FCD defender Clarence Goodson and Red Bulls goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus.
• Red Bulls boss Bruce Arena made three changes to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the Columbus Crew the weekend before. With Claudio Reyna sidelined with the thigh contusion suffered in the opener, Clint Mathis came into his role in the midfield. With Arena going to a single target striker, John Wolyniec went to the substitutes' bench and Jeff Parke came into central defense, Seth Stammler moving forward into a holding midfield role. Hunter Freeman came in for Marvell Wynne at right back in a straight swap.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-1-1): Ronald Waterreus (Jon Conway 46) - Hunter Freeman, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, Todd Dunivant - Dane Richards, Dema Kovalenko, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh - Clint Mathis - Josmer Altidore. Substitutes Not Used: Sal Caccavale, Tim Regan, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Joe Vide, John Wolyniec, Marvell Wynne
• "(O)ur guys had a good approach, a good attitude and went out and got the early goal and the second goal was important. And actually, we had a couple of chances for the third goal at the end of the first half," said Arena. "And then Dallas came out and we literally weathered the storm there in a lot of ways. They came at us in the second half and did a better job pressuring us, did a better job in possession than we did."
TEAM NEWS
• In games in which Clint Mathis scores a goal for the New York team in MLS, his side is 21-0-4. And in 30 career contests against FC Dallas, Mathis has 19 goals and seven assists, including five goals and two assists in eight playoff games.
• "To come in and be somewhere I used to call home and do now, to come in and this really be my first game for the team starting, it's a home opener and get a 3-0 win and be a part of that as far as netting that and getting an assist, I couldn't ask for anything better," Mathis said.
• "I do think you need to ask Clint that question, but I don't think Clint has ever lacked in confidence," said Arena. "Clint can play in this league, he knows that. I think he had a good day today, especially with the loss of Claudio - we needed a little more leadership and creativity in the midfield and a guy that can hold the ball a little bit better, and he did that for large parts of the game. And obviously the second goal was a big goal in the game."
• Despite the conditions, the only substitution Arena made was bringing on Jon Conway for goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus after he was suffering from hypothermia at halftime. Waterreus was called upon to make two saves in the opening 45 minutes.
• "Jozy was sick to start the second half and we thought we were going to have to take him out. We didn't make any changes because we thought putting a player in the game, it would be very hard for them to get into the game, get warm, and actually be able to help, so we just kept our 10 players out there and asked them to hang in there and deal with the conditions," Arena said. "It was a tough game today."
• It was also a second successive clean sheet for the Red Bulls defense, even with two changes in the group from the season-opening scoreless draw in Columbus.
• "Obviously Carlos (Ruiz) is one of the best forwards, if not the best forward, in the league, so he's going to be more central and that was more Parkey (Jeff Parke) and 'Los' (Carlos Mendes) role. I thought they did a tremendous job," said Hunter Freeman, one of the changes. "We had (Kenny) Cooper and (Arturo) Alvarez out wide and we had Nunez drift wide that Duni (Todd Dunivant) and I had to deal with and I thought we dealt well with them. I thought for the most part, we kept everything in front of us and that was our key to our success."
• Reyna failed a gameday fitness test after missing training for the week because of a left thigh contusion suffered in a collision with teammate Dane Richards in Columbus. Had the game been later in the year, had the weather conditions been different, the former U.S. national team captain believes he probably could have played. But there was no need to risk additional injury, not in Week 2 of the long MLS season.
• "Today, with the weather they thought what would be the point," the Red Bulls captain said. "The trainer said 'I don't think you should go' and I think it's probably the right decision. As much as I wanted to play, it just made sense. I wasn't ready at all."
