THE CANADIAN PRESS
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Conor Casey moved into a tie for the MLS goal-scoring lead with a penalty kick in the 58th minute, lifting the Colorado Rapids into a 1-1 tie with the New England Revolution on Saturday night.
With Colorado (10-8-10) trailing, Casey tied it with his 16th goal after Omar Cummings was taken down in the scoring area. The Rapids star is tied with Dallas’ Jeff Cunningham for the league goal-scoring lead.
It was the fourth consecutive deadlock for Colorado, which has 40 points and remains in the running for a playoff spot
Kheli Dube scored for New England (10-9-8), winless in its last four games.
The Rapids are 5-0-3 at home against the Revolution since 2002.
Colorado goalkeeper Preston Burpo got the start for Matt Pickens, who missed his fifth consecutive game with a knee injury. Burpo is 1-2-6 in his last nine games and hasn’t won since a 3-2 victory at Los Angeles on April 4 in his first start of the season.
Dube’s eighth goal of the season opened the scoring in the 29th minute. Darrius Barnes sent a free kick toward the front of the crease and Dube put a header into the back of the net.
The Revolution, who lost 1-0 on Wednesday in Dallas, hadn’t scored since the 87th minute of a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Sept. 26.
Two minutes after Dube’s tally, New England goalkeeper Matt Reis dove to swat away a shot by Nick LaBrocca. Burpo then made a diving save of a shot by Nico Colaluca in the 43rd minute.
Both teams had scoring chances late. Cummings hit the crossbar in the 88th minute, and New England’s Kevin Alston sent a wild shot well over the crossbar in injury time.
Colorado defender Julien Baudet was issued a red card in the 60th minute.
Kocic’s own goal helps Chivas USA beat United 2-0
WASHINGTON — Chivas USA used D.C. United’s own goal in the first half to stay alive in the playoff hunt with a 2-0 victory Saturday evening, while struggling United’s post-season hopes dimmed.
Maicon Santos set up the winning goal in the 33rd minute, when Chivas (12-9-5) capitalized on a miscue by United goalkeeper Milos Kocic, who was making just his third career start. Jesus Padilla added to the lead in the 53rd minute.
Zach Thornton made two saves in his 11th shutout of the season as Chivas moved into a tie with Seattle for the first of four wild-card playoff spots with four matches remaining.
United (8-8-12) fell behind when Sacha Klijestan lobbed a ball into the box to Santos, who tangled loose from several D.C. defenders and fired a shot from 15 yards. It ricocheted off the goal post, and when Kocic tried to make a play, it bounced off his back. When Kocic turned around, the ball had trickled across the goal-line.
After winning their first 11 games at RFK Stadium, United have dropped their last three, including a 2-1 loss to lowly San Jose on Sept. 27. United trail New England for the fourth wild-card spot with two matches left.
Kocic was elevated to the starting position after the San Jose match, in which usual starting goalkeeper Josh Wicks sustained season-ending shoulder and knee injuries.
Kocic’s own goal helps Chivas USA beat United 2-0
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Roger Levesque scored and the Seattle Sounders ended the Columbus Crew’s 24-game home unbeaten streak with a 1-0 victory Saturday night.
The Crew had an opportunity to extend its MLS-record streak late in the game, but 2008 MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s penalty kick in the 84th minute was wide left. Columbus was awarded the penalty after Sounders defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado used both hands to push down Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven from behind near the end-line.
Levesque’s first career goal came in the 36th minute. Midfielder Brad Evans sent a through ball to Fredy Montero near the penalty spot that Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer intercepted. Hesmer was unable to hold on to the ball and it fell to Levesque, who was left with a tap-in into an open goalmouth.
Levesque made his second career start and was playing in place of Nate Jaqua, who was suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.
Columbus (12-5-10) had not been beaten at home in 22 straight regular-season games, in addition to two playoff matches last season.
Seattle (10-7-11) defender Tyrone Marshall made an acrobatic play on the goal line in the 71st minute, flipping backwards to redirect Steven Lenhart’s header away from an open goal to preserve the Sounders’ lead.
Moments later, Osvaldo Alonso nearly doubled the lead for Seattle when his long-range shot caromed off the right goalpost and hit Hesmer in the back, deflecting it toward the goal. But the ball’s spin caused it to take an improbable bounce and reverse direction on the goal-line.
.Kasey Keller made the game’s best save in the 80th minute when he dove to his right to keep out Brian Carroll’s blistering 21-yard shot.
Crew defender Danny O’Rourke was carded in the 62nd minute and will miss the team’s game against at New England on Oct. 10 due to yellow-card accumulation.
The game marked the return to Crew Stadium of Seattle coach Sigi Schmid, who led Columbus to its first MLS Cup championship last season.
Earthquakes avoid elimination by beating Red Bulls
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Ryan Johnson converted a first-half penalty kick for his team-leading 10th goal of the season as the San Jose Earthquakes avoided mathematical elimination from the MLS playoff chase with a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.
The Earthquakes (7-12-7), who have the most games remaining of any MLS team, must win all four of their remaining matches and receive plenty of help to sneak into the post-season.
The loss cemented New York’s slide from MLS Cup finalist last season to the league’s last-place finisher this year. The Red Bulls (4-18-6) had their league-record, regular-season road winless streak extended to 26 games. New York is 0-19-7 away from home since a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles on May 10, 2008.
San Jose forward Arturo Alvarez, whose low drive in the 21st minute was turned aside by diving Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul, drew a penalty kick three minutes later.
Alvarez held the ball wide on the right wing before splitting Red Bulls defenders Jeremy Hall and Mike Petke. Hall clipped Alvarez from behind to give the Quakes their fifth penalty kick of the season.
.Johnson hammered a left-footed shot to his right post, in the opposite direction of Coundoul’s lunge, and became the first Quakes player to reach double digits in goals since Brian Ching scored 12 in 2004.
Although San Jose’s defence has allowed the most goals per game of any MLS club, New York’s league-worst offence could not generate much of a pulse.
Juan Pablo Angel, New York’s top goal-scorer, got free for a 20-yard blast in the 51st minute, but San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon made a right-handed save to neutralize the threat. Cannon also punched away a dangerous header from Andrew Boyens in the 87th minute.