MLS roundup: Fire, Wizards finally win. D.C. United goes down.

(Saturday, May 16, 1998) -- The Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards ended long losing streaks while (Washington) D.C. United saw a five-match winning streak end during a full slate of Major League Soccer matches.

Kansas City used three goals by Digital Takawira to beat the New England Revolution 3-1.

The Dallas Burn won its third straight 2-1, sending the Colorado Rapids to their fourth consecutive setback.

MetroStars hang on to triumph over D.C. United.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The MetroStars seemed on the way to a rout of two-time Major League Soccer (Washington) D.C. United this afternoon. By the final whistle, New Jersey’s team was lucky to escape with a victory.

Giovanni Savarese scored twice, and Jim Rooney and Eduardo Hurtado each added a goal to give the MetroStars a 4-3 victory before 15,322 at Giants Stadium. But the home team saw a four-goal nearly disappear in the final 71 minutes.

"I am very glad to walk away with a win today," said MetroStars coach Alfonso Mondelo. Our team needed a boost and this was a big help. Giovanni played a great game today, scoring two beautiful goals, and we will need more of that in the future,"

Savarese, the MetroStars' all-time leading scorer with 31 goals, scored in the 21st and 64th minutes. Rooney tallied in the 47th minute and Hurtado the 64th, before United rallied

"This team has good players and we showed that today, especially in the beginning of the game," said Savarese. "Afterwards, I don't know what happened. I think we ran out of gas, but we had just enough to hold on to win."

Tony Sanneh, Roy Lassiter and Jaime Moreno each netted a header in a 15-minute span, but the MetroStars managed to hang on, ending a two-game losing streak and stopping D.C.’s five-match winning streak at five.

"I told my team at least we could walk off the field with our heads up at the end of the game," said United coach Bruce Arena. "We made it a game after taking somewhat of a vacation for the first 60, 65 minutes.

Lassiter scored his fifth goal in five games after being traded to D.C. from Tampa Bay for Roy Wegerle. He has nine career goals against the MetroStars.

MetroStars 4, D.C. United 3

Lineups: MetroStars - Tony Meola, Arley Palacios, Mark Semioli, Mike Petke, Diego Soñora, Paul Dougherty (Carlos Parra 78), Mike Sorber, Brian Kelly, Jim Rooney (Kerry Zavagnin 46), Eduardo Hurtado, Giovanni Savarese. D.C. United - Scott Garlick, Carey Talley, Carlos Llamosa (Curt Onalfo 54, A.J. Wood 70), Mario Gori, Geoff Aunger (Ben Olsen 46), Richie Williams, Tony Sanneh (Olsen 77), John Harkes, Marco Etcheverry, Jaime Moreno, Roy Lassiter.

Scoring: MetroStars - Savarese (Rooney, Soñora) 21; MetroStars - Rooney (Sorber, Dougherty) 42; MetroStars -Hurtado (Dougherty) 47; MetroStars - Savarese (Hurtado) 64; D.C. United - Sanneh (Harkes) 71; D.C. United - Lassiter (Moreno, Talley) 76; D.C. United- Moreno (Williams, Olsen) 86. Total shots: Metrostars 14 (Savarese, 5), D.C. United 20 (Lassiter, 5). Shots on goal: MetroStars (Savarese 3, Hurtado 3), D.C. United - 11 (Lassiter 3, Gori 3). Saves: Metrostars - Meola 7; D.C. United- Garlick 3. Total fouls: MetroStars 14 (Hurtado 5), D.C. United 17 (Williams 5). Offside: MetroStars 4, D.C. United 4. Corner Kicks: MetroStars 1, D.C. United 8. Yellow card cautions: MetroStars - Hurtado 38; D.C. United - Lassiter 12, Etcheverry 40, Williams 83. Possession percentage: MetroStars 43, D.C. United 57.

Referee: Noel Kenny. Referee's assistants: Greg Barkey, Nathan Clement. Attendance: 15,322 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.Y. Weather: Sunny, 82 degrees.

Chicago snaps losing streak 2-1 over Tampa Bay.

TAMPA -- Chicago's Polish connection of Peter Nowak and Jerzy Podbrozny each scored one goal and assisted the other as the Fire broke a five-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Mutiny tonight before a paltry 6,391 at Houlihan's Stadium.

"Obviously, it’s good to get a win," said Chicago coach Bob Bradley. "We’ve been through a frustrating stretch. The thing that means the most with this win is it tells the players we are making progress and they have something to show for their effort."

Nowak scored the game-winner in the 79th minute on a give-and-go with Podbrozny. The Fire's playmaker sent a shot inside the near post from 10 yards.

Chicago (3-5) opened the scoring in the 21st minute with Podbrozny's first goal of his MLS career. Nowak stole the ball from Mutiny defender Adam Frye and played a pass back to Podbrozny for a blast from 15 yards out.

"Podbrozny had a good game," said Bradley. "It has taken awhile for him to adjust to the team and being in the U.S., but we still feel he can be an important player for us."

