Brian Carroll

Republican challengers in two Inland Empire Assembly district races are banking on massive voter registration drives to topple incumbent Democrats who won previous elections by narrow margins. One target is Riverside County's 68th Assembly District, where Assemblyman Steve Clute (D-Riverside), 40, a former Navy pilot, is facing Brian Carroll, 29, a Moreno Valley City Councilman who served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Navy.

Republican challengers in two Inland Empire Assembly district races are banking on massive voter registration drives to topple incumbent Democrats who won previous elections by narrow margins. One target is Riverside County's 68th Assembly District, where Assemblyman Steve Clute (D-Riverside), 40, a former Navy pilot, is facing Brian Carroll, 29, a Moreno Valley City Councilman who served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Navy.

Chris Rolfe scored the lone goal to lead the Chicago Fire to a 1-0 playoff victory over D.C. United on Thursday night. The physical match included four yellow cards -- two for each team -- and 41 fouls. Rolfe scored in the 14th minute when he sent a loose ball into the net for his first career playoff goal. The Fire had only five shots on goal. "I was anticipating the ball coming may way," Rolfe said. "Luckily I was able to get it in. We knew we had to score at least one goal tonight."

Two private equity groups will terminate their planned $8-billion buyout of Harman International Industries Inc. but will invest $400 million in the company as part of a deal that precludes litigation over the breakup, Harman said Monday. The takeover by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and GS Capital Partners soured in September, when the buyers expressed concern about the audio equipment maker's financial health.

This is what UCLA batters do. They scrap and scuffle and on most days they get enough done. The Bruins could use the 5-3 super-regional victory over Cal State Fullerton on Friday as a training video. Sophomore Eric Filia could star in it. Filia flicked a single to right that broke a 3-3 tie in the 10th inning at Goodwin Field, and when UCLA reliever David Berg threw his 54th and final pitch to strike out Michael Lorenzen, the Bruins were one victory away from going to the College World Series.

Youri Djorkaeff scored two second-half goals Saturday night to rally the MetroStars to a 2-2 tie with FC Dallas in the first game at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. Djorkaeff's goals wiped out a 2-0 halftime deficit and helped the MetroStars improve to 7-6-8. Dallas (10-5-5) is winless in its last five games. Carlos Ruiz scored twice for Dallas, including the first goal in the new stadium on a bicycle kick in the 31st minute.

Tony Meola earned his Major League Soccer-record 54th shutout and Matt Taylor scored in the 18th minute in the Kansas City Wizards' 1-0 victory over D.C. United in front of 26,233 Saturday at Kansas City, Mo. Davy Arnaud set up the goal for the Wizards (8-4-4) by stripping United defender Brian Carroll of the ball and quickly pushing forward toward to the right side of the penalty area. Arnaud outran Carroll and took a shot toward the far post.

Nick Rimando usually has to run the length of the field to celebrate a game-winning goal. This time, the happy mob came to him. Goalkeeper Rimando stopped Clint Dempsey's shootout kick, and D.C. United rode Brian Carroll's successful kick moments earlier to a 4-3 victory over the New England Revolution in front of 21,101 in RFK Stadium on Saturday night and advanced to the MLS Cup. "The goal scorers usually get the good celebration -- the run and jump and all," Rimando said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Alejandro Moreno scored his career-best ninth goal of the season and the Columbus Crew beat the Galaxy, 1-0, Saturday night. Columbus (16-6-5) solidified its hold on first place in the Eastern Conference. It has an MLS-best 53 points, with eight wins in its last 10 games. Moreno stepped around his defender inside the penalty area and headed a long crossing pass from Danny O'Rourke past goalkeeper Josh Saunders in the 43rd minute.

Coach Frank Yallop, only weeks after walking away from the Galaxy, on Wednesday began building his next Major League Soccer team. Yallop selected 10 players in the MLS expansion draft to begin stocking the newly reconstituted San Jose Earthquakes, the team he coached to league titles in 2001 and 2003 before it folded in 2006 and became the Houston Dynamo. The first player Yallop chose was defender Ryan Cochrane, who Sunday won his second MLS title with the Dynamo.