October 3, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
Union surprise Fire; Whitecaps win big over Chivas USA

Jack McInerney had a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Union beat Chicago 3-1 Wednesday night at Toyota Park. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

PHILADELPHIA UNION 3, CHICAGO FIRE 1
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill.—Jack McInerney led the way with a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Unon surprised the Chicago Fire 3-1 Wednesday night at Toyota Park.

McInerney gave the Union the early lead when he ran onto a through ball from Danny Cruz and slotted the ball into the net in the seventh minute.

In the 67th minute, McInerney played provider, this time getting under a ball played from midfield. McInerney then sent a perfect header into the path of Gabriel Gomez who was making a run down the right side. Gomez ripped a shot across the mouth of the goal and into the upper left corner of the net.

It took the Fire less than 60 seconds to get one back. Patrick Nyarko made a run up the middle. In trouble at the top of the box, he flicked the ball over to Dominic Oduro, who drilled it just inside the right post, cutting the Union’s lead to 2-1.

The Union got a little bit of an advantage in the 79th minute, when Chicago substitute Guillermo Franco made a studs up tackle on Brian Carroll and was shown a straight red.

The Union (9-15-6, 33 points) quickly capitalized. Michael Farfan sent a ball across the penalty area to Antoine Hoppenot. Hoppenot made a cheeky move and backheeled the ball with his right foot, behind his back and into the net.

Chicago (16-10-5, 53 points) dropped their second straight match, but remain in a second-place tie with New York going into the teams’ Saturday showdown at Red Bull Arena.

Fulll story from Philly Soccer News


VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 4, CHIVAS USA 0
VANCOUVER, BC—Vancouver Whitecaps FC snapped a seven-game winless streak and cut a swath though the field of Western Conference playoff hopefuls with Wednesday night’s 4-0 win over CHivas USA at BC Place.

The win not only gives the Whitecaps (11-12-9, 42 pts) a valuable five-point edge over FC Dallas for the fifth and final playoff berth in the MLS West, it also eliminated Chivas (7-17-7, 28 pts), the Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers from the postseason chase.

Gershon Koffie and Dane Richards put the game away for Vancouver before halftime, connecting in the 11th and 35th minutes. Camilo and Barry Robson added second-half strikes to give the Whitecaps their first four-goal game of the season.

Gershon Koffie opened the scoring by one-touching a shot into the left side of the net. Richards, who entered the game for injured Kenny Miller in the 15th minute, doubled the Whitecaps’ lead off a quick upfield give-and-go with Camilo Sanvezzo. Richards beat defender John Valencia into the right side of the penalty and slotted a sharply-angled shot past Kennedy into the left inside netting.

Robson came close to making it a three-goal game in the 40th minute, with a curling corner kick that Kennedy fingertipped away before it slipped under the bar for a “gol olimipico,” but got on the board in the 74th minute with a half-volley from eight yards off the left post. Twelve minutes earlier, Camilo made the score 3-0, with Richards as set-up man. Richards split defenders Joseph and Valencia then dished the ball left for Camilo, who beat Valencia and Kennedy with an off-balance shot from inside the six-yard box.

Whitecaps goalkeeper Brad Knighton was hardly tested through the 90 minutes, his most anxious moment coming in the 87th minute, when he jumped through a crowd to grab Nick LaBrocca’s dangerous service into the goal area. The Goats’ most dangerous shot, a sharp header by Agudelo in the 77th minute, was blocked by defender Andy O’Brien. Knighton did not need a single save to post his second shutout of the season, and extend the Goats’ scoreless streak to 532 minutes.

Full story from LA Soccer News