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September 15, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
Bunched up in the East
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Rodney Wallace scored the Timbers equalizer in a 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images |
SEATTLE SOUNDERS 1, PORTLAND TIMBERS 1
PORTLAND, Ore. – Defender Rodney Wallace scored a second-half equalizer to help the Portland Timbers to a comeback 1-1 draw against Cascadia Cup rival Seattle Sounders FC before a sellout crowd of 20,438 at JELD-WEN Field and a national network television audience on NBC on Saturday afternoon.
Sounders FC (13-6-9, 48 points) remain second in the Western Conference and extended their unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2). Portland is now 7-14-7, 28 pts.
In a spirited and physical match between the two Northwest rivals, Seattle struck first on a goal by forward Fredy Montero in the 57th minute.
Montero scored his third career MLS goal against the Timbers, finding the back of the net moments after Portland’s Joseph Bendik entered the match for injured goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. Sounders goalkeeper Michael Gspurning played a long ball over the top and it took a favorable bounce for Montero near the top of the box. Splitting a pair of Timbers defenders, Montero placed a shot from the right side, just beyond the reach of Bendik, into the top left corner of the goal.
The Timbers responded in the 78th minute. Jack Jewsbury’s corner kick from the right side was met by an onrushing Wallace at the near post. Wallace’s header deflected off the leg of Sounders FC defender Leo Gonzalez and rolled over the goal line despite last-second efforts by Gonzalez and Gspurning to clear the ball.
The capacity crowd at Jeld-Wen Field was the Timbers’ 32nd consecutive sellout for a league match since joining Major League Soccer in 2011.
Portland had a chance to steal all three points against Seattle in the 90th minute, when a Jewsbury corner kick worked its way to forward Bright Dike on the right side of the box. Dike rocketed a shot from 10 yards off the base of the right post.
PHILADELPHIA UNION 1, TORONTO FC 1
TORONTO--- Eric Hassli gave Toronto FC the lead, but Sheanon Williams scored in the 85th minute to lift the Philadelphia Union to a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on Saturday.
The two teams, languishing at the bottom of the MLS East, combined for only three shots on goal. Philadelphia is 7-13-6 with 27 points, while Toronto is 5-17-7 with 22 points. The Union is winless in their last seven games, a span that has seen them score only four goals.
Hassli scored his fifth goal of the season and second of the week in the 58th minute. Darren O'Dea played a ball over the top from midfield to Luis Silva on the right sight. The Brazilian sent the ball back into the middle of the area where it fell to Hassli. The Frenchman took a touch to settle it then put his shot into the right side of the net.
The Union got the late equalizer from Williams. Roger Torres, showing some creative ball mastery, created the play at the top of the box, controlling the ball and pushing it out wide from the top of the box. Antoine Hoppenot got the ball out on the right side and sent it into the penalty area, where Williams tapped it in at the near post.
Fulll story from Philly Soccer News
NEW YORK RED BULLS 3, COLUMBUS CREW 1
HARRISON, N.J. -- Dax McCarty headed home Thierry Henry’s corner kick in the 79th minute to break a 1-1 tie and help lift the New York Red Bulls to a 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew before a crowd of 17,134 at Red Bull Arena.
Henry added the finishing touch by scoring directly off a corner kick -- an Olympic goal -- several minutes into stoppage time. It was Henry's second goal of the match and 13th of the season.
For the first time, Red Bulls coach Hans Backe used all three designated players in the starting lineup -- midfielders Tim Cahill and Rafa Marquez and striker Thierry Henry. Marquez, a surprise starter, was making his first start in exactly two months.
Columbus grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third minute. Jairo Arrieta beat Connor Lade on the right side and sent a pass into the penalty area that Milovan Mirosevic slotted past goalkeeper Bill Gaudette for his third goal of the season.
Marquez lofted a feed over 50 yards to Henry, who beat his man, and Gruenebaum from eight yards for a 1-1 deadlock in the ninth minute.
The victory boosted the Red Bulls record to 14-7-7, 49 points, still behind Chicago and the Eastern Conference-leading Sporting Kansas City (15-7-6, 51)
Full story from Big Apple Soccer
DC UNITED 2, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 1
WASHINGTON DC--- Chris Pontius scored the equalizer for DC United and assisted on Lewis Neal’s second-half game-winner, while Bill Hamid came up with series of late saves to preserve a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution at RFK Stadium.
