Major League Soccer

Revs Draw With Portland As SKC Extends Lead At Top Of Eastern Conference

MLS LogoCharlie Davies scored his second goal in as many games as the New England Revolution were held at home by the Portand Timbers while elsewhere in MLS, Sporting Kansas City opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference as they cruised to a 4-1 win over Toronto FC.

Both teams came into the match at Gillette on the wrong side of the playoff standings, and it looked like it was going to be the Revolutions’s night when in the 27th minute Davies ran onto a Diego Fagundez through ball to make it 1-0.

In a game that Portland dominated, Liam Ridgewell tied things up in the second half, and it was not for a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping by Bobby Shuttleworth, Portland should have win this match comfortably. Which was something that Timbers coach Caleb Porter pointed out afterwards saying:

I don’t think we’re happy with a point, but I don’t think we’re disappointed either because at the end of the day, we came back from behind. I think our effort in the second half was very good, we had chances to win the game – that’s probably the biggest disappointment.

Elsewhere in MLS, A pair of Dom Dwyer penalties had Sporting 2-0 up before Junior Gilberto grabbed a goal back for the Canadian outfit on the stroke of half time. But second-half goals from Soony Saad and C.J Sapong assured the points would be staying in the States.

The Columbus Crew were also 4-1 winners as they saw off the Los Angeles Galaxy in Ohio. Justin Meram and Ethan Finlay had the Crew 2-0 up at the break but Gyasi Zardes pulled the Galaxy back into it before two goals in nine minutes from Ben Speas and Giancarlo Gonzalez sealed the win.

Italian veteran Marco Di Vaio scored the only goal six minutes from time as the Montreal Impact claimed just a fourth win of the season against the Chicago Fire.

Western Conference leaders Real Salt Lake made it six games unbeaten with a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders. Joao Plata broke the deadlock after 53 minutes and just four minutes later Osvaldo Alonso put through his own net to extend the lead. Chad Barrett grabbed a goal back for the Sounders but they could not find an equaliser.

Tesho Akindele scored a hat-trick for FC Dallas as they romped to a 5-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes. Fabian Castillo opened the scoring before Akindele added a brace and Castillo then got his second with Akindele grabbing the fifth..

In the day’s other game, Chivas USA drew 0-0 with the Vancouver Whitecaps.