The Philadelphia Union went into Saturday's contest against the visiting Seattle Sounders FC with a 3-1 overall record, standing atop the Eastern Conference. The game finished in a 1-1 draw, but it was one the Union easily should have won. They remain the leader in the East with 10 points and a 3-1-1 record.

All it took was one little lapse on defense in the 91st minute. Sounders forward Fredy Montero crossed the ball into the six-yard box, where Alvaro Fernandez, a late substitute for Seattle, rose above the defenders and headed the ball off the inside of the far post to tie up the game with little time left on the clock.

For 90 minutes, the Philadelphia Union had imposed their defensive will on the Sounders offensive attack. Until the last minute goal, Philadelphia's back-line only allowed one lone shot on goal, which ended up being a huge play in the game.

In the 77th minute, goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon had deflected the ball into the middle of the box off a Montero cross, where Fernandez was the recipient of a point-blank opportunity to put Seattle on the board. It was to no avail as defender Danny Califf stood along his team's goal line and made the save of the game, Fernandez's shot finding Califf's right shoulder, bouncing off and then finally cleared out of the area.

Carlos Ruiz broke the scoreless tie in the 32nd minute off a beautifully taken free kick from 24 yards out. With the rain pouring down and wind howling, Ruiz stepped into the shot, perfectly bending it just over the wall and into the back of the net. Kasey Keller reacted far too late and barely got a touch on the ball as it soared past him and sent the Sons of Ben and the rest of the crowd into a celebratory frenzy.

Ruiz and Sebastian Le Toux continuously put pressure on Seattle's back-line but were one bad touch or one bad pass away from a solid scoring opportunity in the first half. Keon Daniel played very strong in the midfield, slashing back and forth, holding the ball and distributing it to the open players and allowing them the chance to make a play. Amobi Okugo also played a very strong game, oftentimes making a solid defensive effort to break up any Seattle attack.

Peter Nowak's squad came out of halftime and continued their on-field dominance. Danny Mwanga came into the game for Stefani Miglioranzi and immediately added another attacking option for the Union. Mwanga and Ruiz held the forward positions while Le Toux pushed further outside to play more of a winger. The trio gave the Sounders FC defense a fit, working together with nice one-two's, give-and-go's and well-placed through balls to Le Toux and Daniel along the touchlines.

Le Toux had a chance to put the Union up 2-0 in the 50th minute when Ruiz controlled the ball at midfield and sent Le Toux streaking down the right side of the field and in on goal. His shot was driven low, but it was right at Kasey Keller, the poised veteran who has stopped plenty of breakaways in his career. 

Seattle's star forwards, Fredy Montero and Nate Juqua, entered the match in the 66th minute, and they sparked their team's slumping attacks. Once they entered the game, the momentum slowly shifted in their favor, with the Union playing more in the defensive third. They maintained their "bend but don't break" style, with Seattle coming close on several occasions, but standing their ground, Philadelphia's seemingly impenetrable defense held their opposition to just one on-goal opportunity.

Despite the late goal given up, the Philadelphia Union are a much improved squad, not just from last season, but from the beginning of the 2011 season up to now, five matches in. The chemistry is building and it can be seen with the on-field performances of the defense, midfielders, and forwards.

While they still lack stud finisher up front, Ruiz and Le Toux put great amounts of pressure on the defense and do a superb job of holding the ball up and finding their support. The movement off the ball has gotten much better with the midfielders showing for the defenders and then finding their forwards and making runs off of them.

The defense has been rock solid, and newly signed goalie Faryd Mondragon has been outstanding between the pipes with a 0.25 GAA, tops in the MLS. While the elements may have hindered both team's true attacking abilities, the Union must find more success in their attacking third. Ruiz, Le Toux and Mwanga, when on the field together, work very well with one another, but at times become too passive instead of looking to put the ball on net. 

They can't make winning 1-0 a habit, because the better teams will find ways to score. There is one thing I know, and that is that the Philadelphia Union's defense is up for any challenge. The goals will come.

And so will the wins.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The drought is over.

