Columbus Crew SC 3, Toronto
FC 3 | MLS Match Recap
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Thanks to a three-goal comeback by the visitors, Columbus Crew SC and Toronto FC played to a 3-3 draw in Columbus Saturday.
The clubs’ stars shone brightly, with Kei Kamara, Ethan Finlay, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore all padding their stats in the wide-open match.
League-leaders Kamara and Finlay highlighted Crew SC’s evening, extending their goal and assist leads, respectively.
But it was an 89th-minute penalty that drew Toronto level and ripped out the hearts of Crew SC, who blew a 3-0 lead in less than a half.
The clubs’ stars shone brightly, with Kei Kamara, Ethan Finlay, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore all padding their stats in the wide-open match.
League-leaders Kamara and Finlay highlighted Crew SC’s evening, extending their goal and assist leads, respectively.
But it was an 89th-minute penalty that drew Toronto level and ripped out the hearts of Crew SC, who blew a 3-0 lead in less than a half.
The match began with the field heavily tilted toward Toronto’s end. The Reds came out in a puzzling 3-5-2 formation that left Columbus’s dangerous fullbacks and wide players with too much space on the wings.
And after several minutes of Crew SC throwing numbers forward, the league’s hottest player capitalized on his first opportunity of the night.
Finlay, pestering defenders as usual, found himself underneath a bouncing ball in the Toronto box. Rather than controlling it or putting in a cross, the winger turned and fired a shot toward goal.
Joe Bendik did well to get a hand on the shot, but the ricochet found the head of Federico Higuain, who calmly nodded it over to a wide-open Kamara for a powerful header that gave the club a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.
Crew SC would add another in the 36th minute. Finlay tried to control a through ball, but let the pass bounce off the back of his foot. Fortunately for Columbus, Tony Tchani was sitting directly behind him, ready to calmly slot a shot past Bendik to give the club a 2-0 lead.
Columbus seemed to be cruising to an easy win as the second half began, extending their lead to 3-0 just three minutes after the break thanks to a perfect through ball from Justin Meram to a darting Finlay, who notched his seventh goal of the season between Bendik’s legs.
But the match was far from over, and Toronto would respond almost instantly.
And after several minutes of Crew SC throwing numbers forward, the league’s hottest player capitalized on his first opportunity of the night.
Finlay, pestering defenders as usual, found himself underneath a bouncing ball in the Toronto box. Rather than controlling it or putting in a cross, the winger turned and fired a shot toward goal.
Joe Bendik did well to get a hand on the shot, but the ricochet found the head of Federico Higuain, who calmly nodded it over to a wide-open Kamara for a powerful header that gave the club a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.
Crew SC would add another in the 36th minute. Finlay tried to control a through ball, but let the pass bounce off the back of his foot. Fortunately for Columbus, Tony Tchani was sitting directly behind him, ready to calmly slot a shot past Bendik to give the club a 2-0 lead.
Columbus seemed to be cruising to an easy win as the second half began, extending their lead to 3-0 just three minutes after the break thanks to a perfect through ball from Justin Meram to a darting Finlay, who notched his seventh goal of the season between Bendik’s legs.
But the match was far from over, and Toronto would respond almost instantly.
Just two minutes later, Collen Warner found Giovinco with a gorgeous looping ball to the back post. The Italian hit a laser first-time shot past Steve Clark.
And after another five minutes, the match became a one-goal affair. Daniel Lovitz slid a dangerous ball through the Crew SC box and to Warner, who slammed a well-placed shot into the corner of the Columbus goal, bringing the scoreline to a slim 3-2 lead for Crew SC.
For the first time in the match, Altidore made his presence known in the 88th minute. The striker stopped short on a cross in the Crew SC box, and defender Waylon Francis ran into him.
Referee Fotis Bozakos decided that the collision was a foul, and gave a penalty to the visitors, much to the dismay of a baffled Crew SC squad.
