The race for first place in the Eastern Conference grew much tighter after Sunday’s action, with Toronto FC halting the first-place Columbus Crew’s hot streak and making it a close three-team face for the top spot.
Greg Vanney’s side ended the Crew’s six-match unbeaten run after a 3-1 victory at Rentschler Field. Jozy Altidore, Alejandro Pozuelo, and Richie Laryea all got on the scoresheet in a victory that now sees TFC two points back of first place.
The Philadelphia Union rebounded from a midweek draw in Cincinnati by blanking Inter Miami 3-0. Anthony Fontana continued his good run of form for Jim Curtin’s side while Kacper Przybylko recorded two assists. The Union are tied on points with TFC, and also sit two points behind the Crew.
Elsewhere, the New York Red Bulls rolled to a home win over the Montreal Impact while the New England Revolution used a pair of late goals to down D.C. United at Audi Field. The Chicago Fire also stayed perfect at home this week, blanking Atlanta United.
Here is a closer look at Sunday’s MLS results:
D.C. United 0, Revolution 2
(Bou 86′, Buksa 90′)
The New England Revolution made it back to back victories on Sunday night after a late and dramatic 2-0 win over D.C. United.
With both teams nearing the final minutes, it was Bruce Arena’s side who claimed the three points. Gustavo Bou’s right-footed finish in the 85th minute broke the deadlock before Adam Buksa capped off the win in the 89th minute after coming off the bench.
Matt Turner made three saves for the Revs to preserve the clean sheet, while Bill Hamid made one for D.C.
D.C. United remains at Audi Field for a Saturday showdown with Atlanta United while New England hosts Nashville on the same night.
Man of the Match
DeJuan Jones: The Revolution left back excelled defensively, winning 10 of his 15 duels and providing six recoveries. Jones helped limit the D.C. attack, which only recorded three shots on goal.
Moment of the Match
Buksa’s insurance goal: Moments after taking the lead, New England slammed the door shut on D.C. with an insurance goal before stoppage time. Buksa providing a spark off the bench and made the most of it with a goal.
Match to Forget
Yamil Asad: Asad was poor on the night, failing to register a shot on goal in his 81-minute shift. The Argentine was kept in check by the New England defense, seeing his dismal season continue.
Union 3, Inter Miami 0
(Fontana 25′, Ilsinho 69′, Aaronson 90+6′)
This was not the MLS debut Gonzalo Higuain was hoping for.
Goals on each side of halftime and combined with a missed Higuain penalty kick gave the Philadelphia Union a 3-0 victory over Inter Miami in a rainy affair played at Subaru Park. Higuain had a chance to trim the deficit in the second half after Anthony Fontana and Ilsinho found the back of the net, but he sent his shot from 12 yards out wide of the mark.
Fontana claimed the lead for the Union in the 25th minute. A poor pass from Inter Miami midfielder Victor Ulloa was intercepted on the play, and led to Fontana finishing with authority at the near post.
Ilsinho doubled the lead with a 69th-minute tap-in after the Union strung together a nice attacking sequence that left Inter Miami’s defense scrambling.
Higuain had a chance to pull Inter Miami back a few minutes later after Video Review awarded Inter Miami a penalty kick because of a handball, but the Argentine striker missed the target.
The Union added a late insurance goal in stoppage time, with Brenden Aaronson finishing well after Dylan Nealis was stripped of the ball deep in Inter Miami’s half.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Brenden Aaronson. The Union’s midfield bossed that of Inter Miami, and Aaronson played a big part in that. His goal in the 96th minute capped a strong individual showing.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Higuain’s Howler: The most talked about play in this one will be Higuain’s missed penalty kick. With a golden chance to bring Inter Miami back into the game, the forward misfired on his 77th-minute attempt from the spot.
MATCH TO FORGET
Victor Ulloa. The Inter Miami veteran turned the ball over cheaply with a poor pass that led to the Union’s game-winning goal in the first half, and did not do many things well in the center of the park.
Red Bulls 4, Impact 1
(Barlow 14′, 35′, Royer 56′, Kaku 57′) – (Krkic 4′)
The New York Red Bulls fell down early at Red Bull Arena, but eventually rolled to another Eastern Conference win.
Three different goalscorers contributed goals for the hosts in a 4-1 thumping of the Montreal Impact. Tom Barlow led the way with two in the opening half.
After Bojan Krkic’s screamer put the Impact in front early, the Red Bulls hit back with Barlow scoring 21 minutes apart. The striker’s first came in the 14th minute after Mandela Egbo’s cross was taken off the chest by Barlow before sliding a shot past Clement Diop.
Barlow was at it again in the 35th minute, tapping home a back-heel pass from Daniel Royer into an empty net. Royer extended the Red Bulls advantage in the 56th minute after turning and ripping a shot into the top corner past Diop.
Kaku capped the final score at 4-1 with a left-footed shot into the top corner, finishing off a counter attack by the Red Bulls.
