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Saturday MLS Scoreboard: Atlanta United tops Union, Crew rally to tie TFC, and more

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A wild Saturday of MLS action saw Toronto FC squander a three-goal lead in Columbus, Atlanta United hold off a nine-man Philadelphia Union, and NYCFC throttle Orlando City.

TFC saw a 3-0 lead disappear, as the Crew rallied to earn a draw and push their unbeaten run to eight matches.

The Union saw two players ejected in the first half, but still gave Atlanta United a fight, with a late Josef Martinez goal providing the insurance to halt the Union’s four-match unbeaten streak.

Out West, FC Dallas beat LAFC to move into first place in the conference, while the Portland Timbers remained unbeaten at home, battling the LA Galaxy to a 1-1 draw at Providence Park.

Here’s a rundown of Saturday’s matches:

Timbers 1, Galaxy 1 (Final) 

The Portland Timbers kept their unbeaten run alive as they fought back for a 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy on Saturday.

A 57th minute penalty kick by Diego Valeri leveled the sides before the hour mark, after Andres Flores was bundled over by Jorgen Skjelvik. It was the Argentine’s sixth goal of the season.

David Bingham stood on his head for LA, making nine saves in the draw. The former San Jose man kept out Samuel Armenteros in the first-half before being called on numerous times in the second-half.

Bill Tuiloma was kept out twice in a four-minute span late in the second stanza with the defender’s header the tougher of the two.

Chris Pontius stepped in as the No. 9 for LA and was effective, scoring on a nice finish in the 19th minute. After striking the post earlier in the half, Pontius picked up a pass and beat Jeff Attinella to the bottom-right corner.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a short cameo off the bench was was quiet offensively as both teams shared the points.

The Galaxy (5-7-2)  hosts Real Salt Lake on June 9th, while the Timbers(6-3-3) close out a two-match homestand against Sporting KC also on the 9th.

Man of the Match: Bingham was huge for Sigi Schmid’s side, making nine saves in helping the Galaxy to a needed point. The MLS veteran has had a fine season for the Galaxy so far and also received a good performance from his backline.

Moment of the Match: Some late chances easily could’ve gone the way of Portland if it wasn’t for some top saves by Bingham. Tuiloma’s right-footed shot in the 79th minute was saved before the 23-year-old’s header was also repelled by Bingham.

Match to Forget: Ema Boateng was very quiet for LA offensively, finishing the match with only 12 completed passes. While Sebastian Lletget was strong on the right wing, Boateng was not as he was subbed off in the 72nd minute.

Crew 3, Toronto FC 3 (Final) 

It was a tale of two halves at Mafpre Stadium, with the Columbus Crew battling back for a 3-3 draw against Toronto FC.

Greg Vanney’s men had a two-goal first half lead after a pair of goals in different fashions. Victor Vazquez stepped up and beat backup keeper Jon Kempin from the penalty spot in the 17th minute to put the visitors up 1-0 on the road.

Tosaint Ricketts doubled the visitors lead in the 38th minute as he slotted in from close-range. A Sebastian Giovinco effort struck the left post, and Ricketts benefited as he finished Vazquez’s assist for his second goal of the season.

Giovinco’s long-range missile beat Kempin in the 57th minute to extend TFC’s lead to 3-0.

Gyasi Zardes headed Federico Higuain’s cross in past Alex Bono in the 67th minute to pull one back for Columbus, before Alex Crognale slotted in from a set piece.

Higuain scored from the penalty spot in the 90th minute to make it 3-3 at Mafpre Stadium. Zardes drew a foul from Michael Bradley and the Argentine did the rest.

Columbus are in third place and host the Red Bulls next weekend, while Toronto remains in 10th and travel to Philadelphia on Friday.

Man of the Match: Higuain had a strong performance for Columbus, scoring the winner and adding an assist. After seeing his red card appeal reversed midweek, the midfielder surely made his impact known.

Moment of the Match: The late penalty by Higuain flipped the script for Columbus, ultimately downing Toronto in their quest for three points.

Match to Forget: Bradley had a nightmare day. Playing out of position in central defense again, the USMNT veteran was responsible for, or beaten on, all three Crew goals.

Red Bulls 1, Revolution 2 (Final)

The New England Revolution grabbed a huge three points at home on Saturday, downing the New York Red Bulls 2-1 at Gillette Stadium.

Bradley Wright-Phillips put the hosts ahead, scoring in the ninth minute. The veteran striker got on the end of Sean Davis’ cross and did the rest to give the visitors an advantage.

However, Brad Friedel’s men pulled one back in first-half stoppage time as Diego Fagundez slotted in a right-footed effort.

Teal Bunbury put the Revs in front 2-1 for good in the 78th minute as he finished Cristian Penilla’s assist for his eighth goal of the season.

The Red Bulls recorded four shots on goal in the defeat, and are winless in their last two matches. Jesse Marsch’s side next travels to Columbus on June 9th.

