxy player and current Whitecap Pete Vagenas.

“Everyone is extremely frustrated, but we have to move forward,” Salinas added. “We have a lot of games left and we owe it to our fans and the coaching staff to turn things around and start winning.”

They get their chance on Sunday, August 7 when they take on the Chicago Fire at Empire Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Rogers SportsNet Pacific.

17. Portland Timbers

John Spencer's Portland Timbers could not hold on to a 2-0 lead against Toronto FC and check in at No. 17 in our Power Rankings after a 2-2 drawn with the Reds at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon.

Eddie Johnson opened his scoring account in the 23rd minute, while Jack Jewsbury scored his sixth of the season in the 57th minute of play.

"Everybody is trying to drive forward and get that goal and get a log of timber," Spencer told the media. "At times you've got to try to put your foot on the ball, knock it back, keep the ball, get them to run instead of trying to go and score. You don't need to score the third one and the fourth one when you're 2-nil up. I think it's inexperience and a lack of maturing, not as people, but as professional soccer players."

"It's on us, no one else," said midfielder Darlington Nagbe. "We've just got to come out and perform well. We scored two goals at home and it should be enough to get the win. We've got to perform better as a team." 

Midfielder Sal Zizzo obviously knows that this result is not a good omen coming into their next match on Wednesday.

"The Galaxy is the best team in the league," Zizzo said. "We've got to watch the game tonight, see what we did wrong and try to correct that. We need three points. The goal is the playoffs this season. I think offensively, you score two goals, we need to win. Defensively, it's not just our back four, it's defensively as a team. It's pressuring the ball from the goalie all the way up to the forwards and we've got to do a better job with that."

Johnson concurred with Zizzo's remarks.

"Guys will watch tape tonight, review personal performances and the team performance," the Timbers forward concluded. "We've got to come back in Monday ready to work toward the Galaxy because it's going to be a tough one."

Kickoff between the Timbers and Galaxy is scheduled for Wednesday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2.

Portland will then hit the road for a match against the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by FOX 12 and estrellaTV 8.3.

16. Toronto FC

Slowly but surely, the acquisition of Torsten Frings is paying dividends for Aron Winter's Toronto FC.
And Joao Plata happens to be among those beneficiaries.

On Wednesday, Plata scored in the 56th and 72nd minutes to give Toronto a 2-1 victory over Real Esteli of Nicaragua in the CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round.

However, the goal Toronto FC keeper Milos Kocic gave up in the 80th minute was inexcusable, according to the keeper.

“I just want to apologize to the fans and my team for the mistake,” Kocic said after the match. “I’m down right now but I won’t be down tomorrow. I have to work hard and keep my head up and make sure that doesn’t happen next time.”

Nonetheless, TFC hold the advantage heading into the second leg this week. Kickoff between Toronto and Real Esteli at Estadio Independencia in Esteli, Nicaragua is scheduled for Tuesday, August 2 at 10:00 p.m. ET and wil be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

Toronto then returned to league play and pulled out a 2-2 comeback draw at Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday. Peri Marosevic, a new acquisition for the Reds, opened his scoring account in the 71st minute while Danny Koevermans completed the comeback in the 81st minute of play.

"When you come back and make it 2-2, it's very good but honestly you have to win the game because we've lost two points," Winter told TorontoFC.ca's Asif Hossain. "The first half we didn't start sharp. After 20 minutes when they've scored a goal then we can wake up but the big difference is after 25 minutes we started playing the way we want. After 2-0, the team reacted very well.

"Of course, we have a completely new team and you need some time to practice with each other but I'm very satisfied about it."

"Obviously coming here to Portland it's a tough environment and we knew we were going to face a good side," said Marosevic. "But we grouped ourselves together well and this team has great character and it showed – we worked hard for each other and we never gave up and it showed in the second half."

"The first 25 minutes were so bad, it was like hell, but after that you could see that we can play football," Koevermans added. "Even when we went 2-0 down we kept our heads up and we deserved the point."

Toronto's next league match will be on Saturday, August 6 against D.C. United at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by TSN.

15. San Jose Earthquakes

Checking in at No. 15 this week are Frank Yallop's San Jose Earthquakes, who put on a pitiful display in their 2-0 defeat to D.C. United at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday.

“Losing at home is never good, especially when you have to win," a grim-faced Yallop told reporters. "We didn’t play well. It took us 30 minutes to get going. We had a spell [of good play] at the end of the first half. 

"For the last 15 minutes we had a go. And then at the end, they had 10 men, and we started to have a few chances. But I think the quality was off tonight with us. They had two terrific goals, but I would’ve liked to score at home for sure. We had enough chances to get it done on the score sheet.”