Last season at Toyota Park, the Los Angeles Galaxy's Omar Gonzalez equalized at the death to take victory away from the jaws of the Chicago Fire in their 2-2 draw.

On Sunday, Gonzalez broke the hearts of Fire fans in Bridgeview yet again, scoring on a 72nd minute corner kick from Argentine international Miguel Lopez to break the two-game winless streak for Bruce Arena's club in a 2-1 victory.

Chad Barrett opened the scoring for the G's in the 42nd minute of play.

While Dominic Oduro was able to pull one back in the 89th minute, the goal came too little too late, as the Galaxy defense held firm in their own third, which was part of the theme of the day for Los Angeles.

Another part: bad finishing from Chicago, namely Marco Pappa, who had a lion's share of chances to finish, all of them missing wide of the the mark.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles's shoddy passing was more polished as the match wore on, though they still need to work on delivering to the right side. Possession-wise, the Galaxy will look to improve on capitalizing on the space they earn.

Case in point: Frankie Hejduke late in the first half. He had space and broke though onside in the Galaxy's attacking third, but was unable to receive the pass. If you're going to break through, the timing has to match the pace of the ball. Otherwise, a wasted opportunity is just that: a wasted opportunity.

But this was the first time in a while I saw better possession from the Galaxy. Keep in mind that this is a side that is missing Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Juninho due to either injury or suspension.

I can see the potential in Miguel Lopez. This young man on loan from Quilmes AC has a good, strong leg and is capable of producing some promising set pieces. He's only a rookie, and will only get better as the season wears on.

The corner in the 72nd minute is what Lopez needs to initiate when he is called to take upon the role of the playmaker. A solid corner, with enough elevation for Gonzalez to reach it and head it in past Jon Conway.

Couldn't have been drawn up any better, and it was as crisp as a cucumber. You can expect him to take more set pieces for the long haul when Mr. David Beckham is unavailable to do them. Actually, one might argue that he might be able to bend it better than Beckham; who knows.

The match didn't come without a price. Leonardo got injured as a result of being stomped on by Oduro late in stoppage time.

Whether or not this will keep the Brazilian out for a while remains to be seen, but from first impressions, the defense will need to find some depth.

That means A.J. DeLaGarza could be getting increased playing time in the central defense, and Frankie Hejduk, who earned his first start in a Galaxy uniform, could be making a habit of getting on to the pitch on a regular basis.

And they will need all the depth the can get. Up next for the Los Angeles Galaxy are the Portland Timbers, who are now gaining their winning touch after crushing the Fire 4-2 earlier last week.

Granted, the Fire had Sean Johnson in goal, but the scoring power of players like Jack Jewsbury and Jorge Perlaza means that the Galaxy must not take this expansion team (in name only) lightly.

Kickoff at the Home Depot Center is scheduled for Saturday, April 23 at 8:00 p.m. PT/11:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy are unbeaten in their last three games, but are also winless in their last two matches and are looking for a positive result against Carlos De Los Cobos’s Chicago Fire.

The Fire are led by Marco Pappa and Uruguayan import Diego Chaves and are coming off a humbling 4-2 defeat to the Portland Timbers. As for the Galaxy, they played to another scoreless draw to Toronto FC at BMO Field earlier this week.

The Galaxy will be without the services of David Beckham and Juninho, who are serving suspensions for yellow card accumulation and a red card, respectively. Landon Donovan may not be available as well due to injury.

Follow Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of Major League Soccer, as well as recaps of other action from around the league.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The Red Bulls were left seeing red last November after the San Jose Earthquakes shocked them in front of a sell-out Red Bull Arena in leg two of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The Red Bulls had a 1-0 lead going into the second game in New Jersey, but San Jose erupted for three goals and ended New York’s hopes of winning their first MLS Cup in 2010.

The Red Bulls had to wait five months to get their revenge, but it was well worth the wait as New York took out all of their anger and frustration Saturday night with an impressive 3-0 victory.

