Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas both trounce sorry RSL
NYC FC 2-2 New England Revolution
The Revolution grabbed a late equaliser as they gained a precious draw away from home against NYC.
Jack Harrison opened the scoring on 16 minutes after David Villa had drove his way into the box before cutting the ball back for Harrison to tap home. The levellerĀ came on 24 minutes from a corner kick for the Revolution. Kamara moved to the near post to head home Lee Nguyen’s corner to make the scores level at half time.
NYC retook the lead on 64 minutes after Maxi Moralez crossed to the far post to find Miguel Camargo who headed home. With NYC looking like they would hold on for the win, up popped Xavier Kouassi to head the late equaliser. It was however a fantastic assist by Kelyn Rowe who controlled a clearance on his chest before flicking the ball up and crossing on the volley to Kouassi, who had the easy task of scoring at close range.
Orlando City 2-0 D.C. United
Orlando beat D.C. 2-0 with two second half goals, despite the away side having numerous chances to score.
With both sides having penalty appeals turned down in the first half it took until the 66th minute for the game to come to life. Will Johnson’s free kick found Cyle Larin who was able to wrestle free from defender Steve Birnbaum’s body lock to head home and give Orlando a 1-0 lead. D.C. had chances to get back on level terms with the best falling to Lamar Neagle who’s effort was cleared off the line by Jonathan Spector.
Orlando sealed the three points with two minutes remaining. Jamaican, Giles Barnes’ long range effort somehow found its way into the net after Bill Hamid looked to have the shot covered. D.C. United stay second from bottom while Orlando City go third in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus Crew 3-0 Seattle Sounders
The Crew got back to winning ways with an excellent 3-0 win against the Sounders.
Federico Higuain opened the scoring 10 minutes in after receiving the ball on the edge of the area, before firing home from just outside the box and into the net. 11 minutes later the Crew doubled their lead after the impressive Justin Meram’s superb run and shot from distance beat Stefan FreiĀ to give the Crew a 2-0 lead at half time.
The match was over on the 59th minute with a goal from Ola Kamara after good work from both Higuain and Meram. It was Kamara’s eighth goal of the season so far. Columbus Crew currently sit fourth in the Eastern Conference while Seattle Sounders lie eighth in the Western Conference.
Houston Dynamo 5-1 Real Salt LakeĀ
The Dynamo went top of the Western Conference with a comprehensive win over RSL.
Dynamo opened the scoring in the third minute from an own goal by Justin Schmidt who could only turn Mauro Manotas’ cross into his own net. Alex got the second goal after cutting in from the right and firing a low shot into the goal on 15 minutes, right on half time, a cheeky back heel by Erick Torres set up Manotas to fire past the keeper for goal number three.
Seven minutes into the second half and Dynamo had their fourth goal. Alberth Elis’ run and cross gave Torres the simplest chance to tap in fromĀ a yard out. RSL grabbed a consolation goal on 63 minutes through Joao Plata with a great free kick before Dynamo completed the rout four minutes later, Leonardo heading powerfully in the goal after a great cross from Oscar Boniek Garcia, with the Dynamo running out 5-1 winners.
Portland Timbers 2-0 San Jose Earthquakes
The Timbers got back to winning ways as they beat the 10 men of the Earthquakes.
Darwin Ceren was sent off in the 37th minute following two yellow cards in quick succession. It left the Earthquakes with a mountain to climb in the second half. The Timbers broke the deadlock on 50 minutes following a counter attack that saw Diego Valeri chest the ball into his own path and score off the keepers left hand post.
Valeri sealed the points deep into injury time knocking in the rebound after Fanendo Adi’s initial shot had hit the post. It puts the Timbers third in the Western Conference with San Jose Earthquakes mid table.
Sporting Kansas City 3-0 Minnesota United
In a one sided match Sporting put Minnesota to the sword as they won 3-0.
The first half saw Sporting hit 15 shots while Minnesota had just one attempt but somehow the score looked to remain goalless at half time. But two minutes into injury time in the first half and finally the inevitable happened.
Ike Opara burst forward and found space to unleash a long range 30 yard effort that hit the back of the net and give Sporting a deserved lead at half time. The second goal came 10 minutes into the second half after Soony Saad’s shot hit the bar only for Jimmy Medranda to head in the rebound from close range.
Minnesota had no response and three minutes before full time, Saad Abdul Salaam knocked in the rebound after Dom Dwyer’s initial shot was blocked, giving Sporting a 3-0 win and take them top of the Western Conference.
NYC FC 2-1 Philadelphia Union
NYC scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to fight back and take a 2-1 win.
NYC had looked the most likely to score as the Union were kept in the game by the post and some good saves from Andre Blake. However it was the Union who took the lead on 69 minutes. CJ Sapong played a through ball to Fafa Picault who finished well to take the lead.
Blake continued to deny NYC as it started to look like it was not there day until a corner kick by Maxi Morin in the 80th minute was headed in by Maxime Chanot. Five minutes later NYC took the lead. Another corner wasn’t cleared well and left Alexander Callens to tap home the rebound and give NYC a deserved win, they move second in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia third from bottom.
Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Atlanta United
The Whitecaps fought back from a goal down to win all three points against a good Atlanta side.
