June 16, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
Montreal stuns Sounders 4-1

Soccer News Net

Sebastien Le Toux's fourth goal of the season gave the Vancouver Whitecaps a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids Saturday. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 1, COLORADO RAPIDS 0
VANCOUVER, BC---Sebastien Le Toux’s fourth goal of the season, gave the Vancouver Whitecaps a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids in front of 19,166 fans at BC Place Saturday night.

Vancouver had been playing with ten men since the 60th minute when Darren Mattocks received a second yellow card for a hard tackle from referee Jason Anno.

Davide Chiumiento lifted a perfectly placed high ball into the penalty area that Le Toux ran onto and sent a right-footed volley from 8 yards out that got past Matt Pickens to make it, 1-0. The goal came in the 80th minute when Vancouver had been playing down a man for 20 minutes.

Joe Cannon had five saves to register the shutout, his sixth this year and the 83rd of his MLS career. Pickens had seven saves for Colorado.

Colorado forward Rivero’s hard shot from 12 yards out deflected off the crossbar in the 82nd minute and Hunter Freeman had a blast from 16 yards out that hit off the near post in the 88th minute as Colorado put the pressure on to tie the match.

Vancouver advances to 7-3-4 for 25 points in the Western Conference and Colorado falls to 6-7-1 for 19 points in the MLS West.

COLUMBUS CREW 0, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 0
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.---Despite early indications that the night would yield a bounty of goals, the New England Revolution (5-7-2, 17 points) and Columbus Crew (5-4-4, 19 points) played to a scoreless draw before 12,218 Gillette Stadium fans on a cool and overcast evening.

Both teams had ample chances in a wide-open opening frame that featured thirteen shots, but neither side was able to convert as the woodwork and alert goalkeeping by the Crew’s Andy Gruenebaum kept the game scoreless.

Saer Sene nearly single-handedly engineered a breakthrough at the half-hour mark, dribbling with close control from right to left outside the box then pulling the trigger with a 25-yard blast that froze a stunned Gruenebaum but crashed off the post.

The Crew nearly scored against the run of play in first-half stoppage time but Milovan Milosevic’s left-footed rocket found the crossbar after rising threateningly above Matt Reis’s outstretched fingertips.
Full story from New England Soccer News

DC UNITED 1, PHILADELPHIA UNION 0
CHESTER, Pa.---Chris Pontius scored in the 79th minute, giving DC United a 1-0 win over the Philadlephia Union at PPL Park Saturday night.
The loss for the Union, their fifth in the lst six games, spoiled the coaching debut of new Team Manager John Hackworth.

Philadelphia, (2-8-2) dominated much of the game, holding a 15-6 shots advantage, but could not find the net. The closest they came was rookie Antoine Hoppenot hitting the post in the 65th minute.

DC took the lead in the 79th minute. Carlos Valdes was given a specious yellow card after DC’s Chris Pontius sailed over his legs. Branko Boskovic sent a 30-yard free kick across the penalty area, and Pontius slipped behind the Union defense to poke the ball in at the far post.

The win was the fourth straight win for top of the East DC (9-4-3).
Fulll story from Philly Soccer News

HOUSTON DYNAMO 2, FC DALLAS 1
HOUSTON---Adam Moffat scored in the 76th minute to break a 1-1 deadlock and give the Houston Dynamo a 2-1 win over FC Dallas in front of 22,039 fans at BBVA Compass Stadium Saturday night.

It was Moffat’s first goal of the season. Brad Davis sent a corner kick into the penalty area and Moffat whistled it by goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

Will Bruin got Houston on the board early with his sixth goal of the season, when he deflected a pass between Dallas defenders into the net in the third minute of play to get the early lead.

Jackson came back to tie the score for Dallas in the 59th minute, 1-1. It was his first goal of the season.

Referee Jair Marrufo issued Jair Benitez an immediate red card in the 63rd minute after he elbowed Colin Clark, which left Dallas playing with just ten men.