Despite the torrential downpour, heavy wind, and slick conditions, the Red Bulls performed as though the treacherous weather had no affect on them one what-so-ever. 14,308 braved the elements and had a lot to celebrate in a game dominated by the Red Bulls.

New York enjoyed 60 percent of the possession, took a total of 16 shots, and gave up only three shots on goal. 2010 MLS Golden Boot Winner, Chris Wondolowski was shut down as was the rest of the Earthquakes due to some great defense by New York’s back four.The Red Bulls were sharp for the duration of the game and looked like the championship team that everyone expects them to be after they acquired  four-time MLS Cup winner Dwayne De Rosario.

Englishman Luke Rodgers opened the scoring account in the second minute with a header off of a redirected cross into the box by Dane Richards. Rodgers struck again in the 15th minute for his second career MLS goal as a result of some hounding defense by Thierry Henry. Rodgers was the best player on the field and showed why Hans Backe had been aggressively pursuing him last season.

Henry had numerous chances of his own but could not put any of them away until late in the game. He finally ended his 684-minute goal scoring drought with a diving header from the cross of Luke Rodgers in the 86th minute.

Rodgers and Henry played extremely well together and seem to be the lethal striking duo that New York has been looking for ever since they acquired Henry last summer. Both had an assist and scored, leading the way to the team’s second win of the young season.

The partnership up front meant that 18-year old sensation Juan Agudelo was the odd man out. Agudelo did not start and only saw a handful of minutes after a quiet game in Philadelphia last week. Also noteworthy, the younger brother of English star Wayne Rooney, John Rooney, got his first minutes of playing time in stoppage time of New York’s 3-0 win.

New York’s win puts them just two points away from Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia Union, who played to a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders. The Red Bulls will look to make it two straight wins on Thursday when they travel to RFK Stadium to take on leading goal scorer Charlie Davies and his D.C. United.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The Red Bulls were left seeing red last November after the San Jose Earthquakes shocked them in front of a sell-out Red Bull Arena in leg two of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The Red Bulls had a 1-0 lead going into the second game in New Jersey, but San Jose erupted for three goals and ended New York’s hopes of winning their first MLS Cup in 2010.

The Red Bulls had to wait five months to get their revenge, but it was well worth the wait as New York took out all of their anger and frustration Saturday night with an impressive 3-0 victory.

Despite the torrential downpour, heavy wind, and slick conditions, the Red Bulls performed as though the treacherous weather had no affect on them one what-so-ever. 14,308 braved the elements and had a lot to celebrate in a game dominated by the Red Bulls.

New York enjoyed 60 percent of the possession, took a total of 16 shots, and gave up only three shots on goal. 2010 MLS Golden Boot Winner, Chris Wondolowski was shut down as was the rest of the Earthquakes due to some great defense by New York’s back four.The Red Bulls were sharp for the duration of the game and looked like the championship team that everyone expects them to be after they acquired  four-time MLS Cup winner Dwayne De Rosario.

Englishman Luke Rodgers opened the scoring account in the second minute with a header off of a redirected cross into the box by Dane Richards. Rodgers struck again in the 15th minute for his second career MLS goal as a result of some hounding defense by Thierry Henry. Rodgers was the best player on the field and showed why Hans Backe had been aggressively pursuing him last season.

Henry had numerous chances of his own but could not put any of them away until late in the game. He finally ended his 684-minute goal scoring drought with a diving header from the cross of Luke Rodgers in the 86th minute.

Rodgers and Henry played extremely well together and seem to be the lethal striking duo that New York has been looking for ever since they acquired Henry last summer. Both had an assist and scored, leading the way to the team’s second win of the young season.

The partnership up front meant that 18-year old sensation Juan Agudelo was the odd man out. Agudelo did not start and only saw a handful of minutes after a quiet game in Philadelphia last week. Also noteworthy, the younger brother of English star Wayne Rooney, John Rooney, got his first minutes of playing time in stoppage time of New York’s 3-0 win.