United took an early lead on seven minutes with a lovely goal from Greg Garza. The lead was short lived though as Whitecaps captain Kendall Waston scored in the 31st minute from a corner to draw the scores level.
That man Waston popped up again just before half time to grab his second goal, again from a corner to put the Canadian team 2-1 up. The match was sealedĀ in the 69th minute fromĀ another corner. The goal was given to Fredy Montero, however, from the replays it seemed the goal should have been given too Tim Parker.
However, Vancouver move to fifth in the Western Conference, while Atlanta lie eighth in the Eastern Conference.
DC United 0-0 LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy remain unbeaten for the sixth match running afterĀ a goalless draw away to D.C. Although both teams will be wondering how neither could break the deadlock.
With both teams attacking, the game was very much end to end but they couldĀ only to find the opposing keepers in fantastic form. Bill Hamid of D.C. made six saves while his counterpart in the Galaxy goal, Jon Kempin made five. The best chance of the game fell too Luciano Acosta who’s shot cannoned back off the bar. D.C. have not scored from open play for more than 500 minutes.
Galaxy lie seventh in the Western Conference. D.C. United continue to struggle at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
New England Revolution 3-0 Toronto FC
The Revolution pulled of a fantastic win against Eastern Conference leaders Toronto FC.
The first goal came on 17 minutes after a corner was floated onto the head of Benjamin Angoua who scored from six yards out. Toronto failed to draw level and found themselves further behind on 66 minutes, Diego Fagundez’s powerful curling shot flew into the net, before Juan Agudelo grabbed the third goal five minutes beforeĀ full time.
The Revolution are now mid table in the Eastern Conference.
Montreal Impact 1-0 New York Red Bulls
Red Bulls went down 1-0 to an impressive Impact team.
The Bulls almost went one up in the fifth minute after Bradley Wright-Philips saw his effort well saved by Evan Bush. But the Impact burst into life and despite Blerim Dzemaili having a goal ruled out correctly in the first half, his second half strike stood. It was no more than the Impact deserved as they continued to push the Red Bulls further back and reduce their chances of a comeback.
Disappointment for New York who failed to find an equaliser, that nowĀ sees them lie mid table, while the Impact lie second from bottom both in the Eastern Conference.
FC Dallas 6-2 Real Salt Lake
FC Dallas produced a demolition job on RSL as they ran out 6-2 winners with Roland Lamah scoring a 31 minute hat trick.
Dallas got off to a flying start in the 8th minute after a lovely cross by Michael Barrios gave Lamah a simple tap in to open the scoring. 14 minutes later it was 2-0 and Lamah grabbed his second. This time Maximiliano Urruti was provider as his cross gave Lamah a simple finish.
Lamah’s hat trick came on 31 minutes. Dallas won back possession and Lamah was sent through on goal and finished well for his third, before Urruti got goal number four eight minutes later after a fantastic through ball left him one on one with the goalkeeper before he lifted the ball over the keeper into the net.
Two minutes before half time and Dallas had their fifth goal. Tesho Akindele pouncing on a defensive error to slot home. RSL grabbed two goals back in the 70th and 72nd minute with goals coming from Omar Holness and Kyle Beckerman respectively but Dallas rubbed salt in the wounds with a minute left when 16 year old Jesus Ferreira scored the sixth and his first ever goal on his MLS debut.
Dallas lie in third place in the Western Conference with RSL second from bottom.
Colorado Rapids 2-1 Columbus Crew
The Rapids battled back from a goal down to win 2-1 with both goals coming in the last 10 minutes.
Shkelzen Gashi almost opened the scoring on 32 minutes but Zack Steffen saved well to deny the forward. With both sides level at half time the deadlock was broken on 61 minutes when a Frederico Higuain long shot took a wicked deflection into the net to put the Crew one up.
However in the 80th minute, the Rapids were level. Some good build up play left an easy chance for striker Kevin Doyle to finish from close range, suddenly it was the Rapids who looked stronger. With four minutes left on the clock, Josh Gatt’s long cross was met at the far post by Alan Gordon who headed home and give the Rapids a 2-1 win.
Orlando City 0-0 Chicago Fire
Orlando managed to hold onto a draw despite having two men sent off.
Orlando received their first red card in the 27th minute after Rafael Ramos was sent off for a foul on Brandon Vincent which looked more like an accidental collision than a foul. Antonio Nocerino was then shown a red card on 67 minutes for a foul on Matt Polster which again looked like a shocking decision from the referee.
The Fire continued to have majority of the possession but found their path blocked by a dogged Orlando performance. But it was Orlando who kept battling and despite the Fire’s dominance they were able to hold on for a fantastic draw with nine men. Chicago Fire stay third with Orlando below them in fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Seattle Sounders v Houston Dynamo 1-0
The Sounders pulled off an unexpected win against flying Houston Dynamo who now drop to second in the Western Conference.
Despite large amounts of possession from Seattle, neither team could find the breakthrough. However on 69 minutes a goal finally came and it was the Sounders who opened the scoring. A great cross from Christian Roldan was met powerfully by Will Bruin, who headed home form close range. It was no more than the Sounders deserved against a poor Dynamo side. Seattle should have increased their lead but failed to make their chances pay. But with Houston offering little going forward, the Sounders claimed the victory.
Seattle Sounders now move to sixth position in the Western Conference.