Journeyman forward Alan Gordon was traded to the Earthquakes from Toronto FC and debuted against his old club.

“We had some trouble syncing up tonight," Gordon told the press. "That’s what happens when you have new faces. Also, we had some key guys out. We never really had our rhythm and a couple of mistakes were costly tonight. It was closer than the score indicated, but we just have to find a way to bounce back and rebound.”

“We just have to pick ourselves up and get after it again next week; it is almost a must win," goalkeeper Jon Busch added. "These next two home matches are crucial for us. Unfortunately, we’ve put ourselves in a tough situation. Bottom line: we need to start picking up points. 

"We all have to do it together. The best thing about this team is that we don’t point fingers, we don’t blame one other. We all have to pull it together, we are one team. We have to rebound as a group.”

The first of those two home matches is on Saturday, August 6 against the Portland Timbers. Kickoff at Buck Shaw is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

14. New England Revolution

Steve Nicol's New England Revolution needed a result against Sporting Kansas City to salvage their dwindling playoff chances.

Unfortunately, they could not old onto the lead late at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas as they were consigned to a 1-1 draw.

Rajko Lekic scored in the 38th minute for the Revs.

"If you’re Kansas City, you probably deserve it in the second half," Nicol told the press. "They definitely did. In the majority of the game, we defended well."

New England were forced to play down to 10 men after A.J. Soares was sent off as per the DOGSO rule.

"We lost a guy we shouldn’t have," Nicol said of the red card. "He got the ball and the man at the same time."

"It’s disappointing when you get a goal scored that late against you in the game," Lekic said. "But if you look at the game, they were pushing all second half, but we were letting them push, just standing there. We didn’t play well in the second half, but we also had a card against us, and three or four of the defenders were also calling for a hand ball on the goal, so I don’t know. In three or four days I think we’ll be okay with one point, but it’s tough now."

"We’ve struggled up to these last three games, getting points on the road," said goalkeeper Matt Reis. "For us being down on the bottom of the Eastern Conference, we need to start playing better. We still aren’t where we need to be, and unfortunately for us, we’re losing players left and right, so it’s only going to get more difficult."

Up next for the Revolution is a match with Chivas USA at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

13. Chicago Fire

So, Frank Klopas, when are you going to do the right thing and hire Bob Bradley for another run with the Chicago Fire?

Think that over for a bit, mister. For your information, readers, Klopas's Fire were off last week.

This week, the Fire are in action for a couple of league contests. On Wednesday, August 3, the Fire take on the Philadelphia Union at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by MY50.

On Sunday, August 7, Chicago travel to Vancouver's Empire Field for a match with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Galavision.

12. Chivas USA

Robin Fraser's Chivas USA were in action on Sunday against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The Goats were denied by the goalkeeping prowess of Kevin Hartman as they dropped a 1-0 defeat on the road.

Chivas continue their season on Saturday, August 6 when they continue their road trip against the New England Revolution. Kickoff at Gilette Stadium is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET.

11. Real Salt Lake

Jason Kreis's Real Salt Lake earned a huge comeuppance on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, dropping a 2-0 defeat to the Columbus Crew.

“To me it just came down to mental lapses," Kreis said to the press. "You’re down two goals to a team that’s very good defensively and works hard together and, I think, was going to come in to this game and try and put a lot of numbers behind the ball.  It’s difficult to break them down.”

“We were prepared, but I just think [Columbus] came out with a game plan and kind of caught us napping a couple of times, and in that 20-minute span they were able to take over the game by creating chance after chance," said midfielder Andy Williams "After that things kind of adjusted, but we just couldn’t get that first goal.”

“I wouldn’t say they dominated the game, but they definitely put their chances away early in the first 15 to 20 minutes," forward Jean Alexandre remarked. "Putting away your chances changes the game, and it did [tonight].”

“You’ve got to give a little bit of credit to Columbus," added midfielder Arturo  Alvarez. "I think they came in and played a very well-defended game and we weren’t keeping the ball at all. The simple passes weren’t there tonight.”

RSL continue catching up with the rest of the league with a couple of matches this week. On Wednesday, August 3, they take on Sporting Kansas City at Livestrong Sporting Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by KMYU 2.2, Comcast Channel 22 and Dish Network 12.

On Saturday, August 6, Real Salt Lake return home to face the New York Red Bulls. Kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. MT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by KUTV 2.1 and Comcast Channel 22.

10. Seattle Sounders FC

Well, Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders were due for a slump, and here it is, in the middle of summer.
On Tuesday, the Sounders were Brown'd out in Panama. San Francisco FC's Roberto Brown, a former MLS standout, scored the winner in the Sounders' 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round.

