DC United gets back in the win column while the Portland Timbers extended their unbeaten run to 15 straight. All in a weekend of MLS action.
It was a weekend of surprise performances in Major League Soccer as DC United snapped a 13-match winless streak, FC Dallas earned a last-minute draw and Chivas USA played the LA Galaxy tight in defeat.
However, we start in Portland where the Timbers aren’t sneaking up on anyone anymore. Their 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids at JELD-WEN Field extended their unbeaten streak to 15 matches (7-0-8). Will Johnson scored his team-leading sixth goal of the year, Ryan Johnson added his fifth and Rodney Wallace assisted on all three goals in a dominating performance for a team that now sits second in the Western Conference at 7-1-9, but tied with Real Salt Lake on points with 30. Colorado remain behind the Sounders FC in the standings at 5-7-5.
At the newly anointed StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., Gyasi Zardes had a night to remember. The 21-year-old Galaxy rookie scored the only goal as the Galaxy topped Chivas USA 1-0 in the SuperClasico, but he also finished the match with eight shots and three shots on goal, outshooting the entire Chivas squad, who put just one of their six shots on frame. The win put the Galaxy in fourth in the West at 7-6-3 while Chivas dropped to 3-10-2.
At FC Dallas Stadium, Sporting Kansas City roared to a commanding 2-0 lead, but were undone by a red card to CJ Sapong and allowed two goals in the matches final minutes as Dallas earned a 2-2 draw. Kei Kamara posted KC to a 1-0 first-half lead and then an own-goal made it 2-0 in the 57th minute. Sapong was then shown red in the 68th minute when he kicked a ball at a downed Dallas player. Dallas capitalized on that man-advantage, equalizing off of goals by Andrew Jacobson in the 88th minute and Walker Zimmerman in the 90th minute. Dallas is now third in the West at 8-3-5 while Kansas City is fourth in the East at 6-5-5.
San Jose headed east to meet DC United in what has been sure points to teams over the last 13 matches, but that streak came to an end as Chris Pontius netted an 11th minute penalty to lift DC to a 1-0 victory. Bill Hamid made the three saves necessary to get the shutout and DC remains in the bottom spot in the East while improving to 2-11-3, dropping the Earthquakes to 4-7-6 for eighth in the West.
In the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union leapt over the New York Red Bulls with a 3-0 win, getting two goals from Conor Casey to jump to second at 7-5-4. New York is third at 7-6-4. The Dynamo kept it close with a scoreless draw against Toronto FC, sitting two points out of second place in the East at 6-5-5 while Toronto is ninth at 2-7-6. And finally in their second meeting in 10 days, the Chicago Fire scored a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew, improving to 3-0-0 against Columbus across all competitions this year. Mike Magee scored his fourth goal in as many matches for Chicago, simultaneously leading the Fire and the LA Galaxy in goals after coming over in a trade last month.
