Houston 2, Salt Lake 1 (highlights)
– The best that can be said about Brian Ching’s injury is that he clutched his hamstring and not his knee. Non-contact injuries can be the worst.
– Real coach Jason Kreis opted for Fabian Espindola and newcomer Alvaro Saborio, though the goals are coming from midfielder Javier Morales.
– Agreed with the first penalty, with Jamison Olave making contact and pulling Geoff Cameron’s arm. Not so much the second. Minor contact on Luis Landin at best, highly embellished.
– But to give credit where it’s due: Brad Davis smashed both PKs past Nick Rimando, who has a well-deserved reputation as a PK-stopper. See Playoffs, MLS.

Los Angeles 2, Chivas USA 0 (highlights)
– Switch Edson Buddle from the Galaxy to Chivas, and the game could’ve been 2-0 the other way. Chivas blew several chances, some in comical fashion.
– The L.A. lineup: Juninho is lining up at attacking mid behind Edson Buddle, with Alex Cazumba left and Landon Donovan right. Is that the long-term set-up? Where would Beckham go?

Colorado 2, Chicago 2 (highlights)
– Mirror images cancel each other out, with classy foreign strikers Collins John (Chicago) and Omar Cummings (Colorado) scoring from the run of play, and American aerial threats with underrated feet Brian McBride and Conor Casey scoring PKs. Both teams lined up with an empty bucket in the midfield — Chicago’s midfielders were defensive-minded Logan Pause and Peter Lowry; Colorado’s were Jeff Larentowicz and Pablo Mastroeni. Both teams have good playmakers on the wings.
– The Marvell Wynne Central Defense Experiment, Week 2: John beat him in the air on a corner kick for the first goal, and Patrick Nyarko outran him on the right to set up the PK, though the call was harsh. He also got a yellow in the 22nd minute.
– 11,641 isn’t what you like to see for opening day attendance. Particularly when it’s sunny and the players are in short sleeves.

D.C. United 0, New England 2 (highlights)
– Kenny Mansally will surely get Goal of the Week and may also get Player of the Week, but if Preston Burpo doesn’t get a foot to Santino Quaranta’s freekick in the first half, this is a totally different game.
– Talk about the Revolution being “undermanned” is overrated. They were missing Shalrie Joseph, which is indeed a big loss, along with long-term wounded Taylor Twellman and Matt Reis. Darrius Barnes, working his way back from a hip strain, was a late sub. But D.C. played without Clyde Simms, Marc Burch and Bryan Namoff. Not that big a difference, especially when D.C. is the team trying to rebuild.

And the shocker of the week …

Seattle 0, New York 1 (highlights)
– Bouna Coundoul won a goalkeeping duel with Kasey Keller? (To be fair, Keller had no chance on the Red Bulls’ deflected goal, and he had a couple of stellar saves.)
– New York assistant Richie Williams was signed to a contract extension earlier in the week, then took over for Saturday’s game when Hans Backe fell ill. Williams has served two stints as interim head coach in 2006 and 2009, compiling a winning record of 3-2-3 in ’09.
– The Red Bulls snapped a 27-game winless streak in road games, and they did in front of the usual 36K in Seattle. Here’s the irony: The Red Bulls are finally playing on real grass at home, and they snapped the streak on the fake stuff.

My Player of the Week ballot: Bouna Coundoul first, Kenny Mansally second