MLS Roundup: Dempsey, Seattle thump Colorado, Houston and Portland draw
Seattle 4 – Colorado 1
Clint Dempsey continued his torrid run of form to propel Sounders FC to a comprehensive victory at CenturyLink Field. Dempsey played his part in Lamar Neagle’s opener before he increased his haul to eight on the season (tops in MLS) with a pair of goals either side of halftime. Dillon Serna pulled a goal back for the Rapids, but Obafemi Martins grabbed a deserved goal in the final quarter of an hour to complete the victory.
Real Salt Lake 2 – Vancouver 2
Vancouver rallied from two goals down in the late stages to claim a surprising draw at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake took firm control of the affair when Álvaro Saborío and Joao Plata staked the home side to a two-goal lead inside the first 10 minutes. The visitors improved after the interval and reaped the benefits from their second-half alterations. Nicolás Mezquida escaped a potential offside decision to reduce the deficit after 86 minutes before Sebastian Fernández leveled in the 94th minute with his rasping drive from distance.
Columbus 1 – New York 1
Both teams settled for a point after an engaging and expansive affair at Crew Stadium. Jairo Arrieta opened the scoring from the penalty spot six minutes before the break after Kosuke Kimura hauled down Justin Meram. New York responded after the interval after Eric Alexander and Lloyd Sam combined to provide Bradley Wright-Phillips with a chance to convert his fourth goal in three matches after 66 minutes. Despite several chances for both sides, the match ended in a stalemate to keep both teams near the top of the muddled Eastern Conference standings.
D.C. United 4 – FC Dallas 1
United dealt nine-man FCD an emphatic defeat with a four-goal response at RFK Stadium. Mauro Díaz finished a sumptuous FCD move with a tidy finish inside the opening quarter of an hour, but Zach Loyd’s dismissal for a second bookable offense six minutes before halftime altered the course of the night. Fabián Espíndola equalized shortly before the break to restore parity. Bobby Boswell, Sean Franklin and Espïndola all pounced once play resumed to give the home side a comfortable cushion before Michel saw red for his tackle on Chris Rolfe in the dying embers of the affair.
New England 2 – Sporting Kansas City 0
New England struck twice in second-half stoppage time to peg back the MLS Cup holders at Gillette Stadium. The encounter appeared headed for a 0-0 result before Aurélien Collin procured a straight red card for his seemingly innocuous challenge on Diego Fagundez after 74 minutes. Sporting held out until former Sporting forward Teal Bunbury pounced inside the penalty area to separate the teams in the 92nd minute. Lee Nguyen doubled the advantage a couple of minutes later from the spot after Uri Rosell handled to guarantee the points.
Montréal 1 – Philadephia 0
Felipe handed Montréal its first victory in the Frank Klopas era with his first-half effort against the Union at Stade Saputo. Patrice Bernier created most of the trouble by acquiring a slack pass in midfield and firing a long-distance effort toward goal. Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath made the initial stop, but Felipe pounced on the rebound to notch the only goal of the game after 15 minutes.
San Jose 1 – Chivas USA 0
Yannick Djaló climbed off the bench to score his first MLS goal and separate the sides at Buck Shaw Stadium. The former Sporting Lisbon winger volleyed home Shea Salinas’ looping back-post cross after 66 minutes to place the Earthquakes in front. Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy then received a red card for handling outside the penalty area to reduce any chances of a Red-and-White revival in the late stages.
Houston 1 – Portland 1
The two sides traded first-half goals in their stalemate at BBVA Compass Stadium. Houston consolidated its bright start when the returning Brad Davis delivered a tempting ball for Will Bruin to nod home after 16 minutes. Portland equalized out of nothing shortly after the half-hour when Gastón Fernández thrashed home from close range after a deflection caught out the Dynamo defense. The two sides huffed and puffed, but they could not find a way to break the deadlock after the interval.
