July 4, 2009 MLS ROUNDUP Tight race in the MLS East
Wilman Conde had a hand in both goals for the Fire against Colorado. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
DC UNITED 1, COLUMBUS CREW 1
COLUMBUS, Ohio—DC United maintained their slim lead in the MLS East on Saturday, holding on for a 1-1 draw with the second-place Columbus Crew at Coumbus Crew Stadium.
United’s Christian Gomez opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, after Crew netminder Will Hesmer blocked Ange N’Silu’s hard shot back into play. Clyde Sims collected the rebound well out on the right, and crossed back in for Chris Pontius on the far post side. Pontius tapped the ball back to Gomez for the finish.
Alejandro Moreno equalized for Columbus in the 59th minute, left-footing Steve Lenhart’s flick header into the net from close range.
Hesmer kept Columbus in the game, making 10 saves to defuse DC’s 11-3 advantage in shots on goal.
United improves to 5-3-9, with 24 points, one more than the Crew (5-3-8).
CHICAGO FIRE 2, COLORADO RAPIDS 1
COMMERCE CITY, Colo-- The Chicago Fire snapped a three game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Saturday.
The Fire controlled the game for much of the first half, and made it pay off with goals from Marco Pappa and Wilman Conde, then played tight defense for most of the second half before allowing a goal by Jacob Peterson.
Pappa put Chicago on the board in the 30th minute. Conde sent a ball into the penalty area that Brian McBride beautifully chested down into the path of Baggio Husidic. The UIC product sent a ball from the far side to Pappa, who finished into the corner for his fifth goal of the season.
Just eight minutes later, Blanco sent a corner kick from the near side across the mouth of the goal. Conde got in front of his defender at the edge of the six-yard box and put a header into the corner.
Colorado finally broke through in the 76th minute. Mehdi Ballouchy took a free kick from the near side. Casey managed to get up in traffic and get his head on it, sending a hard spinning ball toward the inside of the post. Busch dove to get a hand on it and managed to keep the ball from crossing the goal line. The Fire goalkeeper could not hold onto the ball however, and Peterson poked it into the net.
HOUSTON DYNAMO 1, KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 0
KANSAS CITY, Kan—Kei Kamara’s 18th-minute header gave the Houston Dynamo a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Wizards Saturday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Mike Chabala relayed Corey Ashe’s long service to Kamara to record the first assist of his MLS career. Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad made three saves, and got some help from the crossbar in the 83rd minute, to post his league-leading eighth shutout of the season.
The game was a nail-biter into the closing seconds, when KC’s Claudio Lopez missed by inches with a 19-yard free kick.
The Dynamo improve their MLS-best record to 9-3-4 (31 points), while the Wizards fall to 5-6-4.
LA GALAXY 1, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 0
CARSON, Calif.—Alecko Eskandarian celebrated his LA Galaxy debut by scoring the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 1-0 win over the New England Revolution at the Home Depot Center.
Eskandarian, acquired from Chivas USA earlier in the week, beat Wells Thompson – playing in the unfamiliar role of left back – to Todd Dunivant’s diagonal ball through the box and finished with a right-footed volley past unprotected goalkeeper Matt Reis.
Neither team was at full strength. Galaxy scoring leader Landon Donovan sat out the match after his return from the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa and starting goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is with the Jamaican Gold Cup team, but the Revolution definitely had the worst of the personnel woes. Scoring leaders Shalrie Joseph (5 goals) and Steve Ralston (4 goals) are both on the injured list, as were perennial star Taylor Twellman (DL) and set-piece specialist Mauricio Castro. Emmanuel Osei was suspended for accumulated yellow cards, and defensive anchor Jay Heaps is with the U.S. National Team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The loss was New England’s first in 10 games versus the Galaxy, and keeps the Revs mired in sixth place in the MLS East with 16 points (4-4-5). The Galaxy have won two straight and are in the middle of the Western Conference pack at 4-3-9 (21 pts).