The Red Bulls travels to Orlando City next on Oct. 3rd while Montreal aims to end a four-match losing streak vs. Chicago on the same afternoon.
Man of the Match
Daniel Royer: Royer scored the third Red Bulls goal while also adding two assists on the night. The Austrian was in good form for his entire performance and will need to continue doing so for the Red Bulls to continue moving up the East table.
Moment of the Match
Royer’s goal: The Impact were still alive at 2-1, but Royer’s goal gave the Red Bulls a two-goal cushion before Kaku added a fourth for the club minutes later.
Match to Forget
Zachary Brault-Guillard: The young right back has showed promising signs this season, but he was undone several times by Red Bulls attackers. He lost 10 duels and also lost three aerial battles, but should learn from this to improve going forward.
Toronto FC 3, Crew 1
TFC was far from Toronto on Sunday night, but still made the most of their new temporary home, beating the Columbus Crew in East Hartford, Connecticut, and halting the East-leading Crew’s six match unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory.
TFC shook off an early Chris Mavinga own-goal with an impressive second-half flourish, with Richie Laryea leading the way, setting up a pair of goals by Jozy Altidore and Alejandro Pozuelo before his own excellent finish to secure the three points.
Altidore delivered the equalizer with a well-struck shot from the top of the penalty area in the 48th minute.
Pozuelo also scored from the area near the penalty arc, receiving a pass from Laryea before stroking a shot past Eloy Room in the 59th minute from 20 yards out.
Laryea capped the win by dribbling past Milton Valenzuela before beating Room with a tight-angled shot.
TFC returns to action on Saturday in East Hartford with a ‘home’ match against the Philadelphia Union. The Crew travel to Texas to take on FC Dallas on Saturday.
Man of the Match
Richie Laryea was unstoppable in the second half, torching the left side of the Crew defense and helping set up TFC’s first two goals before his own excellent finish (and he could have scored another if not for an excellent save).
Moment of the Match
Jozy Altidore’s equalizer was a quality finish and helped set the tone for TFC’s dominant second half.
Match to Forget
Milton Valenzuela came into the match after Hector Jimenez struggled to deal with Larya, and Valenzuela didn’t fair any better. He was unable to close down Laryea on his assist of Pozuelo’s go-ahead goal, and was torched on Laryea’s solo effort.
Fire 2, Atlanta United 0
(Herbers 7′, Beric 39′)
The Chicago Fire are creeping ever closer to a playoff spot at the right time of the league season.
Raphael Wicky’s side picked up its second victory in a week after a 2-0 triumph over Atlanta United. It was also the Fire’s second consecutive win over the Five Stripes this season.
Fabian Herbers continued his strong play at Soldier Field, needing only seven minutes to break the deadlock. The German picked up a pass from Gaston Gimenez and hit a low drive past Brad Guzan for his second goal this week.
The Fire continued to put pressure on Atlanta’s backline and got its insurance goal in the 39th minute. Djordje Mihailovic snuck a pass to Robert Beric, who curled a shot past Guzan for the final nail in the coffin.
Bobby Shuttlesworth made five saves for the Fire, who moved to 10th in the East after the win. The Fire face the Montreal Impact next at Red Bull Arena while Atlanta will look to rebound at D.C. United.
Man of the Match
Fabian Herbers: Fabian Herbers has been sensational at Soldier Field this season and the veteran put in another strong shift on Sunday. He completed 86% of his passes, scored the opening goal, and did well defensively in helping preserve the shutout win.
Moment of the Match
Robert Beric’s goal: The Chicago Fire iced the win early vs. Atlanta with Robert Beric scoring the insurance goal. Atlanta United had some chances to get back into it, but was always going to find it tough down two at halftime.
Match to Forget
Brad Guzan: The veteran goalkeeper saw the opening goal squeak past him before allowing a second goal of the half. It wasn’t Guzan’s best outing this season for the Five Stripes.
Minnesota United 0, Real Salt Lake 0
Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake combined for 11 shots on goal, but ultimately had to settle for one point apiece.
It was the hosts who had the better looks on the night, forcing Andrew Putna into seven saves. Emanuel Reynoso and Kei Kamara had the best looks for the Loons, but Putna stole the show for RSL.
Dayne St. Clair also made four saves for the Loons to preserve the clean sheet, in a match that Adrian Heath might look back and be disappointed his side didn’t earn more.
Man of the Match
Putna: Putna stole the show for RSL, helping seven saves to earn his side a point on the road.
Moment of the Match
Minnesota United had a great look late in the match to steal all three points, but Bakaye Dibassy’s header struck the left post. It added to more frustration on the night for the Loons.
Match to Forget
Albert Rusnak: Out of all of the RSL attackers, Albert Rusnak was the most surprising. Rusnak only had one shot on goal despite playing the full 90 minutes.
FC Dallas 0, Orlando City 0
Oscar Pareja’s first match at his old stomping grounds in Frisco, Texas saw the former FC Dallas coach lead his Orlando City Lions to a hard-earned road point on Sunday night.
