MLS: Sapong helps Philadelphia salvage tie with Toronto FC
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — C.J. Sapong tied it for Philadelphia two minutes after Toronto took the lead.
Sapong took a perfect feed from Fabian Herbers that left him one-on-one with goalkeeper Clint Irwin. Sapong tapped the ball around the closing Irwin and left-footed it into the empty net.
Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute. Michael Bradley lofted a long free kick into the box, Justin Morrow chested it near the corner of the 6-yard box and finished from a difficult angle.
Philadelphia's Jay Simpson's and Toronto's Jozy Altidore scored in the first half.
RED BULLS 1, RAPIDS 0
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Luis Robles had a shutout in his MLS record-setting 143rd consecutive start and an own goal was the only score in the New York Red Bulls' 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
The Rapids (1-1) allowed the fewest goals last season — 32— and blanked the New England Revolution last week. But a cross deflected off Colorado's Eric Miller past goalkeeper Tim Howard shortly before the end of the first half for the own goal.
Howard, who made seven saves, returned to action for the first time since the U.S. goaltender had surgery after a groin injury suffered in a World Cup qualifying loss to Mexico on Nov. 11.
Robles, who made one save, had been tied for the most consecutive starts with midfielder Chris Klein, whose streak ran from 2005-09. Robles' streak started on Sept. 29, 2012.
The Red Bulls (2-0) are unbeaten in 18 straight MLS matches (11-7-0), one shy of the league record set by Columbus (2004-05).
FIRE 2, REAL SALT LAKE 0
BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Nemanja Nikolic and Arturo Alvarez each scored in the opening 15 minutes and the Chicago Fire beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Saturday for the Fire's first victory.
Chicago (1-0-1) and RSL (0-1-1) each opened the season with draws last weekend.
Nikolic started the scoring in the 11th minute. He was in an offside position but RSL's back pass found Nikolic's feet and he beat goalkeerper Nick Rimando on a one-on-one breakaway. Alvarez scored four minutes later. He dribbled in space on the right side, cut inside with three touches along the 18-yard box and rolled in a deflected shot off defender David Horst.
Rimando kept RSL in it. He barely got a hand on Nikolic's open shot in the 50th minute and in the 81st, Rimando dove to his left to punch away Juninho's free kick from just outside the area.
SOUNDERS 2, IMPACT 2
MONTREAL (AP) — Nicolas Lodeiro and Will Bruin scored in the final 10 minutes of play to give the defending MLS champion Seattle Sounders a 2-2 tie with the Montreal Impact on Saturday night.
Lodeiro scored from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute, and Bruin tied it in injury time for Seattle (0-1-1).
Matteo Mancosu and Ignacio Piatti each scored for the Impact (0-1-1) in front of a crowd of 34,373 at Olympic Stadium.
Mancosu opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Patrice Bernier got the ball to Ignacio Piatti, who found Mancosu on a run behind the defense. The Italian made a move to the left and slotted the ball into an open goal.
Montreal struck again in the 51st when Piatti was able to charge in and score on a low shot.
The crowd booed as referee Jair Marrufo pointed to the spot when substitute Oneil Fisher went down easily after a brush with Laurent Ciman just inside the 18-yard box. Lodeiro made no mistake with a low shot.
The Sounders appeared to have tied it in the 90th on a give-and-go between Jordan Morris and Clint Dempsey, but it was nullified by a hand ball call. But moments later, Cristian Roldan's cross from the right side was headed down by Jordan Morris, and Bruin slammed it in.
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