MLS Roundup
Philadelphia Union 2-0 Houston Dynamo
The Union won again as they beat the Dynamo to record their third win in a row. Fafa Picault opened the scoring on 17 minutes, heading in from close range. Union continued to attack well and went two up, seven minutes before half time, as Ilsinho struck with a low finish.
It was almost three just after half time. The impressive Ilsinho sent through Picault who failed to finish. A fantastic defensive display in the second half by Philadelphia kept Dynamo at bay to ensure they won the match comfortably.
The Union now lie mid table in the Eastern Conference with Dynamo second in the Western Conference.
Sporting Kansas City 3-0 Seattle Sounders
Sporting stayed top of the Western Conference with a good win over the Sounders.
The first half was extremely poor with the home side struggling to register a shot, but whatever was said at half time sparked Sporting into life. The deadlock was broken in the 56th minute. A corner whipped in by Benny Feilhaber was half cleared but fell at the feet of Gerso Fernandes whose shot sneaked in through a crowd of players.
Two minutes later Gerso had his second. His initial shot cannoned off the post but somehow the rebound found its way back to the hit man who tapped into the net. Gerso completed his hat trick on 69 minutes after Graham Zusi found him in the centre of the box to calmly hit home and grab the win.
San Jose Earthquakes 1-1 Orlando City
In a match where both defences performed well, a draw was the fairest result.
Jahmir Hyka almost opened the scoring from a free kick that David Bingham just managed to tip over the bar 25 minutes into the game. Seven minutes later PC Giro’s long range shot for Orlando crashed off the bar.
It took until the 80th minute for the first goal to come. Orlando’s Giro crossing for Carlos Rivas to finish well and give City a lead. Three minutes later it was all level. A corner was half cleared and fell to Tommy Thompson whose scuffed shot was put into the net by Chris Wondolowski to make the score 1-1 at full time.
Chicago Fire 3-0 Colorado Rapids
It was a good win for the Fire as they moved second in the Eastern Conference five points behind Toronto FC.
Fire took the lead after a quarter of an hour with a goal from Nemanja Nikolic. Full back, Brandon Vincent’s great cross was expertly headed home by Nikolic.
Tim Howard was keeping the Rapids in the game, but he was beaten again on 57 minutes after some excellent build up play by Chicago saw David Accam fire in past Howard.
The third goal was scored on 74 minutes. Michael de Leeuw burst forward and crossed for Nikolic to prod home his tenth goal in 11 games to give the Fire a comprehensive win.
Real Salt Lake 2-1 NYC FC
RSL completed a great win at home to NYC FC at the Rio Tinto Stadium.
It was NYC who scored first after just four minutes, Sean Okoli collecting the ball just outside the box after a RSL error before firing low into the goal.
Seven minutes before half time the scores where level. Albert Rusnak received the ball just outside the box before firing a sweet left footed shot into the net from range. Real took the lead in the second half on 51 minutes. Rusnak’s corner was met in the six yard box by Aaron Maund to head home and give RSL the win.
New York Red Bulls 1-1 Toronto FC
Toronto’s winning run came to an end as they could only draw 1-1 with the Red Bulls .
It was the Red Bulls that took the lead after an overhead kick from Bradley Wright-Philips flew into the net after a deep free kick. It was his fifth goal of the season.
The New York defense held tight but were beaten on 70 minutes from substitute Benoit Cheyrou’s low header. Steven Beitashour crossed from the right which was flicked on by Chris Mavinga for Cheyrou to score.
With Toronto on the attack they gained a penalty after Tosaint Ricketts was fouled in the area on 80 minutes. But Jozy Altidore’s poor penalty was saved by Luis Robles. Ricketts thought he had won the match but the goal was ruled out correctly for a Raheem Edwards offside. Ricketts was then denied by the crossbar in the final seconds as the score remained 1-1.
Toronto stay top of the Eastern Conference with the Red Bulls mid table.
D.C. United 0-1 Chicago Fire
A poor D.C. United side lost at home to Chicago Fire who were by far the better team.
The inevitable goal did come on 52 minutes with Luis Solignac playing a lovely ball through to David Accam who raced into the box and slotted home well.
A host of half chances continued to fall for the Fire but the score stayed 1-0 at full time.
D.C United are now bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Montreal Impact 4-1 Portland Timbers
The Impact pulled themselves off the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a fantastic win against the Timbers.
Montreal scored the first goal on 13 minutes from the penalty spot after Blerim Dzemaili was brought down. Ignacio Piatti scoring well to the keepers right.
The task was made harder for the Timbers when Diego Chara was sent off for putting his hand in Piatti’s face.
Just before half time it was 2-0. Kyle Fisher heading in a corner from Dzemaili. However in first half injury time, the Timbers grabbed a goal back by Diego Valeri who headed home from a Alvas Powell cross.
The Impact went further ahead five minutes after half time. Piatti making space for himself just outside the box before hitting a low shot into the goal. The match was sealed on 77 minutes after a good strike from Ambroise Oyongo made the score 4-1.
Seattle Sounders 1-0 Real Salt Lake
The Sounders got back to winning ways with their first win in a month.
Nick Rimando in the RSL goal was almost singlehandedly kept the scores level. Somehow stopping a Jordan Morris shot on four minutes and then Morris’s header on 13 minutes.