Rather than dead ball specialist Giovinco, it was Altidore himself who took the kick, slotting home an effortless penalty to bring the match to its 3-3 final that seemed deflating for Columbus and a miracle for Toronto.
With the draw, Crew SC (8-7-7) remain three points ahead of Toronto (8-7-4). Columbus travels to Orlando for their next match Aug. 1, while Toronto visits the New England Revolution.
And after another five minutes, the match became a one-goal affair. Daniel Lovitz slid a dangerous ball through the Crew SC box and to Warner, who slammed a well-placed shot into the corner of the Columbus goal, bringing the scoreline to a slim 3-2 lead for Crew SC.
For the first time in the match, Altidore made his presence known in the 88th minute. The striker stopped short on a cross in the Crew SC box, and defender Waylon Francis ran into him.
Referee Fotis Bozakos decided that the collision was a foul, and gave a penalty to the visitors, much to the dismay of a baffled Crew SC squad.
Rather than dead ball specialist Giovinco, it was Altidore himself who took the kick, slotting home an effortless penalty to bring the match to its 3-3 final that seemed deflating for Columbus and a miracle for Toronto.
With the draw, Crew SC (8-7-7) remain three points ahead of Toronto (8-7-4). Columbus travels to Orlando for their next match Aug. 1, while Toronto visits the New England Revolution.
Montreal Impact 1, Seattle
Sounders 0 | MLS Match Recap
MONTREAL – Laurent Ciman doesn’t care for the Seattle Sounders’ woes.
Ciman’s header on a Marco Donadel free kick in the 88th minute handed the Sounders their sixth loss in seven games as the Montreal Impact defeated them by a 1-0 scoreline Saturday night at Stade Saputo. This was also the Sounders’ fifth straight away loss.
Montreal (6-8-4, 22 pts) thus move up past the red line into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, ahead of Orlando City on total wins. The Sounders (10-10-2, 32 pts) stay put at fifth in the Western Conference.
Ciman won the late free kick himself from Osvaldo Alonso. Donadel’s well-weighted inswinger reached Ciman, who headed past a powerless Troy Perkins, who was playing against the Impact for the first time since leaving Montreal this past offseason.
Lining up without Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins, Brad Evans and Marco Pappa, the Sounders adopted a patient approach for which they were almost rewarded. Montreal enjoyed long spells of possession, while the visitors sat back and tracked midfield runners comfortably.
The Impact found their best open play chance of the game on a rare – by their standards – counterattack, in the 21st minute. Ignacio Piatti picked up the ball in midfield and bamboozled his marker with a smart turn to his right. He spotted Dominic Oduro racing down the left flank and released him for a chance on goal, but Oduro was denied by Perkins' smart save, as he could only win a corner kick with his low shot.
Seattle took a tad more initiative in the second half. They found their best chance 11 minutes in when right back Tyrone Mears took a quick throw-in on the right flank line. Chad Barrett got past a man and crossed for an onrushing Lamar Neagle, making a good diagonal run, but Neagle headed wide.
The Impact still did most of the offensive work but failed to break down the Sounders’ shape from open play. Their best chance came on a rare Alonso mistake in the 81st minute. From the end line, Alonso cleared straight to Piatti at the top of the box. Piatti dribbled around the entire Sounders defense and curled one with his left foot, but the shot bounced off the top of the crossbar.
Ciman rescued the three points seven minutes later.
The Sounders return to their CenturyLink Field home next Saturday, August 1, when they play the Vancouver Whitecaps in Cascadia Cup action. Montreal, for their part, face New York City FC at Yankee Stadium that same day.
Chicago Fire 2, New England
Revolution 2 | MLS Match
Recap
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The Chicago Fire and the New England Revolution played out a seesaw 2-2 draw on Saturday night that did little to improve either side's position in a congested Eastern Conference table.
The teams went in 1-1 at the break thank to Lee Nguyen’s 28th-minute strike and Shaun Maloney’s 44th-minute penalty kick, before goals from Fire captain Razvan Cocis and Kelyn Rowe in a more eventful second half saw the two share the spoils.
