MLS Week 23: Fired up!

The Chicago Fire put one by Columbus to gain control of the final playoff spot with seven matches to play, while Houston managed to stay on course, despite a late surge from RSL. DC United remained on top by quelling the Revolution, while Denilson got on the MLS scoring table and LA got off the snide in week 23.

SEPT. 9
New England 2-4 DC United
United scored three goals in the second half and defeated Eastern rivals New England 4-2 at RFK Stadium on Sunday. After Fred scored his sixth goal of the year in the 31st minute, Taylor Twellman equalized right before halftime, chesting down a Khano Smith cross before blasting it past Perkins. Then, defender Jay Heaps managed a rare appearance on the scorer's sheet (its been two years in fact) with a 54th minute "goal" to put the Revs ahead. The quotes denote the strangeness of the play which began on a Steve Ralston corner and had referee Abbey Okulaja conferring with his assistant on whether the ball ever crossed the line. But following that strange score, DC began an avalanche of offense started with Jaime Moreno's 59th minute double-rebounded chip over Matt Reis, followed by a brace by Luciano Emilio, who now leads all scorers in MLS with 18 goals. Emilio's first goal (68th minute) came after a scrum in the box that the Brazilian managed to take advantage of to latch onto a deflection. The second was a header delivering a Brian Carroll cross past the helpless Reis.
Full Match Recap

New York 0-3 Chivas USA
Maykel Galindo is making a strong case for the MLS best newcomer award, as Chivas USA defeated New York 3-0, thanks to a brace by the Cuban forward and an Ante Razov PK. With goals on either side of halftime, Galindo helped Chivas USA leapfrog Dallas in the standings, as we near the home-stretch. Chivas have a single point lead over FC Dallas in the West, with a game in hand. The Red Bulls, on the other hand, are headed the other direction and will have to look over their shoulders for Kansas City or even Chicago.
MLS match tracker

SEPT.8
Chicago 1-0 Columbus
An ugly night for Columbus: both Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Rusty Pierce left early with injuries, lightning stalled the match for 32 minutes and the Crew were unable to convert on numerous chances. A couple of new Fire players, however, combined to grab three points for the Fire. Chicago's Paulo Wanchope converted his second goal of his MLS career in the 65th minute, converting a Wilman Conde through ball. With the win the Fire leapfrog Columbus and now sit in the final playoff spot with seven matches to go.
Full Match Recap

Real Salt Lake 3-4 Houston Dynamo
Houston never trailed, but needed every goal of a Nate Jaqua hat trick to fend off a late run by Real Salt Lake. Jaqua opened the scoring in the 6th minute, finishing a Corey Ashe cross, but RSL's new addition Fabian Espindola equalized just 12 minutes later. The Argentinean took the ball from Richard Mulrooney and fired a tight-angled shot from the left of goal, off the far post and in. Then, the ending Cup champions took over, as Eddie Robinson headed in a Mulrooney free kick before halftime and then Jaqua completed his hat trick in the 48th and 57th minutes. RSL kept battling, however, and Carey Talley scored in the 69th minute, before Kyle Brown added RSL's third goal in the 82nd, making the final eight minutes a bit hectic for Houston. The win keeps the Dynamo on top in the West and two points behind DC in the Supporter's Shield race with five matches to play.
Full Match Recap

Toronto 0-2 FC Dallas
Denilson opened his MLS scoring account, as FC Dallas cruised past struggling Toronto on the back of two penalties kicks. A nudge from behind by Reds defender Tyrone Marshall on Abe Thompson, drew a penalty and Denilson stepped up and but it off the the left stick and in for the 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. Dallas was awared their second PK after Toronto's Joey Melo took down Dominic Oduro in the 8th minute. This time, Thompson stepped up to convert the PK. Juan Toja made his second consecutive start after coming back from injury, but still didn't appear at full strength.
Full Match Recap

Colorado 1-3 Los Angeles
Call it the hot-seat derby (LA's Frank Yallop and Colorado's Fernando Clavijo). This match proved the old adage "even the sun shines on a dog's ass occasionally," as the Galaxy scored three unanswered goals to get their first MLS win since July. Peter Vagenas played a Beckham-like long ball over the top of the Rapids defense to Alan Gordon in the 46th minute. Edson Buddle added a second, chipping back-up keeper Zach Thornton in the 63rd minute. But the injuries continued for LA, as both Gordon and Buddle were forced to leave the match with injuries. LA midfielder Kyle Martino finished a Chris Klein cross to make it 3-0 in the 70th minte. Former RSL-midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy banged home a rebound to give Colorado a concilation goal in the 89th minute.
Full Match Recap

SEPT.6
DC United 2-2 Chivas USA
The two hottest teams in MLS met in Carson, Cailf., and it looked like it was going to be all DC United, as Luciano Emilio's brace put United securely in the driver's seat, but a mistake by 'keeper Troy Perkins opened the door for Chivas. Emilio's first goal came just three minutes in (ESPN wasn't even broadcasting the match yet), as the Brazilian hammered home a nicely played through ball from Jaime Moreno. Emilio's second goal, in the 26th minute, was simply clean-up duty, after a deflection from a Moreno shot. But Chivas stormed back after Ante Razov managed to block Perkins' clearance past the United keeper and into the net. The equalizer was courtesy of defender Lawson Vaughn, his first professional goal. Sacha Kljestan crossed from the endline to Vaughn, whose low, hard shot deflected off Clyde Simms and into the net.
Full Match Recap.