By CALEB SONNELAND
Goals from Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry lifted the New York Red Bulls over the Los Angeles Galaxy Wednesday night in a 2-1 win, but it wasn't enough to see the team into the final of the Desert Diamond Cup, as the Galaxy marched to the title game by virtue of goal difference.
A free kick from L.A.'s Marcelo Sarvas gave the Galaxy the goal they needed in the 78th minute, when his low, curling freekick found the bottom left corner of Ryan Meara's goal.
Cooper had opened scoring in the 31st minute, when he cooly slotted the ball home from the top of the area after Connor Lade found the big striker in space. His strike partner, Henry, doubled the advantage after he finished off a flowing move with a powerful header coming off a Dane Richards cross.
The Galaxy will face the New England Revolution in the championship game, while the Red Bulls will face RSL in the third-place match.
REVOLUTION STAY PERFECT, TOP RSL
The Revolution continued their perfect preseason, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 to reach the Desert Diamond Cup final.
Diego Fagundez gave the Revs the early lead in the 8th minute before Bjorn Runstrom — an unsigned training camp participant — sealed the win in the 56th. RSL had found an equalizer from Nico Muñiz in the first half.
The result ushered New England into the tournament final with a 3-0-0 record and marks the team's six consecutive preseason victories.
WHITECAPS BLANK SKC, DYNAMO THROUGH AT DISNEY CLASSIC
It's a scoreline that not many would have projected last season, but the Vancouver Whitecaps routed Sporting Kansas City 3-0 in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic last night.
Vancouver has been dominant thus far in the tournament, registering seven goals while conceding noneen route to a 3-0-0 record. The result sees the Whitecaps top Pool 1 and head into the final of the contest.
Sebastien Le Toux starting things off in the 50th minute when Davide Chiumiento chipped a ball into his path for him to power home with a header. The goal marks his third goal in as many games, with two coming from the penalty spot.
Russell Teibert and Carlyle Mitchell completed the rout with goals coming in a five-minute span in the 62nd and 67th minutes, respectively. Teibert struck low from 18 yards out to beat SKC keeper Jon Kempin, while Mitchell smashed home a close-range attempt.
The Houston Dynamo and the Montreal Impact slugged out a 1-1 draw to earn the former second place in Pool 1 and a spot in the consolation game of the tournament on goal difference.
Will Bruin put the Dynamo on the scoresheet in the 49th minute when he headed home a cross from Colin Clark at the back post.
Montreal's Patrice Bernier brought his side back to level pegging with a lovely free kick into the upper-left corner in the 56th minute.
Highlights of the match can be seen here (Bernier's goal is at 1:57).
The final two games of the tournament will be played Saturday. The consolation match will kick off at 6 p.m., and the championship will begin at 8.
UNITED WINS THIRD STRAIGHT CCC
Despite Dwayne de Rosario not seeing any action, D.C. United brushed off the hosting Charleston Battery with a 3-1 win Wednesday night to clinch their third straight Carolina Challenge Cup.
Goals from Maicon Santos, Ryan Richter and Hamdi Salihi put the clash to bed over the 10-man Battery. The goal marks Salihi's second in as many games for the club.
United DP Branko Boskovic cut open the Battery defense with a pass to Santos in the 13th minute. The Brazilian striker worked some room for himself in the box before lashing a shot and beating keeper Kevin Klasila at his near post.
Klasila's forgettable night continued as he gifted the MLS side its second goal in the 31st minute when Richter headed a somewhat tame effort on goal only for the ball to slip straight through Klasila's hands and into the net.
Salihi capped off a night of scoring after Andy Najar went on a classy run up the right-hand side of the field before crossing to Salihi for an easy finish from the Albanian striker.
The win nearly came at a cost for D.C., as Charleston's Mark Wiltse took out Danny Cruz with a two-footed challenge and was sent off. According to the club, X-rays on Cruz' ankle came back negative and showed just a bone bruise.
With one round of games yet to play, United will take home the Cup regardless of the next slate of results as a result of its head-to-head advantage over the current second place team, the Chicago Fire.
MONTERO BRACE PACES SOUNDERS
Fredy Montero was back to what he does best last night as the Seattle Sounders (5-0-2) saw off its Mexican opponents, Jaguares de Chiapas, in the third annual "Community Shield" charity match in Seattle.
Montero notched his brace in the second half of the contest, bringing his preseason tally to a team-high of five.
It took just a little more than hour for the Colombian to get off the mark when he rose highest to an Adam Johansson cross to give his side the lead in the 61st minute.
Just 12 minutes later, Montero found space on top of the Jaguares area after being found by Osvaldo Alonso. Montero then turned and chipped a beautiful lob into the top left corner of the goal to seal the win.
Mauro Rosales was named the captain for the night, and coach Sigi Schmid told reporters that the Argentine will "certainly" wear the armband again next week. Seattle must now prepare for its CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Santos Laguna next Wednesday.
Highlights of the match can be found here.
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Who do you see winning the Desert Diamond Cup and Disney Classic? What do you make of the Revolution and Whitecaps so far this preseason? Think it is a taste of things to come this season? Whose goal did you like better: Bernier's or Montero's?
Share your thoughts below.