Frank Yallop’s Fire remain bottom of the East with a record of 5-11-4 for 19 points, while Jay Heaps’ Revolution stay in fourth with double the points (7-9-7, 28 points).
The Fire made three changes from the midweek US Open Cup win over Orlando City, with Sean Johnson returning in goal for Jon Busch, David Accam starting on the wing instead of Patrick Nyarko and USOC two-goal hero Kennedy Igboananike getting the nod up top ahead of Jason Johnson.
The visitors made just one change with captain Jose Goncalves returning to the heart of their defense in place of London Woodberry, who took his place on the bench alongside influential Designated Player Jermaine Jones, who would not appear in the match.
Both attacks took some time to find their rhythm until New England’s Nguyen tested Johnson from the edge of the area with the first threatening shot in the 14th minute.
The Fire’s first real chance should have yielded greater rewards in the 24th minute when a corner from Harry Shipp on the right fell to Cocis on the six-yard line. But with the goal at his mercy, the Romanian lost his footing and failed to make a proper connection and the ball trickled wide.
The Revolution punished that miss four minutes later when Scott Caldwell’s cross from the left was pushed away by the Fire 'keeper right into the path of Nguyen, who showed great composure to finish calmly from 14 yards.
The Fire drew level in controversial circumstances when Goncalves was adjudged to have fouled the dangerous Accam in the 43rd minute after Revs 'keeper Brad Knighton had saved a near post header. The visitors debated the call, but Maloney kept his nerve to slot home the resulting penalty low to Knighton’s left.
Cocis was again at the center of things in the second half, drilling a right-footed shot just wide of Knighton’s left post on the hour. Then at the other end, the same player deflected a cross onto his 'keeper's right post in the 63rd minute, much to the relief of the majority of the 14,159 fans inside Toyota Park.
But with 15 minutes left Cocis finally struck, proving to be in the right place to direct Matt Watson’s saved shot over the line from a couple of yards. But it was a lead that didn’t last long.
The Revolution hit back in devastating style just two minutes later when MLS All-Star Chris Tierney’s cross from the left caught the Fire defense ball watching, and unmarked substitute Kelyn Rowe, who made the far-post run, had the simplest of tasks to sidefoot the ball home from five yards.
The visitors thought they had the winner 10 minutes from time, when New England's Charlie Davies hit the back of the net, but the goal was called back due to an offside flag which negated an advantage call by the referee, who had momentarily allowed play to continue.
Next up, the Revolution host Toronto FC on Saturday August 1, while the Fire welcome FC Dallas a day later.
Houston Dynamo 3, LA Galaxy
0 | MLS Match Recap
HOUSTON – The Houston Dynamo were the aggressors on a hot Saturday night, hitting the back of the net three times in a 3-0 win over the LA Galaxy.
Will Bruin continued his hot streak, opening the scoring in the 9th minute. Brad Davis pushed up the left flank and sent a hopeful low ball across the box. LA center back Leonardo was out of position, opening a channel for Bruin to take a touch, change his feet, and curl a finish around goalkeeper Brian Rowe for his ninth goal of the season, which leads the club.
Davis doubled the lead in the 27th minute, scoring his first goal in 18 MLS games this season.Nathan Sturgis set up the tally weaving through the LA defense and putting a chance on a platter for Davis. All alone in the center of the pitch and 22 yards from goal, Davis cut his trademark left peg loose, beating Rowe low to the far post for the 2-0 lead.
With time winding down, Leonel Miranda played keep-away in the box before chipping Rowe from 16 yards out. Miranda cut back in the 88th minute at the edge of the box and lofted a shot into the top corner to clinch the shutout win.
With the win, Houston (7-8-6) improves to 27 points while LA (9-7-7) stays on 34 points.
While Houston had the goals, LA held the possession early; but the visitors struggled to convert it into chances. Robbie Keane had the reigning champs' best look of the first half, spinning to take a shot, but he was surrounded and eventually engulfed by goalkeeper Tyler Deric who made the save.