Tampa Bay (2-9) responded nine minutes later with a goal by Gilmar. The Brazilian midfielder, celebrating his 28th birthday, put home a point-blank shot off a header by Chris Houser. The assist was Houser's fifth in his last three games.

Recent MLS signee Mauricio Ramos made his debut for the Mutiny in the second half. The Bolivian midfielder practiced with Tampa Bay for the first time yesterday.

Chicago Fire 2, Tampa Bay Mutiny 1

Lineups: Tampa Bay - Thomas Ravelli, Mike Duhaney, Chris Houser, Adam Frye, Jan Eriksson (Frank Yallop 31), Alan Prampin, Guillermo Jara, Steve Ralston, Sam George (Dominic Kinnear 62), Musa Shannon, Gilmar (Mauricio Ramos 45). Chicago - Zach Thornton, Andrew Lewis, Lubos Kubik, C.J. Brown, Brian Bates (Zak Ibsen 69), Rich Kotschau, Chris Armas, Jesse Marsch, Peter Nowak, Jerzy Podbrozny (Jorge Salcedo 86), Frank Klopas (Ante Razov 72).

Scoring: Chicago - Podbrozny (Nowak) 21; Tampa Bay - Gilmar (Houser, Jara) 30; Chicago - Nowak (Podbrozny) 79. Total shots: Tampa Bay 14 (Ramos 5), Chicago - 17 (Podbrozny 5). Shots on goal: Tampa Bay 4 (four players with 1), Chicago 8 (Podbrozny 3). Saves: Tampa Bay - Ravelli 6; Chicago - Thornton 3. Fouls: Tampa Bay 9 (Houser 2, Jara 2), Chicago 13 (Brown 4). Offside: Tampa Bay 2, Chicago 0. Corner kicks: Tampa Bay 8, Chicago 6. Yellow card cautions: Chicago Klopas 35. Possession percentage: Tampa Bay 51, Chicago 49.

Referee: Arturo Angeles. Referee's assistants: Kermit Quisenberry, Shane Moody. Attendance: 6,391 at Houlihan’s Stadium in Tampa. Weather: Clear, 82 degrees, humid.

Wizards end five-game losing streak 3-1 over New England

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Digital Takawira scored a hat trick as the Kansas City Wizards broke a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory against the short-handed New England Revolution Saturday night before 20,613 at Foxboro Stadium.

Exploiting a one-man advantage after Revolution defender Ivan McKinley was sent off in the 49th minute, Takawira tied the MLS record for fastest three goals by scoring in the 76th, 79th and 85th minutes. Jose Vasquez scored three goals in a nine-minute span for Los Angeles on September 21, 1997, in the Galaxy's 3-2 victory against San Jose.

New England ended the game without the services of five starters. Besides McKinley’s red card, midfielder Jair suffered a broken left ankle in the sixth minute. The Revolution also played without rookie forward Johnny Torres, who sprained his ankle in the Revolution's loss Wednesday at D.C. United, and United States World Cup team members Joe-Max Moore and Mike Burns.

Raul Diaz Arce scored New England's lone goal in the 83rd minute on a penalty kick. Goalkeeper Ian Feuer recorded six saves for the Revolution (4-5). Kansas City (3-6) earned its first-ever win at Foxboro Stadium.

Kansas City Wizards 3, New England Revolution 1

Lineups: New England - Ian Feuer, Ted Chronopoulos, Brian Dunseth, Richard Goulooze, Ivan McKinley, Janusz Michallik (Carlos Rocha 79), Imad Baba (Paul Keegan 79), Jair (Evans Wise 6), David Nakhid, Edwin Gorter, Raul Diaz Arce. Kansas City - Mike Ammann, Scott Uderitz, Sean Bowers, Scott Vermillion, Mark Chung (Goran Hunjak 83), Chris Klein, Refik Sabanadzovic, Ryan Tinsley, Paul Wright, Paul Rideout, Vitalis Takawira

Scoring: Kansas City - Takawira (Vermillion, Tinsley) 76; Kansas City - Takawira (Wright) 79; New England - Diaz Arce (penalty kick) 83; Kansas City - Takawira (Hunjak) 85. Total shots: New England 6 (Baba 2, Diaz Arce 2), Kansas City 12 (Takawira 4). Shots on goal: New England 4 (Diaz Arce 2), Kansas City 10 (Takawira 4). Saves: New England - Feuer 6; Kansas City - Ammann 3. Fouls: New England 13 (Wise 3, Baba 3), Kansas City 13 (five players with 2). Offside: New England 2, Kansas City 5. Corner kicks: New England 1, Kansas City 6. Yellow card cautions: Kansas City - Wright 85, Rideout 89. Red card ejections: New England - McKinley 49. Possession percentage: New England 48, Kansas City 52.

Referee: Esse Baharmast. Referee's assistants: Roberto Van de Wyngard, George Vergara. Attendance: 20,613 at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Weather: Sunny, fair.