Orlando City pushed its unbeaten run to nine straight matches, with Pedro Gallese making four saves in the shutout on a day when the Lions produced the more dangerous chances, but failed to find the net.
The draw did cause Orlando City to drop from second place to fourth place in the East, just four points ahead of fifth-place New England.
Orlando City returns to action on Saturday at home against the New York Red Bulls, while FC Dallas plays host to the Columbus Crew.
Man of the Match
Jimmy Maurer made three saves for the shutout, with his two second-half stops denying a pair of dangerous Orlando City chances.
Moment of the Match
Maurer’s save on Junior Urso in the 80th minute was a vital stop and his toughest of the night.
Match to Forget
Tesho Akindele had a very quiet night, mustering just one shot in his 63 minutes of action.
Whitecaps 0, Timbers 1
(Mora 5′)
Galaxy 1, Sounders 3
(Lletget 88′) – (Roldan 12′, Morris 38′, Roldan 61′)
Jordan Morris continued his terrific campaign on Sunday night, delivering an assist and goal in the Seattle Sounders 3-1 road victory over the struggling LA Galaxy.
With the victory, the Sounders (7-3-3, 24 points) remained in first place in the Western Conference, tied with the Portland Timbers on points but enjoying a game in hand. The Sounders piled on the goals despite losing star striker Raul Ruidiaz to a one-game league suspension for violent conduct.
The Galaxy (4-6-3, 13 points) have now lost three straight, are winless in four, and sit in second-to-last place in the West.
The hosts were undone by a questionable game plan and shoddy execution, defending with a ragged high line and leaving the Sounders ample space on the ball to pick out passes behind. It took just 12 minutes before Nouhou found Morris streaking past the Galaxy back line near midfield. Morris thundered downfield and eventually found Roldan at the far post for an easy tap-in and the 1-0 lead.
Morris doubled the lead seven minutes before halftime, running onto a long and beautifully weighted Nicolas Lodeiro through-ball and slotting a shot past goalkeeper David Bingham for the 2-0 lead.
Roldan added the Sounders’ third and final goal of the night in the 61st minute, tracking down a Joao Paulo pass into acres of space and finding himself one-on-one against Bingham from 40 yards out. The 25-year-old-midfielder charged into the penalty area sent a fine chip over a helpless Bingham.
Sebastian Lletget scored an 88th minute header off a Rolf Feltscher cross to help the hosts avoid the shutout.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Cristian Roldan. With defensive midfielder Gustav Svensson returning from international duty and in quarantine, Roldan found himself starting back at right midfield, a place where he is less happy and usually looks less at home. The USMNT midfielder shined on Sunday though, exploiting some reckless defending and getting forward far more than usual.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Threatening moments from the hosts were few and far between, but Stefan Frei came up with a big save in the 65th minute to deny Cristian Pavon and preserve the three-goal lead.
MATCH TO FORGET
Julian Araujo. Caught completely napping on the Sounders’ first goal, standing still as Morris sprinted downfield. He also drew a yellow card that will earn him a one-match suspension just after returning from a recent red card.
LAFC 1, Earthquakes 2
(Kaye 45′) (Salinas 80′, Yueill 90+3′)
The Earthquakes entered Sunday night’s visit to Los Angeles as heavy underdogs after their repeated defensive meltdowns, and given Los Angeles FC’s firepower, but Matias Almeyda’s men rallied for a late win that put a stunning end to a busy Sunday in MLS.
Jackson Yueill’s stoppage-time winner helped the Earthquakes snap a nine-match winless slide, and a five-match losing skid against LAFC, which paid the price for not generating more chances on a day when the Earthquakes produced eight shots on goal to LAFC’s three.
Mark Anthony-Kaye opened the scoring just before halftime when he converted a Bradley Wright-Phillips pass with a low left-footed shot, but that was all the home team could manage as San Jose’s relentless defending kept LAFC from finding any sort of rhythm.
Shea Salinas sparked the comeback in the 80th minute when he maneuvered past Dejan Jakovic to beat Pablo Sisniega with a right-footed shot from 12 yards out to tie the match.
The Earthquakes found a game-winner in the dying seconds, when Cristian Espinoza dribbled around Jakovic and Diego Palacios before picking out a streaking Jackson Yueill, who streaked into the six-yard box and redirected the pass into the net to secure the Earthquakes first-ever win against LAFC.
Man of the Match
Cristian Espinoza helped set up both goals, and his individual effort to set up the Yueill winner was a moment of brilliance in a match that had few of them.
Moment of the Match
Brian Rodriguez had a clear look at goal in the 80th minute off a perfect lay-off pass from Kaye, but he scuffed a weak shot at Daniel Vega and just 35 seconds later Salinas went down the other end of the field to net the equalizer.
Match to Forget
Dejan Jakovic was turned on the Salinas equalizer, then beaten by Espinoza in the build-up to the winner.