A full slate of Major League Soccer games came our way on Champions League final day, so if you missed any of the action while Liverpool secured the European crown. There was plenty of movement made, with the Eastern Conference getting a new leader for a short time and the West seeing a number of playoff teams go down.
Atlanta United 2-0 Chicago Fire
Josef Martinez is back to scoring in bunches and the defending champions was back on top of the Eastern Conference - for a short time - as they beat Chicago 2-0. Martinez scored his second brace in a row, giving the Venezuelan six goals in his last five games and into double digits on the full league season with 10.
The clean sheet is also the second straight for the club and eighth on the year, helping to bounce back from a two-game losing streak to temporarily claim the top spot in the conference (D.C. United since jumped back on top, but Atlanta closed the gap to just one point). Frank de Boer’s back line looks to be gaining traction, conceding just three goals over the last nine matches.
There goes that man! AGAIN!@JosefMartinez17 gets his 10th on the year. #ATLvCHI pic.twitter.com/wRu9OIpper
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 1, 2019
NY Red Bulls 4-0 Real Salt Lake
RSL’s road woes continue as they were trounced at Red Bull Arena. The game was 0-0 at the break, but a 58th minute own-goal broke the deadlock and it got out of hand as Daniel Royer doubled the lead a minute later, Michael Murillo made it three on a deflection, and Omir Fernandez capped it off with seven minutes to go.
The win leaves New York unbeaten in five and pushed them to fourth in the Eastern Conference, three points off the leaders.
That’s TWO. Daniel Royer doubles the lead for #RBNY pic.twitter.com/HgpTnX7qoZ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 2, 2019
Montreal Impact 0-3 Orlando City
Orlando City went on the road and got a massive win over a playoff team as they got all three in the first half and held on from there. Nani opened the scoring from the spot for his 100th career goal, while Tesho Akindele tapped in at the back post past the half-hour mark for the second and Will Johnson’s diving header capped off a beautiful flowing move for the third minutes before the break.
The win broke a 4-game duck against the Impact for Orlando City and avenged a 3-1 loss at home earlier in the season. Montreal managed just a single shot on target out of its nine total efforts, without Ignacio Piatti for the first time in what will be a long injury layoff.
This honestly might be the best team goal Orlando City have ever scored. Gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/4qMfdkm8l5
— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) June 1, 2019
D.C. United 1-1 San Jose Earthquakes
D.C. United maintained its spot atop the Eastern Conference, but the gap is now just a single point as the home side was forced to come from behind to secure a draw against San Jose. Chris Wondolowski can’t stop scoring after setting the career MLS goalscoring record, bagging a goal for the third straight match with his 37th minute header, assisted by USMNT call-up Nick Lima.
That forced D.C. to play from behind, and they earned a draw on Luciano Acosta’s 67th minute equalizer, with the 25-year-old pouncing on a save spilled by Daniel Vega. There were 36 total shots ripped off by the two teams combined and 12 of them on target, but the two goalkeepers combined for 10 saves.
Wondo can't stop scoring! #DCvSJ pic.twitter.com/37ZElCoWgt
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 2, 2019
Columbus Crew 2-2 NYCFC
The home side blew a pair of leads in a 2-2 draw with NYCFC. Gyasi Zardes struck from the spot in the 28th minute, and again Columbus took the lead in the 61st minute when Pedro Santos was left all alone at the far post. It wasn’t enough though, as Valentin Castellanos blasted a long-distance rip to equalize with 14 minutes to go.
The draw spoiled Zack Steffan’s sendoff with Columbus with the goalkeeper headed to U.S. national team duty before departing on a transfer to Manchester City. It also kept Columbus from moving into a playoff position, potentially jumping three teams with a win.
OH MY! @TATYCASTE11ANOS WITH A STUNNER! #CLBvNYC pic.twitter.com/3RX9xLHAWY
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 2, 2019
Houston Dynamo 1-1 Sporting KC
Two goals six minutes apart shared the spoils in Houston as the Dynamo fail to keep pace with the Western Conference leaders. Sporting KC jumped in front in the 63rd minute as Yohan Croizet chipped a charging Joe Willis on the break to open the scoring. Houston pulled back level in the 69th minute with a fabulous volley that found the top corner, but they were unable to finish the full comeback.
That left Houston in fourth in the West, three back of third-placed Seattle and four behind the second-placed LA Galaxy. Sporting KC also missed a big opportunity to pull closer to the playoff positions, currently in 10th with 15 points. Kansas City has just one league win since late March, leaving them four points back of a playoff spot.
BOOM!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 2, 2019
Alberth Elis with the equalizer! #HOUvSKC pic.twitter.com/u5sh5kdGEi
Colorado Rapids 3-1 FC Cincinnati
The Rapids shook off a 72nd minute visiting equalizer to claim a critical victory and pull two points from dragging themselves off the bottom of the East, beating fellow basement-dwellers FC Cincinnati 3-1.
With the hosts holding a 1-0 lead, Kekuta Manneh came off the bench to level the score in the 72nd minute, but that lasted just a single minute as Colorado went back in front via Nicolas Mezquida. The winning goal came from a tight angle to the right, with the shot clattering off the hands of goalkeeper Spencer Richey. Diego Rubio put the game away with eight minutes remaining with a header off a corner. Cincinnati would have pulled off the bottom of the East with a win, but instead it’s Colorado who earns the spoils to pull within two points of Portland.
Wasn’t level for long ... @nico_mezquida gets @ColoradoRapids back up top, 2-1. pic.twitter.com/0gI5BrlhEI
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 2, 2019
FC Dallas 2-0 Seattle Sounders
A pair of own-goals five minutes apart has FC Dallas up 2-0 at the break. The first came off Xavier Arreaga as Ryan Hollingshead delivered a header in the 33rd minute, and soon after Brad Smith deposited one into his own net on a Michael Barrios cross.
Portland Timbers 0-0 LAFC
The late Saturday night start is just under way at Providence Park.