Cuauhtemoc Blanco converted the second of two penalty kicks in second-half stoppage time to help give the Chicago Fire an improbable 3-2 comeback victory against Chivas USA on Thursday night.
The match ended in controversy when referee Terry Vaughn awarded a questionable penalty on an apparent push of Brian McBride by Mariano Trujillo in the penalty area. Blanco stepped to the line and buried the game winner.
The Fire looked on its way to its first loss of the season before late substitute Patrick Nyarko equalized in the 89th minute. Chivas USA were forced to play the final 27 minutes a man down after Jesse Marsch was issued a red card.
Here are some other stories to get your day started:
Pumas downs Pachuca in first leg of Mexican Final
A Dante Lopez goal in the 21st minute proved to be the difference as UNAM Pumas held serve at home with a 1-0 victory in the first leg of its Mexican Championship series vs. Pachuca on Wednesday night. The two teams will face off in the second leg on Sunday in Pachuca.
U.S. national team midfielder Jose Francisco Torres started and played 90 minutes for Pachuca.
Visiting teams gain points in Libertadores
Both visiting sides came away with points in the two Copa Libertadores quarterfinal first-leg match-ups on Wednesday. Estudiantes La Plata road a Leandro Desabato goal to defeat Uruguayan side Defensor Sporting while Nacional de Montevideo found an 80th-minute equalizer to tie Brazilian power Palmeiras in their first-leg match-up. The two quarterfinals will conclude next week.
These are just some of the stories from last night making the rounds. What did you think of last night's MLS match? Did the referee do a terrible job? Can you see Pachuca overcoming the first-leg deficit? Are you still following Copa Libertadores?
Share your thoughts on these and any other soccer stories from today or Thursday in the comments section below.