“It’s 1-0 at halftime. It’s important for us to come back and win this thing at home and it’s great preparation for the MLS playoffs,” Schmid told SoundersFC.com's Matt Gaschk.  “We have got to show our ability to come back and score some goals.”

“We had our chances.  We played well defensively and we made a mistake and they made us pay for it,” said Seattle's Pat Noonan.  “Fortunately for us we are at halftime.  We are very confident we are going to go in and get the result back in Seattle.  We are still very confident.”

The second leg is scheduled for Wednesday, August 3 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

The result was not a fluke, as the Sounders proceeded to drop a 3-1 result on the road against the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium in Houston, Texas. Alvaro Fernandez scored in the 36th minute for his sixth of the season.

“If you put Brian Ching on our team, I think maybe we win tonight,” Schmid told Gaschk.  “I think one player who is an influential player, who is a leader like that, can make a difference in games like this.”

“I think we’ve been a little bit shaky defensively for a few weeks now and we just finally got to a point where we couldn’t outscore the opponent,” added Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller.  “We’ve got to clean that up in of our game and we’ve been talking about it for the last several weeks and today we got punished because of it.”

Seattle's next league match is scheduled for Saturday, August 6 against Sporting Kansas City at Livestrong Sporting Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by KONG 6/16.

9. Sporting Kansas City

Peter Vermes's Sporting Kansas City were the beneficiaries of a Teal Bunbury equalizer in the 89th minute to give the home side a 1-1 draw at Livestrong Sporting Park.

"I thought in the first half we didn’t play very well," Vermes told reporters. "What I would say though is second half we dominated in every category. The amount of chances that took place and I keep saying that the character we have to get back into the game is fantastic, I’m just a little disappointed in the first half. 

"I’m very, very happy, but more importantly, I’m happy for Teal (Bunbury) for getting the goal. The reason being, at times when you’re a player and you get out of form a bit, its all about how you work. He’s worked everyday, he works very hard. Putting him in the game at a moment like this when we needed to score, it’s not only great for him, it’s important for us to get the tie. For him to get the goal, with so much perseverance and work ethic, he deserved it and it was great for us."

"I thought for us, getting a tie after being down in the first half was important," Bunbury said. "In the first half there was some times we weren’t sharp, but as a team in the second half it was a different ball game. We were pressuring them and getting chances. It was just a matter of time."

"During the past games we’ve put ourselves in a hole in the first half, and it’s taken us the rest of the game to dig out of it," said midfielder Graham Zusi. "If we can avoid that, we won’t be scrambling at the end of games. Teams get ahead, then kind of just pack it in, and that doesn’t let us play our game. We just need to try to avoid that at all costs. 

"We can’t fall asleep in the first half like we have the past few times. That first goal was very important, so we just have to be stingy, especially in the first half."

"First half we came out tentative, it wasn’t good enough. We gave them too much space and we just weren’t sharp," added defender Matt Besler. "Second half we didn’t really have a choice. We had to step it up a little bit. So we came out more focused and just played better."

Sporting will look to place themselves in better stead when they begin a month of home-cooking. On Wednesday, August 3, they host Real Salt Lake at Livestrong. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by KSMO-TV.

On Saturday, August 6, Sporting take on the Seattle Sounders. Kickoff at Livestrong is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by KSMO-TV.

8. D.C. United

Ben Olsen's D.C. United picked up an important 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday.

Dwayne De Rosario did his chicken walk against one of his former clubs with a brace in the 57th and 66th minutes.

Even better for D.C., the win was historic.

“I was just told we hadn’t won here in 13 years. This was a good thing," Olsen told the media. "We got that monkey off our back. It’s always a tough place to play. In this league you get teams that are down on their luck with injuries. They (the Earthquakes) have a lot of them and you have to take advantage of it in this league. 

"I was just happy we took advantage of a team that’s down on their luck. I was proud of the guys. Dwayne is obviously in a very special place.”

“His record speaks for itself, right?" said new acquisiton Brandon McDonald, who was playing against his former team. "This guy has been in this league a while and he’s a great player and he proves it year after year.”

“Those memories can never be erased. I have some great memories and good friends and it’s nice to see the Bay Area get a team back here," De Rosario added. "Hopefully in the near future they’ll have their own stadium. It’s always nice to come here and play. I’m just happy first and foremost that we came out here and played the way we did and were able to come out with a positive result.”