Dallas capitalizes on defensive mistakes to win.

DALLAS -- Dante Washington and Jason Kreis led the Dallas Burn to a 2-1 victory against the Colorado Rapids Saturday night before 15,280 at the Cotton Bowl.

Washington and Kreis capitalized on a pair of defensive mistakes by Colorado to score the Burn's two goals. The Rapids (3-7) have surrendered a league-worst 26 goals in 10 games.

Washington beat Colorado goalkeeper Paul Grafer to a back pass and netted his fourth goal of the season in the 12th minute. Kreis stole a pass by Rapids defender Sean Henderson and chipped a shot over Grafer from 35 yards out in the 62nd minute.

Wolde Harris scored the Rapids' only goal in the 86th minute, taking a pass from Marquis White and sending a low shot inside the far post.

Dallas improved to 6-2 with its third consecutive victory. Colorado dropped its fourth in a row.

Each team finished the game with 10 players.

Dallas Burn 2, Colorado Rapids 1

Lineups: Dallas - Mark Dodd, Eric Dade, Brandon Pollard, Richard Farrer, Jorge Rodriguez, Leonel Alvarez, Jorge Flores (Ted Eck 64), Jason Kreis, Damian (Brian Haynes 57), Gerell Elliott, Dante Washington (Mark Santel 70). Colorado - Paul Grafer, Tahj Jakins, Steve Trittschuh, Peter Vermes, Joey DiGiamarino (Marquis White 70), Sean Henderson, Marquinho, Ross Paule, Jason Boyce (Chris Henderson 55), Paul Bravo, Waldir (Wolde Harris 41).

Scoring: Dallas - Washington (unassisted) 12; Dallas - Kreis (unassisted) 62; Colorado - Harris (White) 86. Total Shots: Dallas 10 (Damian 3), Colorado 12 (Bravo 4). Shots on goal: Dallas 8 (Damian 3), Colorado 4 (four players with 1). Saves: Dallas - Dodd 3; Colorado - Grafer 5. Fouls: Dallas 9 (Eck 2), Colorado 4 (four players with 1). Offside: Dallas 2, Colorado 2. Corner kicks: Dallas 7, Colorado 4. Yellow card cautions: Dallas - Damian 13, Flores 17, Alvarez 57, Alvarez 70, Kreis 81; Colorado - Bravo 49, DiGiamarino 57. Red card ejections: Dallas - Alvarez (second yellow card) 70; Dallas - Jakins 74. Possession percentage: Dallas 52, Colorado 48.

Referee: Ricardo Valenzuela. Referee's assistants: Chip Reed, Andrew Barnes. Attendance: 15,280 at Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Weather: Partly cloudy, 90 degrees, humid.

Clash shuts out Fusion 2-0

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Ronald Cerritos scored two goals and rookie goalkeeper Andy Kirk recorded five saves as the San Jose Clash shut out the Miami Fusion 2-10 at Spartan Stadium.

Cerritos converted a penalty kick in the 34th minute and scored on a 20-yard rocket in the 81st minute.

Kirk earned his first career shutout, surviving 10 total shots by the Fusion. The member of the Project-40 developmental program improved to 2-1 between the pipes for the Clash.

Miami (5-5) got five saves from goalkeeper Jeff Cassar, but it wasn't enough to keep the Fusion's two-game winning streak alive.

San Jose (4-6) won its second consecutive game.

San Jose Clash 2, Miami Fusion 0

Lineups: San Jose - Andy Kirk, Wade Barrett, Tim Martin, John Doyle, Tim Weaver, Martin Vasquez, Braeden Cloutier (Vicente Figueroa 60), Eddie Lewis, Victor Mella, Jeff Baicher (Lawrence Lozzano 73), Ronald Cerritos. Miami - Jeff Cassar, Leo Cullen, Wade Webber (Brian Taylor 81), Cle Kooiman, Matt Kmosko, Marcelo Herrera, Henry Gutierrez, Diego Serna (Jerry Tamashiro 70), David Vaudreuil, Pablo Mastroeni (John Maessner 71), Dan Stebbins

Scoring: San Jose - Cerritos (penalty kick) 34; San Jose - Cerritos (Lozzano) 81. Total shots: San Jose 13 (Baicher 4, Cerritos 4), Miami 10 (Gutierrez, H. 2, Herrera 2, Mastroeni 2). Shots on goal: San Jose 8 (Cerritos 4), Miami 5 (five players with 1). Saves: San Jose - Kirk 5; Miami - Cassar 5. Fouls: San Jose 24 (Vasquez 6), Miami 16 (four players with 3). Offside: San Jose 1, Miami 0. Corner kicks: San Jose 5, Miami 8. Yellow card cautions: San Jose - Baicher 18, Mella 28, Barrett 59; Miami - Serna 19, Kooiman 58, Gutierrez 60. Possession percentage: San Jose 46, Miami 54.