• On Tuesday, the Red Bulls announced the signing of Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel. The 31-year-old Angel has played with English Premiership side Aston Villa since the 2000-2001 season. During his time in Birmingham, Angel appeared in 205 games for the Villans and found the back of the net 62 times in all competitions. Angel joined Villa for the 2000-2001 season on a 9.5 million pound transfer from Argentinean side River Plate. At River Plate from 1997-2001, Angel saw action in 91 games and scored 45 goals, and helped lead River Plate to four Primera Division titles in his five seasons. Angel began his career in his native Colombia with Nacional Medellin in 1993. The 6-1 forward played in 57 games and netted 9 goals from 1993-1997 with his hometown club. On the international level, Angel has 18 caps and four goals with the Colombian national team.
HOUSTON DYNAMO Houston Dynamo remained at home for the second of their celebratory matches of last year's MLS Cup triumph, this time getting their first goal on the season and their first victory, a 1-0 win against Chivas USA at Robertson Stadium. Dynamo are tied atop with the Western Conference along with FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids, all three teams with four points from their first opening matches.
LAST MATCH
• Dynamo and Chivas USA were meeting in a rematch of last year's hard-fought Western Conference Semifinal Series, where Houston overcame a first-leg deficit on their way to the eventual MLS Cup championship.
• Before the game, Dynamo continued their celebrations of their title triumph, receiving their championship rings from a season ago.
• But after a first half where Chivas USA were in the ascendancy, it was Dynamo who scored the game's only goal in the 65th minute -- through a familiar combination. Brad Davis swung in a freekick from the right flank, and Brian Ching rose up unmarked in the penalty area before sending a header goalward that left Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan flat-footed as it flashed to the back of the net.
• With Ryan Cochrane suspended after being sent off in the season-opening scoreless draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes. Kelly Gray moved back into the back four as Ricardo Clark made his 2007 season debut in his usual holding midfield role. Paul Dalglish also came into the team, partnering Brian Ching in attack in place of Alejandro Moreno.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad -Kelly Gray, Craig Waibel, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark (Stuart Holden 88), Brad Davis - Dwayne De Rosario - Paul Dalglish (Alejandro Moreno 80), Brian Ching. Substitutes Not Used: Mike Chabala, Kevin Goldthwaite, Patrick Ianni, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski
• "It's a win," said Kinnear. "It was a hard-fought match. Pat made some saves in the first half to create some chances. We looked a lot sharper in the second half. We had a bit better pass selection at the end of the game. Overall, I am pleased. Anytime you win, I think you are happy."
TEAM NEWS
• It took Dynamo 155 minutes to score their first league goal of 2007, but Ching's header for the defending MLS Cup champions to post a first MLS victory on the campaign.
• "It's great to get the win," Ching said. "We kind of underperformed last week (against Los Angeles), and we kind of underperformed in the first half as well, but we started the second half with the right attitude and got one. Brad Davis dropped in a good ball, and I was in the right place at the right time and headed it in. Brad serves in a good ball, and I was just trying to get free from my man and was able to put it in the back of the net."
• Dynamo struggled in their season opening scoreless draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the game coming just three days after an extra-time loss to Pachuca in Mexico in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. But with a week at home, the Dynamo boss wasn't pleased his team was on the back foot for most of the first half against Chivas.
• "(Kinnear) got on us a bit at the half, but we knew we weren't playing up to our potential," Davis said. "We knew we had to get out there stronger because we had our legs under us. It was a long preseason, but I think we showed well coming out in the second half and showing what this team is all about. We are not going to give up until the 90th minute."
• A welcome sight for Houston was the return of midfielder Ricardo Clark, who returned from a left knee injury to play the whole match.
• "I kind of had to work myself into the game," Clark said. "I think my game as well as the rest of the team settled in the second half. The knee feels good, but I didn't think about it. It didn't bother me tonight. It just cramped a little at the end, but it felt good."
• This week, the club announced a special fundraising effort following the tragedy at Virginia Tech University. In the game against the Chicago Fire on April 29 at Robertson Stadium, Dynamo will be wearing special uniforms sporting the Virginia Tech University colors (maroon and orange). The game-worn uniforms will be auctioned off with 100 percent of the proceeds going directly to the University's Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. In addition, the club has established a special fundraising ticket offer for the game. For every ticket purchased through this special offer, $8 will be donated to the University's Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.
