MLS Review: Crew edges Fire to top East

Posted Jul 4, 2010 by Nick Murray

Updated Jul 4, 2010 at 10:44 AM

Columbus comes out on top of Chicago, while Dallas continues its push up the standings with victory against Kansas City in Saturday’s action from Major League Soccer.

COLUMBUS 2, CHICAGO 1: The Crew scored two of three goals in four minutes at the end of the first half to take victory and move at least for the moment into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference against the Fire.

Adam Moffat gave the Crew the lead in the 43rd minute, putting away the rebound after Jason Garey had been initially denied. A minute later, Chicago was on even terms, Frankie Hejduk turning a cross into his own net under pressure from Patrick Nyarko, but Columbus regained the lead in stoppage time, Garey heading home from Eddie Gaven’s angled cross.

DALLAS 1, KANSAS CITY 0: David Ferreira scored from the penalty spot to move Dallas into third place in the Western Conference with victory against the Wizards.

Ferreira was himself ruled to have been brought down in the penalty area by Roger Espinoza in the 57th minute, and he sent Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Neilsen the wrong way with his shot from the spot.

PHILADELPHIA 1, CHIVAS USA 1: Honors ended even after a pair of first-half goals at the Home Depot Center allowed the Union to return east with a point.

Philadelphia, in fact, took the lead in the 21st minute as Danny Mwanga latched onto a good flick-on by Sebastian Le Toux before a deft lob past the advancing goalkeeper into the net. The goal was Mwanga’s fifth of the season in his ninth league appearance.

Chivas put the pressure on following that, though, and was rewarded in the 42nd minute when Blair Gavin fired home from the edge of the penalty area after the Union didn’t properly deal with a cross into their penalty area.

D.C. UNITED 1, SAN JOSE 1: An excellent finish by 17-year-old Andy Najar earned a point for D.C. United against the Earthquakes with his second goal of the season.

Defender Ike Okpara had given the Earthquakes the lead, turning and firing home after the initial header at a corner was blocked. Najar tied the game early in the second half, though, coming in at the far post for a volleyed finish from Stephen King’s cross.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

NEW YORK (8-5-0) AT COLORADO (6-3-3): The Rapids will try to regain third place in the Western Conference as the Red Bulls come to town looking for their fourth straight win to allow them to keep pace with Columbus at the top of the Eastern Conference.

New York used a strong second half to defeat Kansas City 3-0 a week ago, Juan Pablo Angel scoring twice to give him eight goals for the season. They could find this road-trip a little tougher, though, as the Rapids have only lost once at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park this season including a 1-0 defeat of Columbus in their last home game.

SEATTLE (4-7-3) AT LOS ANGELES (10-1-3): Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle will be available for the Galaxy after returning from the World Cup, but Coach Bruce Arena may not feel the need to use his stars after the way his team has performed in their absence. The Galaxy didn’t miss a beat, only losing once to Real Salt Lake, during the time the attacking duo was away, their success built on the back of a strong defense that has conceded just four goals in 14 games.

The Sounders are having troubles of their own, falling 3-1 to Philadelphia a week ago after holding a half time lead. Now sitting seventh in the Western Conference, Seattle is still only four points out of a playoff berth, but needs to tighten up a defense that has given up three goals in each of its last two games.