New York’s win puts them just two points away from Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia Union, who played to a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders. The Red Bulls will look to make it two straight wins on Thursday when they travel to RFK Stadium to take on leading goal scorer Charlie Davies and his D.C. United.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Harrison, NJ—The New York Red Bulls' 3-0 annihilation of the San Jose Earthquakes was parallel to Bishop Fred Pickering's memorable golf game in the classic golf movie, Caddyshack. The only difference between both epic games is that no one from the Red Bulls was hit by lightning.

Withstanding heavy rainfall, the Red Bulls treated their fans, the media and anyone brave enough to be outdoors an entertaining performance. In doing so in convincing manner, they've reestablished themselves as one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference and now trail first place Philadelphia Union by two points.

Needing to rebound after last week's disastrous 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union, the Red Bulls immediately established themselves as the aggressors. Heading in his first goal of the season, Luke Rodgers' gave the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead in the second minute of the match.

Starting in place of Juan Agudelo, Rodgers cashed in on this opportunity as he finished the game with a two-goal and assist performance. Doubling on his goal total, Rodgers scored again in the 15th minute thanks to Thierry Henry's assist. Thanks to his well-timed burglarizing of San Jose's Ramiro Corrales, Henry intelligently passed the ball to the open Rodgers who beat goalkeeper Jon Busch for his second score of the game while giving the Red Bulls a 2-0 lead with 75 minutes remaining.

Playing his best game of the season, Thierry Henry temporarily silenced his critics with his performance against the Earthquakes. Starting out the season with nagging injuries, Henry had yet to score a goal. Aggressively taking 11 shots and four shots on goal in three games this season, Henry had fired away unsuccessfully towards the net, much to the chagrin of Red Bull fans.

Needing a breakout performance, Henry scored his first goal of the season as he headed in Luke Rodgers' cross in the 87th minute. Not only did the goal ice the game for the Red Bulls, they gave their faithful fans a glimpse of what is come.

In a match where the Red Bulls needed to justify themselves as a serious contender for the MLS Cup, the team took a 19 shots and 10 shots on goal which resulted in three goals. As a result of their three-goal dominance of San Jose, the Red Bulls had more than doubled their goal total for the season.

Prior to their match against San Jose, the Red Bulls had taken 58 shots and 18 shots on goal only to produce two goals in their first four games of their 2011 MLS campaign. Not only has the team been attacking the net, they've also been a dominant ball-possession team. Unfortunately, those statistics will not justify the team's one-goal-per-game average after five games.

The only thing horrific as the weather was the number of empty seats throughout Red Bull Arena.

While the South Ward section consisting of the Viking Army, Empire Supporters Club and the Garden State Supporters have done an impeccable job of chanting and supporting the Red Bulls this season, Red Bull Arena will never be an intimidating place for their oppositions for the simple fact that the din is only coming from one direction. Granted, there are fans seated in other sections of the RBA but the lack of numbers hinder the potential of how effective RBA can be if it's truly packed.

For San Jose, this was a game where they never seriously threatened the Red Bulls. With only six shots and three shots on goal, the Earthquakes failed to win for the third straight game. As a result they now possess a 1-2-2 record and are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference.

Next up for the Red Bulls is D.C. United on Thursday, April 21st at RFK Stadium. With a 2-2-1 record, D.C. United will be a tough opponent for the Red Bulls as they blanked Toronto FC in a 3-0 win this past weekend. With both teams coming off a strong 3-0 victories, their match will set the tone in this season's battle for the Atlantic Cup.

Other MLS Results

The Seattle Sounders rallied to tie the Philadelphia Union 1-1 at PPL Park in Philadelphia thanks to Alvaro Fernandez equalizing goal in the 91st minute. The 1-1 draw result gives the Union a 3-1-1 record. For the Sounders, they now possess a 1-2-3 record.

Over in Toronto at the BMO Field, D.C. United Charlie Davies continues to demonstrate that he's back to his form as he scored his MLS-leading fifth goal of the season in a 3-0 win over the home team Toronto FC. Complementing Davies' goal was Chris Pontius as he completed the match with a two-goal performance. United now has a 2-2-1 record while Toronto falls to a record of 1-2-3.

