Football Americana Week 12: Twellman hits his hundredth

It gives us great pleasure to welcome aboard Chris Nee from the wonderful website TwoFootedTackle who every week will be telling us about all the latest goings-on in US Football. Take it away, Chris...

Hello and welcome to the very first Football Americana, your week-by-week guide to the trials, tribulations and trivialities of Major League Soccer. As seen through the eyes of an Englishman, natch.

Week 12 saw the top of the Eastern Standings bunch up as the leaders slipped and their chasers didn't. No such trouble for the superb Chivas USA at the top of the West.

A 2-0 home win for DC United over New York Red Bulls last Thursday put them within two points of Chicago at the top of the East. Fred superbly set up Santino Quaranta to put United in front with ten minutes left in the first half, and United overcame the sending off of Luciano Emilio (he kicked over some water bottles, the big stropper) to double their lead in stoppage time. Jaime Moreno bagged the second from the spot.

And it only got worse for New York Red Bulls in their second game of the week. A trip to Gillette Stadium ended in defeat as Taylor Twellman scored twice to help New England Revolution to a 4-0 win. Jay Heaps had stroked home the opener and his hard work and pinpoint cross laid on the second for Steve Ralston before Twellman's brace, which marked his first goals after injury and his MLS ton.

In the Friday night game, Chicago Fire stumbled at the top of the East, losing 1-0 to a Houston Dynamo side boasting one Ade Akinbiyi up front. It was Route One for the Dynamo as Kei Kamara ran onto a long ball from Andrew Hainault and waltzed in from the corner to provide Stuart Holden with a tap-in. The three points consolidated Houston's second place in the West.

Either side of the Dynamo, Chivas USA in first defeated Seattle Sounders in third. Nate Jaqua's red card rubbed salt in the wound for the Sounders after Eduardo Lillingston scored his fifth of the season to send Chivas onto 27 points.

Kansas City Wizards and Columbus Crew are now level on points in the East. 10-man Crew had too much for the Wizards at the CommunityAmerica Ballpark, thanks to two goals by Guillermo Barros Schelotto - one from the spot - which see him join the Rapids' Conor Casey at the top of the scoring charts.

In Canada, Toronto FC continue to struggle for form after a blistering start. Alan Gordon headed Los Angeles Galaxy in front at BMO Field before Danny Dicho pulled Toronto level by bundling the ball over the line despite being comfortably three yards offside. No matter - Edson Buddle's second goal in as many games bagged the points for the Galaxy.

At an empty (and I mean empty) Pizza Hut Park, Kenny Cooper was the hero for FC Dallas, capitalising on a lovely pass from Brek Shea to pull FCD level against San Jose Earthquakes with 87 minutes on the clock. David Ferreira had rolled Dallas in front, but an own goal by Pablo Ricchetti and a wonderful left-footed drive from Arturo Alvarez had turned the game on its head.

Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids drew 1-1 at Rio Tinto, Omar Cummings' third of the season cancelling out Yura Movsisyan's curled opener. RSL's Robbie Russell saw red six minutes before Cummings equalised with a powerful right-footed shot.

Chicago lead the East with 21 points, from DC United with 19, Columbus with 16 and the Wizards with 16. In the West, Chivas are clear on 27 while Houston (21), Seattle (17) and Colorado (17) give chase.

Full results and standings here.