May 26, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
Toronto finally wins a game, 1-0 over Union

Soccer News Net

Maicon Santos gave DC United a 3-2 win over the New England Revolution Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

HOUSTON DYNAMO 2, LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1
HOUSTON---Andre Hainault scored itn eh 57h minute to give the Houston Dyanmo a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy at BBVA Compass Stadium Saturday.

Houston's come from behind win was the third straight loss for the Galaxy, who fall to 3-8-2 and winless in their last seven games.

The Galaxy took the lead in the 10th minute. Chad Barrett had gotten by the Houston defense and flicked a cross to a charging Edson Buddle at the penalty spot. Buddle made no mistake and sent the left-footed shot by Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall

An unlucky bounce resulted in Houston’s tying goal when Brian Ching took a hard shot from 20 yards out that bounced off the crossbar and into the penalty area and off the back of Mike Magee.

The Dynamo scored the winner in the 57th minute. Brad Davis sent a corner kick to the near post where Hainault was waiting. He flicked his header across the goalmouth to the far corner and by the outstretched hands of Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Perk into the net to give Houston a 2-1, lead.
With the win, Houston improves to 4-3-4, 16 pts.
Full story from LA Soccer News

TORONTO FC 1, PHILADELPHIA UNION 0
TORONTO--An 88th minute goal by substitute Danny Koevermans gave Toronto FC a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union at BMO Field, ending their nine game losing streak.

Koevermans goal was only the second time all season TFC held a lead. Recently-acquired Union midfielder Michael Lahoud lost the ball inside the penalty area to Nick Soolsma, who dribbled to the end line and sent a ball into the six where Koevermans forced it between Union third string goalkeeper Chris Konopka and the post.

The win actually was the second in a row for TFC (1-9-0, 3 pts), who on Wednesday captured the Canadian championship with a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Union (2-7-2, 8 pts) are winless in their last five games, with four of those losses.

Konopka’s biggest stop of the game was perhaps in the 81st minute, when Thorsten Frings broke in on the right side of the area. Konopka charged out to the corner of the six yard box and pushed the ball away, but came up holding his hamstring, momentarily causing concern on the Union bench that MLS pool goalkeeper Brian Rowe might have to enter the game.
Fulll story from Philly Soccer News

COLUMBUS CREW 2, CHICAGO FIRE 1
COLUMBUS, Ohio –The Columbus Crew got first half goals from Eddie Gaven and Emilio Renteria to defeat the Chicago Fire 2-1 in front of 16, 024 at Crew Stadium Saturday.

The Crew 5-4-3 (13 pts) took an early lead as defender Shaun Francis squared a ball to Gaven at the top of the 18-yard box. Gaven took two touches before unleashing a low driven shot from the corner of the 18 that went between Sean Johnson and the near post in the 9th minute.

Renteria doubled the lead for the home side just before halftime. Francis once against started the buildup on the left side of the field, feeding Gaven up the flank. Gaven slotted a ball to Renteria with his back to goal where the sizable Venezuelan shucked Fire defender Austin Berry before blasting a shot past Johnson at the far post to give the Crew a 2-0 lead on 43 minutes.

The Fire pulled one back in the 71st minute when Daniel Paladini collected a Crew clearance on the left side before whipping in a cross that Berry elevated to meet and head the ball past Gruenebaum to cut the Crew’s lead in half.
The loss for the Fire (5-4-3, 18 points) was the first against an Eastern Conference opponent since May 21, 2011, a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia.
Full story from ChicagoLand Soccer News

DC UNITED 3, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 2
WASHINGTON, DC--- Maicon Santos came off the bench to break a 2-2 deadlock and launch DC United into first place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 win over the New England Revolution at RFK Stadium Saturday night.

Santos engineered the decisive tiebreaker on a 61st minute give-and-go combination with Dwayne De Rosario, and Bill Hamid preserved the lead with a stoppage-time save that denied a Kelyn Rowe header destined for the top corner of the United net.

DC (8-4-3, 27 points) dominated the first half and was rewarded with set-piece scores from each of their central defenders, the first goals of the season for Brandon McDonald and Dejan Jakovic.

Branko Boskovic delivered a spot-on left-footed free kick from the edge of the center circle that McDonald, with his back to goal redirected with a flick of his head over Matt Reis and into the New England net.

DC doubled their lead at the cusp of first-half stoppage time as the Revolution couldn’t clear a corner kick and Jakovic swept home the loose ball in the box.