For New England they are unbeaten in three straight and face a trip to Chicago also on the 9th.

Man of the Match: Bunbury has had a fine season so far and that continued as he scored the winner.

Moment of the Match: The deciding goal really flipped things in New England’s favor for good as they outplayed their opponents at home

Match to Forget: Wright-Phillips striking partner Derrick Etienne was fairly quiet in the loss, only recording one shot on goal.

Atlanta United 3, Union 1 (Final)

Atlanta United did a little home cooking on Saturday, rolling past the nine men Philadelphia Union 3-1 at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

After a turnover by the Union defense, Josef Martinez was fouled in the box by Auston Trusty which kicked off a wild set of events. As the Union debated the call, Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin were handed straight red cards by referee Sorin Stoica. Martinez knocked home the opening goal after all the chaos to hand Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Julian Gressel struck the post in the final minutes of the first-half, while Andre Blake made four saves to that point.
Martinez added to the hosts lead after a beautiful cross by Miguel Almiron found the striker two yards out, early in the second-half.
Philadelphia however continued to press and their effort was rewarded in the 52nd minute as Fafa Picault finished Warren Creavalle’s assist past Brad Guzan to make it 2-1.
Martinez almost grabbed his hat trick in the 55th minute as he headed off the crossbar. The forward completed his hat trick however in the 83rd minute as he beat Blake to the left corner from the penalty spot.
Brazilian wingback Fabinho was whistled for handball as Stoica used video review and ruled in favor of Atlanta.
The Union see their four match winless run snapped, and return home for a June 8th date against Toronto FC.
Atlanta have some good momentum after this win, before facing off with NYCFC next weekend away from home.
Man of the Match: Martinez led the way with a hat trick, taking his tally to 12 goals this season.
Moment of the Match: The two red cards to Bedoya and Medunjanin in the 19th minute really changed things for both teams. 
Match to Forget: Medunjanin definitely lost his cool after the penalty call and ended up getting sent off due to that.

Impact 1, Dynamo 0 (Final)

The Montreal Impact snapped a four match losing streak on Saturday, edging the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at Stade Saputo.

Jeisson Vargas’ long-range effort in the 44th minute put the Impact ahead on the Dynamo before halftime.

The Chilean picked up a loose ball following a poor clearance by Houston’s DeMarcus Beasley, and beat Joe Willis to the top-left corner for a 1-0 lead.

The goal by Remi Garde’s men snapped their 462 minutes goalless run in the league play.

Houston lacked their normal creative attacking style, recording only one shot on goal of their six in total. Wilmer Cabrera’s side has now lost their third of seven away matches this season.

The Dynamo are in seventh place and host the Colorado Rapids on June 9th.

Montreal are in ninth place and travel to FC Dallas also on the 9th.

Man of the Match: With the game winning assist, Samuel Piette gave the Impact the extra push against the Dynamo. The central midfielder’s ball recovery was crucial in the Impact’s 1-0 win.

Moment of the Match: After intercepting the ball from a bad clearance, Samuel Piette passed forward to Vargas just outside the box. The Chilean broke the Impact’s goalless streak with his fourth of the season.

Match to Forget: Arturo Alvarez proved ineffective for the Dynamo on the right flank. He was swiftly subbed off for Romell Quioto who brought much more punch offensively.

NYCFC 3, Orlando City 0 (Final)

Patrick Vieira’s side grabbed an important three points at home on Saturday, rolling past Orlando City 3-0.

NYCFC had a first-half lead at Yankee Stadium with Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scoring the opener.

Tajouri-Shradi’s finish came on a perfect touch past his man, allowing him to beat Joe Bendik to the near post. The Austrian international has six goals this season for NYCFC.

Just moments into the second half, Orlando City appeared to be right back in it as NYCFC conceded a penalty kick. After Alexander Callens took down Chris Mueller inside of the box, Sacha Kljestan smashed a penalty kick off the right post as the score remained at 1-0.

After some back and forth, NYCFC finally was able to pull away on a late set piece. Tajouri curled in a free kick that may or may not have hit Sebastian Ibeagha and in, giving NYCFC a 2-0 lead with a valuable insurance goal.

NYCFC’s third came in the 87th minute on a finish from Maxi Moralez, but it didn’t come easy. Moralez’s goal came after NYCFC smashed the crossbar twice, including a David Villa bicycle kick that was just high. Moralez then pounced, finishing first time to seal a lopsided win.

Orlando was held to two shots on goal, eventually losing their fourth match in a row. The Lions face a trip to Vancouver on June 9th.

NYCFC bounced back from a tough loss in Houston a week ago and next face Atlanta United at home on the 9th.

Man of the Match: Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was the star of the show, scoring two goals in what was likely his best NYCFC effort yet.

Moment of the Match: NYCFC’s second goal all but ended the game, sealing three good points at home against a good Lions team.