The win moved United (13-10-5, 44 points) past Columbus, 3-1 losers to New York, into fifth place in the MLS East to keep their postseason hopes alive, while the Revolution (7-15-7, 28 points) were officially eliminated from playoff contention
Kelyn Rowe put the Revolution in front in the 29th minute, with the third goal of his rookie campaign. Clyde Simms sent a long pass from the defensive end to Jerry Bengtson, who flicked on to strike partner Diego Fagundez. The teenager advanced into the attacking third and weighted a perfect through pass to Rowe, catching the rookie in stride with time to measure a blast off the crossbar and over the line.
Pontius equalized for the home side two just minutes later, collecting a lay-off from Branko Boskovic as he curled back from the left on a United counterattack and drilling a low strike into the corner of the net from just outside the arc.
In the 63rd minute, Pontius maneuvered past Flo Lechner and found Neal, who had entered moments earlier for Boskovic, just outside the box. The English veteran of Stoke City and Preston North End delivered a perfect strike into the corner of the net for his first MLS goal and the DC lead.
Full story from New England Soccer News
CHICAGO FIRE 3, MONTREAL IMPACT 1
BRIDGEVIEW. Ill. – Sparked by goals from Sherjill MacDonald, Alex and Alvaro Fernandez, the Chicago Fire earned a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact.
Montreal took the lead in the 20th minute. Hassoun Camara sent the ball into the center of the box, where Marco Di Vaio was waiting. Di Vaio beat two Fire defenders, drilling the ball into the net.
Chicago evened things up in the 34th minute. Logan Pause forwarded the ball to Jalil Anibaba on the right side of the box. Anibaba sent it in to Sherjill MacDonald, who headed it home.
After a slow start to the second half, Chicago created some fireworks in the 61st minute. Alvaro Fernandez crossed the ball to Alex, who settled it and shot a high ball into the net for a 2-1 Fire advantage.
Chicago took control again in the 80th minute. Rolfe crossed the ball into the box, where Fernandez easily placed it into the bottom of the net for a 3-1 Fire lead.
The Fire (15-8-5, 50 points) earned their third straight win. During the month of September, Chicago owns a 3-0 record, while outscoring opponents 8-3. Montreal (12-15-13, 39 points) remains seventh in the MLS East.
Full story from ChicagoLand Soccer News
FC DALLAS 1, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 0
FRISCO, Texas---Julian De Guzman scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to give FC Dallas a 1-0 decision over the chippy Vancouver Whitecaps at FC Dallas Stadium.
A ball that squirted out of the penalty area fell to the feet of De Guzman 24 yards out, and he volleyed the ball through traffic into the net.
The win was a huge one for the Hoops, as they closed the gap on the Whitecaps for the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLS West. Dallas improves to 9-12-9, 36 points, one point behind the Whitecaps, who after losing five straight are 10-12-7, 37pts.
Dallas came close many times, but some bad luck and excellent play from Whitecaps goalkeeper Brad Knighton kept the game scoreless for more than 90 minutes.
The Hoops’ best chance came in the 16th minute, after referee Allen Chapman called a foul in the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick. David Ferreira took the shot, but Knighton guessed correctly, dove to his right and made the save.
Unlike Knighton, Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was relatively untested by Vancouver. His biggest stop came in the 84th minute. A ball into the area by Russell Teibert found John Thorrington. Hartman want to ground and blocked Thorrington's shot with his legs.
Full story from Dallas Soccer News
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 2, CHIVAS USA 0
CARSON, Calif.--- Chris Wondolowski and Alan Gordon each scored to give the San Jose Earthquakes a 2-0 win over Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center Saturday night.
Gordon, who has 12 goals this season, also had a hand in the Quakes’ first goal, a controversial penalty kick in the 40th minute by MLS scoring leader Chris Wondolowski.
Gordon was pulled down just inside the edge of the box by Chivas' John Valencia, who was given a yellow card. What made the pk call controversial was that at the time, the ball was well outside the penalty area. Wondolowski buried the pk for his 19th goal of the year.
Chivas USA coach Robin Fraser was ejected at half time for continuing to argue the play with referee Chris Penso.
Gordon made it 2-0 in the 49th minute. Justin Morrow controlled the ball out wide on the left and played it into the middle of the area. With his back to the goal, Wondolowski accepted the pass and laid it back to Gordon, who slipped it inside of the left post.
Now winless in their last seven matches, the loss drops Chivas USA to 7-13-7 with 28 points, now level with the last place Portland Timbers who tied Seattle 1-1 earlier in the day. The Quakes meanwhile pushed five points clear in their race for the Supporters Shield, moving to 17-6-5 with 56 points.
Full story from LA Soccer News
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