Chance after chance continued to fall for the Sounders until the goal came on 42 minutes after a wicked deflection from a Harry Shipp shot.
Seattle had a chance to double the lead on 54 minutes but the penalty by Clint Dempsey was well saved by Rimando in the RSL goal to leave the score 1-0 to the Sounders at full time.
Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 Sporting Kansas City
The Whitecaps pulled off an excellent win against flying Sporting Kansas City with an impressive display.
The first goal finally came in the 40th minute. Christian Bolanos brilliantly chested down to Cristian Techera who volleyed home past Tim Melia in the Kansas goal.
Fredy Montero had a chance to put the Whitecaps further in front from the penalty spot after he was adjudged to have been fouled in the box. However the striker’s penalty was saved well by Melia who dived to his right to push the ball away and got up to save the rebound.
The lead was doubled in the 67th minute. A free kick from Bolanos was whipped in on to the head of Tim Parker who glanced home.
Vancouver almost got a third with ten minutes to go after Montero was denied by the post, but the score remained 2-0 to the Whitecaps at full time.
Atlanta United 4-1 Houston Dynamo
Storms hit the Bobby Dodd Stadium which delayed the kick off for almost an hour before a Miguel Almiron masterclass stole the show.
Almiron opened the scoring on 29 minutes with a powerful shot on the edge of the area that flew into the back of the net. Three minutes before half time and Almiron had his and Atlanta’s second of the match. He received the ball on the edge of the area, somehow lifted the ball over the defender’s tackle before firing home again.
The third goal came for Atlanta on 76 minutes from youngster Julian Gressel before four minutes later the wonderful Almiron got his hat trick from the penalty spot slotting away comfortably to the keepers right.
The Dynamo scored a consolation goal from the spot on 90 minutes but it was too little too late.
New England Revolution 2-1 Columbus Crew
The Revolution grabbed a good win at the Gillette Stadium against a good Columbus Crew side.
It was the Crew that went one nil up after 20 minutes after a fantastic strike from Ola Kamara to stun the home crowd. The ball was played long by Will Trap to Kamara who hit an unstoppable half volley into the net from the edge of the box.
The lead was short lived though, as four minutes later Diego Fagundez tapped in after a great cross from Kei Kamara.
Ten minutes later the match had been turned on its head as the Revolution went 2-1 up. Fagundez burst into the box and outpaced the Crew’s defence to slot home under the keeper.
With the game in injury time Andrew Farrell was sent off for a horrific tackle on Waylon Francis but it made little difference as the Revolution ran out 2-1 winners.
Philadelphia Union 2-1 Colorado Rapids
The Union grabbed a win over the Rapids and with it their first ever four game win streak.
It was the Rapids who went one up after 15 minutes, with Caleb Calvert scoring his first ever goal in the MLS, curling round the keeper into the net to give the Rapids a lead at half time.
The Union drew level from a penalty kick after Kortne Ford handled. CJ Sapong scoring from 12 yards.
Two minutes later Calvert received his second yellow card of the match and was sent off after coming onto the field of play before the referee had given his permission to do so.
With the Rapids down to ten men the numerical advantage soon told and Haris Medunjanin scored directly from a free kick on the edge of the area to give the Union a good win.
FC Dallas 0-1 San Jose Earthquakes
FC Dallas lost their first match of the season as the Earthquakes pulled off a fantastic 1-0 away win.
The Earthquakes almost took an early lead as Chris Wondolowski put the ball just over on 16 minutes. Dallas responded on 28 minutes with Kellyn Acosta overhead shot hitting the frame of the goal which was then cleared off the line.
Jahmir Hyka then had a goal ruled out for offside but five minutes later on 80 minutes, Hyka’s goal stood. Hyka ran onto Marco Urena chip to lift the ball over defender Matt Hedges to slot home off the post.
Despite to late chances for Dallas, the Earthquakes held on to secure a 1-0 win.
Minnesota United 1-2 LA Galaxy
Another own goal by Christian Ramirez, six minutes from time gave the Galaxy a vital 2-1 away win.
It was the the Galaxy who took the lead first on 38 minutes when Giovani dos Santos scored with a great deft flicked lob past the keeper.
Minnesota almost got level after the half time break but Ramirez’s shot was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole. Ramirez finally found the net in the 66th minute after a free kick was crossed in from Ibson was half cleared, before he fired in powerfully.
But his excitement turned into despair as Ramirez turned a free kick from Romain Alessandrini into his own net.
The Galaxy now sit midtable in the Western Conference with Minnesota in ninth.
Orlando City 0-3 NYC FC
NYC finally beat Orlando City for the first time in seven matches.
Spaniard David Villa opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 14 minutes after Kaka handled in the area.
The second goal came on 35 minutes. Ethan White burst down the right before playing a teasing cross across the six yard box for Rodney Wallace to slide in from close range and lead at half time.
Orlando were awarded a penalty themselves on 63 minutes after Scott Sutter was clumsily brought down in the box. However Cyle Larin missed his kick from 12 yards as he hit the post.
NYC sealed the match 8 minutes from time after a great one two from Maximiliano Moralez put Villa through who rounded the keeper to score.
NYC FC lie third in the Eastern Conference level on points with Orlando.