Houston got another scare in the 39th minute when winger Bradford Jamison IV split AJ Cochran and Alex on the right to break into the box. His shot ricocheted off two Dynamo defenders before looping towards, but ultimately wide, of goal.
Even with the addition of new Designated Player Steven Gerrard, LA struggled to threaten or punish Houston early. LA outpassed Houston on the night by a wide margin, but the home team was the one threatening goal, taking the edge in shots 13-7.
While LA continued to outwork Houston in the possession game, Alex took a crack at killing off the game in the 52nd minute, collecting a loose Rowe distribution and firing it low from 25 yards out. His shot went wide and the lead remained at 2-0.
Two minutes later, Davis went wide with his bid for a brace. The Dynamo captain attempted to double his count again in the 79th minute, but Rowe was up to the challenge with a diving stop.
Erick “Cubo” Torres made his MLS debut for the Dynamo, coming on for Bruin in the 69th minute and he came a Rowe foot save away from scoring in the 82nd minute. They were the first 21 minutes of his Dynamo career after signing with the club in December and being loaned back to Chivas Guadalajara for the Clausura portion of the Liga MX season.
LA became the first team to bring in a player on loan from their USL club, slotting in left back Dave Romney and forward Ari Lassiter into the team. Lassiter, son of MLS great Roy Lassiter, came on in the second half and forced a leaping save out of Deric in the 85th minute.
Houston travels to face rivals Sporting Kansas City next week, while LA hits the road to face the Colorado Rapids.
FC Dallas 4, Portland Timbers
1 | MLS Match Recap
FRISCO, Texas – The scorching summer heat isn’t all that’s hot in Dallas these days.
FC Dallas picked up their fifth straight win – their longest winning streak since 1999 – by defeating the Portland Timbers 4-1 on a Michael Barrios brace and second-half goals fromKellyn Acosta and Mauro Diaz at Toyota Stadium on Saturday night.
Portland pulled one back on a stoppage-time penalty kick from Fanendo Adi.
With the win, FCD move four points clear of second-place LA Galaxy in the Western Conference with 38 points from 21 games. Timbers remain in a tie for fifth place in the West with 32 points from 22 games.
Dallas got on the board early after a failed Portland corner kick in the 12th minute. Dallas midfielders Acosta and Barrios initiated a counter-attack and alertly played give-and-go up the length of the field.
Acosta took the ball just outside of the penalty box in between three closing Portland defenders and snuck the ball to an open Barrios at the right-center portion of the box. The Colombian winger proceeded to slip through two defenders and fire the ball between Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey and the right post to give Dallas a 1-0 lead.
The home team’s second goal was also initiated in transition following a Zach Loyd clearing header from his knees. Diaz worked the ball up the field and threaded a pass to a cutting Fabian Castillo.
After making a nifty move, Portland defender Nat Borchers cleared the ball toward the top of the box, but the it found the feet of Barrios. The 24-year-old fired a shot from dead center that deflected off defender Liam Ridgewell and into the net for Barrios’ third goal of the season.
The Timbers did not go down quietly though as the first half came to a close.
The visitors nearly cut the lead in half in the 66th minute on a free kick into the Dallas box. Ridgewell made it through the Dallas defense to receive the lob, but his header sailed just over the crossbar. The big Timbers center back got on the end of another free kick just a minute later and had another chance to cut the lead in half, but his sliding shot went high once again.
Dallas put the game out of reach in the 69th minute, again off a counter attack. Acosta picked up a rebound near midfield and weaved his way through space and past defenders to reach the top of the penalty box. The Homegrown product fired a shot directly in line with the left post, but the ball curved back to the right and inside the post to make it just inside the goal and extend the Dallas lead to 3-0.
A pair of penalty kicks – one from Diaz in the 87th minute and one from Adi in stoppage time – added a few late tallies to the already decided match.
Both teams hit the road for a Sunday match next week, with Portland traveling to San Jose and Dallas to Chicago.
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