Match to Forget: Sacha Kljestan’s penalty kick was a major turning point, as the midfielder’s shot off the post swung momentum back to NYCFC.

FC Dallas 2, LAFC 1 (Final)

Oscar Pareja’s men snatched their third consecutive win as they held on for a 2-1 result against LAFC.

Dallas took a 1-0 lead at Toyota Stadium through the form of Reto Ziegler. The Swiss defender netted his first MLS goal as a kindly bounce fell to him, allowing him to head into the goal in the 25th minute.

Reggie Cannon’s deflected effort following a free-kick pass from Mauro Diaz allowed Ziegler to net his first since he was with FC Luzern in the Swiss Pro League.

Maxi Urruti had a good chance to add to Dallas’ lead but Tyler Miller made a big save on the in-form Argentine.

After Urruti stuck the post just minutes prior, FC Dallas doubled its lead, as Ryan Hollingshead played in Roland Lamah with a ball from midfield. Lamah danced through a few defenders, caught up with the ball and beat Miller.

Adama Diomande opened his MLS account in the 61st minute, as he finished off a nice one-two with Steven Beitashour to make it 2-1.

Dallas had a perfect opportunity to finish off the game in the 87th minute, but Mauro Diaz skied a shot over the net on the counter.

LAFC’s Jordan Harvey was sent off in the 89th minute after a bad foul on Jacori Hayes. With only three shots on goal, Bob Bradley’s team saw their winless run extend to four matches.

The expansion club travels to San Jose on June 9th, while Dallas hosts Montreal on the same day.

Man of the Match: Although he didn’t score, Mauro Diaz was a constant force in the FC Dallas attack, as he made seven key passes and created plenty of scoring opportunities.

Moment of the Match: Lamah’s 51st-minute goal extended the FC Dallas advantage to two goals, which provided Oscar Pareja’s need with a needed cushion.

Match To Forget: Diego Rossi was held without a shot on goal, and the one shot he took curled well over the net.

Fire 2, Earthquakes 0 (2nd Half)

Following a tough midweek loss to Philadelphia, the Chicago Fire took a first-half lead against San Jose.

36-year-old Alan Gordon headed in Luis Solignac’s cross for his fourth goal of the season. It is the first time since 2012 that Gordon has scored in three consecutive matches.

Aleksandar Katai doubled the Fire’s lead in the 49th minute, finishing Brandt Bronico’s assist into the top-right corner. The former Alaves man has four goals this season.

Real Salt Lake 0, Sounders 0 (Live)

A week after Real Salt Lake went into CenturyLink Field and earned a 1-0 victory, the Claret and Cobalt must defend home field against the Seattle Sounders.

Outside of the 4-1 drubbing it received in Philadelphia, RSL is in good form with three wins in four games, while the Sounders continue to struggle with one victory in their last five.

RSL enters with a 228-minute shutout streak against the Sounders, who last scored in the series by way of Harry Shipp in a 1-0 win on May 20, 2017.

Comments

  1. Clearly no one watched the ATL game…

    ” Alejandro Bedoya and Haris Medunjanin were handed straight red cards by referee Sorin Stoica”

    NOT TRUE

    Bedoya was on a yellow … then received his second yellow after stepping into the penalty area whilst protesting the penalty call related to Austin Trusty coming through the back of Josef’s legs on a challenge in the box. Two Yellows = RED … as soon as Bedoya got his red Haris M. bumped into the ref not once but twice, he was then issued a yellow AND after being pulled away by teammates he cursed and spit in the refs direction … then he received a second yellow and was dismissed. In each case, 2 Yellows = RED. Haris will certainly receive an additional match or two as well as a fine for continuing his dissent and failing to leave the field in a timely manner.

    Reply
  2. the last time we had a foreigner for our national team coach, ending dos a cero was okay with him. losing at crew stadium for the first time was okay with him. leaving our captain landon donovan off our wc roster was okay with him. but that’s okay. with family on two continents, hop a jet back to the homeland, have some saur kraut and a smiling happy day.

    do i sound bitter? well that’s because i am bitter. i want a coach who feels bad when we lose. i want a coach who feels good when our captain plays. i want coach who feels bad when we lose to mexico. i want a coach who feels bad when we lose at home.

    and when i say at home yes i mean in the usa, just to clarify my meaning.

    i want an american coach!

    Reply
  3. “Man of the Match: Bingham was huge for Sigi Schmid’s side, making nine saves in helping the Galaxy to a needed point.” we saw this in seattle a few years ago when kasey keller would stand on his head to keep a poor seattle team in games. it just doesn’t work for very long, does it?

    Reply
  4. i was noticing recently that the red playoff line in the league standings table at the mls website is not red anymore. it’s black.

    now when talking about mls teams are in the playoffs, how do we say it? one mls writer (i think it was weibe) said it this way: such and such mls team is “above the line”.

    Reply

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