The Revs came back when Sene beat the DC United keeper to the far post with a left-footed shot for his seventh goal of the campaign.

The Revolution (4-7-1, 13 points) pulled even when A.J. Soares, scored for the first time in 2012 with a glancing header to the far post off a curling corner kick from Chris Tierney two minutes later.
Full story from New England Soccer News

COLORADO RAPIDS 3, MONTREAL IMPACT 2
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids earned a 3-2 win over the Montreal Impact on Saturday night in front of 17,877 fans at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids, reduced to 10 men after a red card with 30 minutes left to play, scored an unusual goal in the 83rd minute to earn the win.

Patrice Bernier gave the Impact (3-7-3, 12 pts) the lead in the 14th minute, running on to a heel flick from Felipe Martins and chipping it over Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens.

The Rapids (6-6-1, 16 pts) equalized in the 18th minute on a penalty kick by Jeff Larentowicz after Wells Thompson was taken down in the penalty area by Hassoun Camara.

Drew Moor gave the Rapids a 2-1 lead in the 39th minute, heading in a long free kick from Martin Rivero.

Andrew Wenger tied the game for the Impact in the 48th minute, getting some space inside the 18 and finishing off a ball from Bernier.

Playing a man down after Tyrone Marshall got a second yellow in the 61st minute, the Rapids got their game winner in the 83rd minute after a 44 yard free kick by Martin Rivero floated to the far side of the penalty area. Scott Palguta headed the ball, and Montreal goalkeeper Greg Sutton got a hand on it. It bounced along the cross bar and fell, allowing Jaime Castrillón to head it in.

REAL SALT LAKE 3, FC DALLAS 2
SANDY, Utah---Nat Borchers scored in stoppage time to give Real Salt Lake a 3-2 win over FC Dallas in front of 19,341, 341 at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night.

After a set piece, Borchers got off a right-footed shot from the center of the box that flew to the right corner for the winning marker, the fourth goal that was scored in the game's last 15 minutes.

Salt Lake took the early lead on an Alvaro Saborio goal in the 59th minute.

The visitors equalized in the 75th minute on a goal from rookie Matt Hedges. The ball bounced up, then went to the far side where Hedges fired a shot that Kyle Reynish fisted it out, but not before it cleared the line.

The rookie Hedges may have been celebrating in his mind, but came back down to earth in the very next moment, when Saborio fired in his the second go-ahead marker by deflecting the ball off of Hedges into the net.

Perez, assisted by Jonathon Top and Jackson, brought the score even in the 85th minute. Jackson started the play on cross inside from the right channel. It was flicked backwards into the area by Top and Perez stopped the ball, wheeled and fired a quick shot from about 16 yards that hit Reynish and bounced off his glove and into the left corner.
Full story from Dallas Soccer News

SEATTLE SOUNDERS 1, CHIVAS USA 1
CARSON, Calif.-- Newly acquired Juan Agudelo scored his first goal in a red and white uniform, but the Goats could not hold onto the lead and tied the Seattle Sounders FC 1-1 at Home Depot Center Saturday night.

Agudelo was on the finishing end of a brilliant series of passes in the 53rd minute. Peter Vagenas receive the ball back at the midfield circle and lobbed a pass over the defense to James Riley who was 10 yards away from the right corner of the penalty area. Riley sent a perfect ball into the area and Agudelo crashed into finish with a header.

Just four minutes later, Seattle (7-3-3, 24pts) tied the game. Second half sub Alex Caskey dished the ball off to Fredy Montero near the left corner of the penalty area. Montero 's service as precisely place into the area, where David Estrada slipped in behind a Chivas defender and it put it past Dan Kennedy.
Full story from LA Soccer News

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 1, PORTLAND TIMBERS 1
PORTLAND, Ore---Darren Mattocks scored in the 84th minute to lift the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-1 tie with the Portland Timbers at rain soaked Jeld-Wen Saturday night.

Timbers designated player Kris Boyd toe poked in a cross from Jack Jewsbury in the 66th minute to give Portland (3-5-4, 13 pts), the lead.

Mattocks got the late equalizer when Eric Hassli flicked on long free kick by Martin Bonjour. Mattocks chested the ball down and controlled it, finishing from inside the 18 with a right footed volley for his first MLS goal.

The Whitecaps improve to 5-3-4, 19 pts.