May 30, 2009
MLS ROUNDUP
Rapids clip Red Rulls, Revs beat DC

Conor Casey scored twice in the Colorado Rapids 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

COLORADO RAPIDS 3, NEW YORK RED BULLS 2
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ—Conor Casey scored twice to lead the Colorado Rapids past the New York Red Bulls 3-2 Saturday in front of 12,039 at Giants Stadium.

Casey put the Rapids on the board in the 25th minute, sneaking behind the defense to meet Colin Clark’s long service at the far post and head the ball into the open net. Juan Pablo Angel equalized for the Red Bulls with a penalty kick in the closing seconds of the half, after defender Corey Gibbs downed Dane Richards in the box.

Casey struck again from the far post in the 48th minute, off a short dish from Omar Cummings. Mehdi Ballouchy put the game away from the penalty spot in the 60th, after New York’s Albert Celades fouled Cummings at the upper right corner of the box.

Danleigh Borman closed out the Red Bulls scoring in the 73rd minute, pouncing on the rebound after netminder Matt Pickens blocked a shot by Angel.

The Rapids remain fourth in the MLS West at 4-2-4 (16 pts), while the Red Bulls trail in the East at 2-6-4 (9).

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 2, DC UNITED 1
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.—Steve Ralston’s 90th-minute penalty kick was the difference-maker as the New England Revolution edged DC United 2-1 in front of a Saturday night crowd of 15,271 at Gillette Stadium.

Ralston also got an assist on Shalrie Joseph’s 1-1 equalizer in the 55th minute. DC led 1-0 at halftime after a 36th-minute strike by Fred. Taylor Twellman returned to the Revolution lineup for the first time since last year’s regular season finale, coming off the bench in the 25th minute and taking a foul from DC’s Bryan Namoff to set up Ralston’s game-winning pk.

Fred opened the scoring with a curling shot from the top of the box. Joseph headed home a far post cross from halftime substitute Kenny Mansally to level the score.

The win snapped the Revolution’s six-game winless streak and lifted them back to .500 at 3-3-4 with 13 points. DC, losers for the first time since April 11, drop to 3-2-7 (16).

HOUSTON DYNAMO 3, TORONTO FC 0
HOUSTON—The Houston Dynamo played longball against Toronto FC Saturday night, connecting twice from outside the penalty box on their way to a 3-0 win in front of 16,037 at Robertson Stadium.

The Dynamo wrapped up their offensive exhibition within a span of four minutes. Brad Davis got things started with a 19 yard set-piece blast in the 20th minute, after Adrian Serioux fouled Corey Ashe. Kei Kamara doubled the Dynamo lead two minutes later, with an off-balance volley from the top of the six-yard box, and Davis dished off to Stuart Holden for another long-range blast to make the score 3-0 in the 24th.

Toronto put five of their 11 shots on goal, all saved by netminder Pat Onstad. The Dynamo are third in the Western Conference at 5-2-3 (18 pts), while Toronto drops to 4-4-4 (16).

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 2, REAL SALT LAKE 1
SANTA CLARA, Calif---Newcomer Cornel Glenn and second half sub Arturo Alvarez both scored on assists from Michael Zaher, as the San Jose Earthquakes edged Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium Saturday night.

Bobby Convey started the play on the Quakes (2-6-2) first goal with a short throw in to Zaher who chipped a perfect ball in from the left. Glen, who signed with the Quakes last week, met the ball with a thrusting header at the top of the six in the 52nd minute.

Nine minutes later, Zaher found Arturo Alvarez who blasted a bending 20-yard left footed shot past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

RSL (3-6-2) pulled one back in the 80th minute when Robbie Findlay broke in from the left on a give-and go with Javier Morales and put the ball to the far post past Quakes ‘keeper Joe Cannon.

Cannon preserved the win in stoppage time, stretching to tap over a shot by Yura Movsisyan. Rimando kept RSL in the game early on, making an acrobatic save off a shot by Ramiro Corrales in the 26th minute. He finished with four saves. Cannon had three.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1, KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 1
CARSON, Calif---Edson Buddle scored in the 8thth minute to give the Los Angeles Galaxy their fifth straight tie, 1-1- with the Kansas City Wizards at The Home Depot Center Saturday night.

Kansas City had only taken the lead three minutes earlier when Roger Espinoza hustled to the end line to keep the ball in play in the 84th minute, sending his first touch to Herculez Gomez streaking toward the back post. Gomez dove to head the ball to Arnaud, who redirected the ball into the open net from the top of the six yard area.

The Galaxy equalized when Landon Donovan slipped a pass between two defenders to Buddle. Buddle carried into the penalty area, hitting a left-footed shot off the inside of the near post.

The Galaxy (1-1-9) are unbeaten in their last ten games. Kansas City is 4-4-4.


COLUMBUS CREW 1, SEATTLE SOUNDERS F.C. 1
SEATTLE---Alejandro Moreno gave the Columbus Crew an early lead, but Nate Jaqua equalized in the second half for the Seattle Sounders as the club’s played to a 1-1 tie at in front of 29,126 at Qwest Field Saturday night.

Moreno scored in the 12 minute, beating a defender and getting a head on a ball from Pat Noonan.

Jacqua gave the Sounders (4-2-5) their fifth straight tie, sending a volley of a Freddie Ljungberg chip past goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum. It was the second equalizing goal for Jacqua in as many games.

Ljungberg had missed a penalty kick in the 32nd minute, shooting wide left.

Seattle finished the match a man down for the fourth time this season as defender Tyrone Marshall was sent off the field in the 92nd minute of the match with a red card.