D.C. return home to RFK Stadium to host Toronto FC. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

7. Philadelphia Union

Have mercy, Miss Percy! Peter Nowak's Philadelphia Union were given a taste of their own doop by the Colorado Rapids in the form of a 2-1 defeat at PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Roger Torres scored in the second minute of stoppage time for the Union, but it was too little, too late.
“It’s definitely frustrating; it’s our first loss at home,” Mwanga told philadelphiaunion.com's Nick Iuele. “They knew coming here and playing against us was not going to be easy. One thing we could work on is moving the ball quicker. We made simple mistakes and we have to work to prevent that.”

“We were giving them space and they were making good finishes,” said Union goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón to MLSSoccer.com's Dave Zeitlin. “Then, in the second half, I think we played with more heart, with more desire. I think we played good soccer, and in the end, we created enough chances not only to equalize but also win.

“It’s a pity we lost this game. I don’t mind losing the home record; I mind to give points away like tonight.”

“There’s no question we’re pretty disappointed with the result, especially with the chances we had in the second half,” manager Peter Nowak told philadelphiaunion.com's Kevin Kinkead. “We’re disappointed with the red card. I think the two goals we gave up in the first half we could definitely have back. We had enough chances to score and tie the game, even playing with 10 guys. It was a good effort, but we fell asleep in many places and there was really no rhythm whatsoever in the first half.”

Philadelphia were forced to play down to ten men after Sheannon Williams was sent off in the 64th minute for verbal obscenities.

It will not get any easier for the Union, who have a couple of important encounters to deal with. On Wednesday, August 3, the Union face the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Comcast SportsNet.

On Saturday, August 6, Philadelphia return home to host the Houston Dynamo at PPL Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by 6abc.

6. Red Bull New York

Hans Backe's New York Red Bulls were off this week, but they did have an important set of matches to deal with at the Emirates Stadium in London.

On Friday, in the Emirates Cup, Joel Lindpere scored in the 27th minute to give New York a 1-0 shutout victory over Ligue 1 powerhouse Paris St. Germain.

“It was a good combination. I got the ball. I made a good touch and then I played it to Juan,” Lindpere told MLSSoccer.com's Joe Prince-Wright. “He passed it to me on the run and I hit it to the far post. The keeper had no chance.”

“We knew we would get our chances and Joel put a good one away,” said defender Tim Ream. “We come away with a 1-0 win and we are happy.”

It would only get better for the Red Bulls, who drew 1-1 with Arsenal after a gift from the Gunners' Kyle Bartley in the 84th. 

Gee, thanks, young lad. The result was enough for the Red Bulls to lift the Cup.

“At the end of the day, we came here to compete,” Thierry Henry told Prince-Wright. “It was a friendly tournament, but the win is good for us. We are fighting to get into the playoffs in our conference. It is a good result for the MLS as a league and obviously for the Red Bulls.”

After a month of utter futility by MLS sides against the best from Europe in the Herbalife World Football Challenge, the Emirates Cup victory was a breath of fresh air.

“The players must take this momentum boost back with them,” Backe told Prince-Wright. “I said to them yesterday anything could happen in this Emirates Cup. We could lose 6-0 both games and embarrass ourselves; but to pick up a 1-0 win yesterday and tie a game with Arsenal, even after only having 20 percent of possession, it shows that we can defend well and we will take that with us.”

Seems Philly and Columbus would be wise to watch their backs now.

In the meamtime, the Red Bulls return to good-old league action with a match against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, August 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by MSG. 

5. Colorado Rapids

Gary Smith's Colorado Rapids took down the Philadelphia Union 2-1 at PPL Park on Friday. Pablo Mastroeni opened his scoring account in the 35th minute, while Sanna Nyassi delivered the eventual game-winner in the 45th minute of play.

“Tonight, we achieved everything we wanted to achieve,” Mastroeni told MLSsoccer.com's Nick Thomas. “Gary did a great job setting up a game plan, and with Omar [Cummings] and Sanna in such great form, it proved a great strategy.”

“It was certainly backs to the wall in 110 degrees and a million percent humidity," Smith said of the result. "It was like playing in pea soup and it was not easy.

“There’s certainly room for improvement, but this is a game that lasts 90 minutes and I don’t want to harp on that too much. Let’s be nice and positive about a very big win.”

Up next for Colorado is another Friday night match, this time at home against the Columbus Crew.
Kickoff at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT/9:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

4. Houston Dynamo

Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo were firing on all cylinders and brought the heat in their 3-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders at Robertson Stadium.

Colin Clark scored in the seventh minute before Brian Ching delivered a brace in the 23rd and 71st minutes of play.

“I definitely feel this is the best game we’ve played all year,” midfielder Brad Davis told MLSSoccer.com's Darrell Lovell. “Everyone’s energy was fantastic, and I think we deserved the win.”