That led up to Moffat’s heroics. Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall made three saves in the win.

Houston moves up to 5-4-4 for 19 points in the MLS West and Dallas’ loss, lengthening their winless string to ten straight matches, is 3-9-4 for 13 points.
Full story from Dallas Soccer News

MONTREAL IMPACT 4, SEATTLE SOUNDERS 1
MONTREAL--Felipe Martins scored the first goal and Patrice Bernier contributed three assists to lead Montreal to a 4-1 victory over Seattle in front of 17,112 fans at Stade Saputo Saturday night. It was the inaugural match in their new facility for Montreal.

Martins scored his 2nd goal of the season in the 18th minute to make it, 1-0, and Montreal held the lead at halftime.

Justin Mapp scored his 2nd goal of the season in the 51st minute that made it, 2-0. And it only got worse for Seattle in this inter-conference battle.

Referee Mark Geiger assessed Jhon Kennedy Hurtado a red card in the 56th minute to leave Seattle with ten men for the remainder of the match.

Montreal extended their lead in the 58th minute when Andrew Wenger made it 3-0 with his 3rd goal of the season.

Eddie Johnson scored the lone goal for Seattle in the 61st minute. It was his 4th of the season and made it, 3-1.

Lamar Neagle scored his first goal of the season and the final goal of the match for Montreal in the 87th minute to make it, 4-1.

The win gives Montreal a 4-7-3 record for 15 points in the MLS Eastern Conference. The loss drops Seattle to 7-4-3 for 24 points in the Western Conference. The loss broke a 10 game road unbeaten string for Seattle.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2, TORONTO FC 0
KANSAS CITY, KS---C. J. Sapong and Julio Cesar scored to give Sporting Kansas City a 2-0 shutout over Toronto FC in front of 20,488 fans at Livestrong Sporting Park Saturday night.

Jimmy Nielsen had three saves to register the clean sheet for SKC. It was his 7th shutout of the season and the 23rd shutout of his MLS career.

Sapong opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Jacob Peterson sent a cross into the penalty area. Donell Henry tried to clear the ball but Sapong was there and sent it home by goalkeeper Milos Kocic to make it, 1-0. It was Sapong’s fifth goal of the season.

A corner kick by Graham Zusi created the second Kansas City goal in the 35th minute. The corner went to the right of the penalty box where Cesar was waiting and volleyed it by Kocic to make for his first goal of the season.

It was the first match of the Paul Mariner era for Toronto. But it would not be of any help as Toronto’s record dropped to 1-10-0 good for 3 points in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Kansas City advances to 10-3-1 good for 31 points and second place in the MLS East. It is their third win in a row.

REAL SALT LAKE 3, CHIVAS USA 0
CARSON, Calif. -- Fabian Espindola scored goals in each half as Real Salt Lake extended its unbeaten streak to seven games with a deserved 3-0 triumph over Chivas USA in front of an announced crowd of 13,816 at Home Depot Center.

Espindola scored in the 41st and 56th minutes, and Will Johnson added a goal in second-half stoppage, and RSL (10-3-2) became the first team in MLS this season with double-digit wins and returned to the top of the Supporters' Shield standings after falling a point behind D.C. United a few hours earlier.

Chivas (4-7-3) saw their six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions end.
Espindola provided the lead near the end of the first when he slipped behind Danny Califf for a leaping header that left Dan Kennedy no chance.

Espindola netted his second after an RSL counter found space in midfield, and Ned Grabavoy played a through ball toward the right wing. Espindola ran onto it, then beat Rauwshan McKenzie with a stutter step and was one-on-one with Kennedy. He placed it past Kennedy with his left foot.

Johnson found the back of the net in stoppage time when he powered in a shot from about 15 yards out after receiving an assist from sub Javier Morales inside the 18 yard box to close the match 3-0.
Full story from LA Soccer News