Red Bulls ruin De Rosario’s party
Dwayne de Ropsario, here posing with the Atlantic Cup, scored his 100th MLS goal
WASHINGTON, DC ● D.C. United were minutes away from celebrating victory thanks to Dwayne De Rosario’s 100th regular-season goal.
But Wilman Conde’s majestic strike in the 88th minute spoiled the party and secured a 2-2 draw for the New York Red Bulls at RFK Stadium on Wednesday night.
United captain De Rosario netted his historic goal and would-be winner in the 68th minute on an athletic header. Nick DeLeon’s fantastic service from just beyond midfield allowed the Canadian international to time his run and jump to head the ball past closing Red Bulls goalkeeper Bill Gaudette and the chasing Markus Holgersson.
DeRo became just the seventh player in MLS history with 100 regular-season goals.
But after pushing up the field in the late going, the Red Bulls had the last laugh two minutes from time off a corner kick. D.C.’s Perry Kitchen attempted to clear Dax McCarty’s cross, but the ball fell at the top of the area for Conde.
The Colombian defender – celebrating his 30th birthday – promptly blasted a laser past United ‘keeper Bill Hamid and stunned the RFK faithful with his first goal in a Red Bulls uniform.
The result extends New York’s unbeaten streak to four straight and keeps the Red Bulls (13-7-7, 46 points) in second place in the Eastern Conference. Still, the Red Bulls haven’t won in eight attempts away from Red Bull Arena.
D.C. United (12-9-5, 41 points), meanwhile, tied for the second time in four matches and haven’t lost at RFK in 13 matches, which ties the club record set in 2007.
They pulled even with Chicago for fourth in the East and secure the Atlantic Cup back from their archrivals for the first time in three years (the teams were even with a 1-1-1 record this season, but D.C. win the cup on aggregate goals, 8-6).
Chivas USA partners gain sole control of team
Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes of Mexico have bought out former partners Antonio and Lorenzo Cue, giving Vergara and Fuentes sole control of Major League Soccer club Chivas USA.
The team said Wednesday that Vergara and Fuentes acquired the remaining 50 percent of the club from their former partners. The Cue brothers had been day-to-day operators of the club. Vergara and Fuentes had owned 50 percent of the team since its creation in 2004.
Since 2002, Vergara and Fuentes have controlled Chivas Guadalajara.
Joel Lindpere and DeLeon opened the scoring in rapid succession in the first half, finding the net just two minutes apart. Lindpere snuck behind D.C.’s right side in the 19th minute and ran onto a creative one-touch ball from Thierry Henry to beat Hamid on the short side for his fourth strike of the season.
But DeLeon answered with a lovely volley in the 21st minute off a chip over the top from De Rosario. The rookie’s touch bounced into the corner past Gaudette for the midfielder’s fifth of the season. The assist was De Rosario’s 12th, pulling him even for second in the league.
D.C. conclude their stretch of five matches in two weeks on Saturday with a trip to Real Salt Lake. New York, meanwhile, are off until Sept. 15, when they host Columbus.
CHIVAS USA 3, REVOLUTION 3
Shalrie Joseph scored two first-half goals in his return to Gillette Stadium and helped lead Chivas USA to a draw with New England.
Joseph, sent by New England to Chivas USA (7-10-7) on Aug. 1., scored in the 23rd and 45th minutes against the team he played nearly 10 seasons (2003-12) for and Miller Bolanos scored in the 47th minute.
Saer Sene had two scores and the Revolution (6-14-6) benefited from an own goal in the 11th minute. The draw extended New England’s winless streak to a franchise record-tying nine matches (0-7-2).
CREW 2, UNION 1
Eddie Gaven scored near the end of five minutes of stoppage time, lifting short-handed Columbus past Philadelphia.
Josh Williams got his first MLS goal in the 41st minute for Columbus (11-8-6), which won its third staight and extended its unbeaten streak to 3-0-2.
Carlos Valdes scored in the 29th minute as Philadelphia (7-13-4) dropped to 0-3-2 in its last five matches. The Union haven’t won since beating New England on July 29.
Gaven scored from about five yards out to give the Crew the win.
