Two MLS clubs secured ugly but important points on the road against tough opponents Saturday night.
Colorado became the first visiting club this season to score four goals at Saputo Stadium, with Tony Cascio scoring the winner six minutes into stoppage time with literally nothing left on the clock. It’s the first time Montreal have been beaten at home, and just the second time all season they’ve dropped points at their fortress.
The Rapids came back from a one-goal deficit twice to equalize before Cascio’s deflected shot found the back of the net for the win.
Montreal will rue allowing Colorado back in. They only have themselves to blame, with a complete failure to mark properly on Chris Klute’s cross as the Rapids made it 3-3. Then, the choke was complete as Klute made a successful tackle in his own half and brought the ball all the way up to the box. His cross to Deshorn Brown was well defended but not cleared, and both defenders covering Cascio couldn’t keep the shot off net.
Montreal have a semi-comfortable four-point lead atop the Eastern Conference, but the potential win would have put them far and away in the conference drivers seat. The three points go to Colorado instead, who jump Seattle for sixth and are just a point back of the Galaxy in the final playoff spot. It’s a bit early to table-watch, but the Rapids have appeared to put themselves in a good spot going forward.
For FC Dallas, they will take the draw but can no doubt be furious with the assistant referee for possibly denying them all three points. The Red Stripes thought they found an equalizer late in stoppage time as Blas Perez beat the Philadelphia keeper Zac MacMath with a trickling volley, but Sheanon Williams cleared the ball off the line...or did he?
The referee said no goal, and the replays appeared to contradict the decision, but it didn’t matter as Perez moments later latched onto the end of a pinballing free kick in the box as MacMath went down and the match was tied.
All this came after Dallas found themselves a man down in the 68th minute when Je-Vaughn Watson was sent off for a clear dive that resulted in his second yellow.
The Union will be kicking themselves, as they were handed a chance to gain ground on the Impact. Instead, Dallas will bring home a cherished road point that gets them (temporarily) clear of Portland for sole possession of second place in the West and just two behind Real Salt Lake, who won earlier in the day.