“We came out with a lot of energy, and we knew we had to take care of business at home,” midfielder Geoff Cameron said. “It was a big three points at home because we knew they were playing well coming in.”

“I kind of feel like I owe the team a little bit,” Ching said. “I wanted to get back and was fortunate enough to get some good crosses in tonight, and I put the ball in the back of the net.“We came out strong. I thought the guys did a good job. Everybody came out with confidence, and I think we had fun. I think we’re a team that needs to have sustained confidence.

“We need put three or four more like this together and get some more wins before we start patting ourselves in the back.”

On Saturday, August 6, the Dynamo travel to Chester's PPL Park to take on the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by KHOU 11.2 and on tape delay by TV Azteca 51 on Sunday, August 7 at 8:30 p.m. CT/9:30 p.m. ET.

3. FC Dallas

Schellas Hyndman's FC Dallas had a couple of matches this week. On Thursday, they scored a 1-0 victory over Alianza FC of San Salvador, El Salvador in the first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round. Jackson Goncalves delivered the game-winner in the 70th minute thanks to a Ricardo Villar delivery.

Returning to league action, the Hoops weren't able to generate much offense against Chivas USA on Sunday, but they did get another 1-0 result at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco. Marvin Chavez recorded his fourth of the season in the 26th minute of play.

Two important encounters await FC Dallas. First, there is the second leg of the Preliminary Round tie with Alianza at Pizza Hut Park on Wednesday, August 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

After that, they have a chance to be the first team to sweep the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, August 6 at the Home Depot Center. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Southwest Plus.

2. Columbus Crew

Robert Warzycha's Columbus Crew recorded their biggest result of the season: a 2-0 road victory over Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Eddie Gaven recorded his fourth of the year in the fifth minute of play, while Tommy Heinemann made it 2-0 to the visitors in the 10th minute.

“Coming here and winning — scoring two goals and shutting them out — is a huge statement,” Columbus's Robbie Rogers told thecrew.com's Craig Merz. “It was a bit surprising to be honest. We wanted to get after them and put them on their heels. 

"They’re a very good defensive team and we talked about really testing them. They came out a little slow and if we went after them hard we could punish them. They were giving me time to turn and go after them.”

“We played very good, especially early in the game when we switched the point of attack and opened up the game with our speed and good thinking,” Warzycha said. “The key was making the field bigger when he had the ball, going from one side to the other side and [Justin] Meram and Tommy fighting for the balls. They did a good job.”

Heinemann was quick to note that the team's feet are firmly on the ground.

“Obviously beating Salt Lake, not a lot of teams come in here and win, says a lot but by no means does it say our season is in the bag or we’ve done our job,” Heinemann said. “There’s still a lot of ball to be played.”

The Crew open August with a match on Friday, August 5 against the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

1. Los Angeles Galaxy

Like Columbus, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy were in search of a statement victory, and after a slow first half, they put it together in the second half and slammed down the Vancouver Whiecaps 4-0 on Saturday at Empire Field in Vancouver.

Landon Donovan scored a brace in the 61st and 75th minutes of play, the latter off a penalty. Insurance goals by Sean Franklin in the 81st minute and Adam Cristman in the 90th minute sealed the deal.

Now, it may be just poor little Vancouver LA kicked while they were down, but there is a certain plaque on a pedestal that the Galaxy want to keep for at least one more year. Yeah, uh huh, you know what it is. It's not colored black and yellow, though.

“I thought our team played very well for 90 minutes. The first half, both teams created chances, but we took control around the 30 minute mark and had a very good second half,” Arena told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “Landon’s goal broke Vancouver’s backs. It was a very good day for the Galaxy.”

“We were a little fortunate with the penalty, but we knew if we were smart and we passed the ball we were going to get a number of chances and it was just about making sure we finished them,” Donovan added.

“These games can turn very quickly and I don’t think they should only have two wins this season,” Arena said of the cellar dwellers in our Power Rankings. “They’ve played pretty well at times this year and it’s been unfortunate for them. They have a good nucleus and can continue on and have a good 2011 campaign. They have a bright future in MLS.”

Los Angeles will look to prepare for CONCACAF Champions League play with a couple of key encounters this week.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles travels to Jeld-Wen Field in the hopes of a Pacific Northwest clean sweep against the Portland Timbers. Kickoff is scheduled for August 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT/10;30 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2.

On Saturday, August 6, the Galaxy will look to exact revenge against a legit challenge to their Supporters Shield defense in FC Dallas. Kickoff at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Prime Ticket on tape delay at 8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m. ET.