MLS Roundup: Seattle welcomes stars back into fold with gritty win over Houston
Seattle Sounders 1 -- Houston Dynamo 0
Obafemi Martins produced a moment of class to separate the sides at CenturyLink Field. Clint Dempsey pounced on a Dynamo error and slid a ball toward Martins inside the penalty area. Martins spun around his marker and tucked home the winner six minutes before halftime. Gonzalo Pineda complicated the route to the points by procuring a second-half red card with a boot to Ricardo Clark’s chest, but the 10-man Sounders held out resolutely to protect the points.
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 -- LA Galaxy 0
Vancouver produced one of the best collective performances of the season to date to brush aside the Galaxy at B.C. Place. Kekuta Manneh gave the Whitecaps a firm foothold by completing a counter with a tidy finish after 56 minutes. Octavio Rivero scored his fourth goal of the season 10 minutes later to set the Whitecaps on course for the points. The victory extended the Whitecaps’ winning streak to four matches and sent them to the top of the Western Conference table.
Portland Timbers 3 -- FC Dallas 1
Portland cast aside a frustrating start to the season to grab its first victory of the season at Providence Park. Nat Borchers headed home unmarked at the far post to provide the Timbers with the perfect start, but Tesho Akindele responded from another set piece to draw FCD level. Maximiliano Urruti turned home at the near post just after the hour to snatch the eventual winner. Diego Chara latched onto a Fanendo Adi pass and slotted home in the waning stages to cinch the victory.
Chicago Fire 3 -- Toronto FC 2
Jeff Larentowicz rifled home a free kick to decide this back-and-forth affair at Toyota Park. Joevin Jones punctuated a bright Fire start with his angled, outside-of-the-foot opener inside the first 15 minutes. Sebastian Giovinco registered his first MLS goal after 20 minutes to restore parity before Benoit Cheyrou gave TFC the lead shortly early in the second half. Shaun Maloney claimed his first MLS goal just before the hour to set the stage for Larentowicz to secure the points with his low drive. Larentowicz’s low effort gave the Fire a second win on the trot and left the Reds to lament their defensive failings on the day.
Colorado Rapids 0 -- New England Revolution 2
The home side saw its scoreless streak surpass 600 minutes in a frustrating loss at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Colorado started brightly, but New England opened the scoring after Juan Agudelo collected Kelyn Rowe’s sumptuous diagonal and deposited it pas the onrushing Clint Irwin. Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth thwarted Dillon Powers shortly thereafter, while Gabriel Torres somehow missed from five yards on the stroke of halftime. Those misses eventually came back to punish the Rapids after Lee Nguyen converted the second goal from the spot to secure the Revs’ first victory in Commerce City.