Playing at home, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Chivas USA battled to a scoreless draw at the Empire Field. With Saturday's draw, the Whitecaps are now 1-2-3 in league play. For Chivas USA, they're currently the worst team in MLS with a 0-2-3 record.

The Columbus Crew set a team record as they recorded their fourth straight shutout in a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City. Winning in front of their fans at Crew Stadium, Columbus now has owns a 2-1-2 record. For Sporting Kansas City, they now fall to 1-2-1.

On Thursday, April 14th, the Portland Timbers played their first MLS home game at the Jeld-Wen Field as they doused the Chicago Fire with a 4-2 victory in front of their boisterous crowd. Portland's first home win was also their first of the season as they're now 1-2-1. For the Fired, the loss leaves them with an identical record of 1-2-1.

Earlier in the week, Toronto FC played the Los Angeles Galaxy to a scoreless draw on Wednesday, April 13th in Toronto. With the tie, the Los Angeles Galaxy now hold a 2-1-3 record.

Fighting for the Rocky Mountain Cup on Wednesday, April 13th were the two past MLS Cup winners, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids. Playing at Rio Tinto Stadium, Real Salt Lake remained undefeated thanks to Fabian Espindola's game winner in stoppage-time for the 1-0 win over the defending champions the Colorado Rapids. With the win, Real stands alone with a 4-0-0 record. For Colorado, they are currently in second place with a 3-2-0 record.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for LatinoSports.com. He's also a Columnist for USSoccerPlayers.com, your source for American Soccer news brought to you by members of the U.S. National Team. Easily accessible, you may reach Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are a team without direction, even though it's just the middle of April, and nothing is certain yet in this 2011 Major League Soccer season.

Though they come into this Sunday's encounter with Carlos de los Cobos' Chicago Fire on a three-game unbeaten streak, they stumble into Bridgeview's Toyota Park unbowed but wounded.

The Galaxy are winless in their last two games. Landon Donovan is overcoming an injury from national team duty, and a couple of key players in Juninho and David Beckham are serving suspensions.

While they do have Juan Pablo Angel (who most likely will don the captain's armband on Sunday for the G's if Donovan is not available), the Colombian international has yet to be a dominating force on the team, and opposing defenses have had their way.

One player that could step up on Sunday is Mike Magee, who was instrumental in the 1-1 draw with D.C. United.

“We have a deep team, so we haven’t missed too many beats,” Magee told Luis Bueno of MLSSoccer.com. “Obviously, Landon is a guy you’ll never be able to replace, but the team has done well. Throughout the course of the year, whether it’s been Omar [Gonzalez] or Landon, other guys have stepped in and done their job. That’s what we get paid to do.”

Aside from scoring, Magee performed well defensively in the scoreless draw with Toronto.

“It’s good to get a goal, and I would have liked to have followed it up by getting another one in the Toronto game,” Magee said. “But it’s a little weight off your back. The first one is always the hardest, and hopefully, there are more to come.”

In addition, Magee has been settling into his role in the left midfield with much fanfare.

“The most noticeable difference is the running,” Magee said. “Stepping in on the left side where Landon’s been playing requires a lot of running, a lot of box-to-box stuff. It’s a little different than I’m used to, but it’s been going well. My legs are getting better, I’m getting a bit more fit.”

Optimism will need to be the intangible that wins the day for the G's on Sunday.

“We just have to keep playing the way we’re playing,” Magee said. “We all know we could have easily won those games [in DC and in Toronto] if we finished off a play or two. We defended well enough, we definitely put in more than enough work to get six points.

“We’ve just got to trust that we’re playing the right way, and we’re creating chances and working for each other. If we continue to do that, we’re probably going to win.”

Uruguayan Diego Chaves and Marco Pappa are the two main targets for Chicago. Chaves leads the team with three goals, while Pappa has two.

The Fire are coming off a 4-2 defeat to the Portland Timbers on Thursday and must fend off giving up goals early and often. Chicago paid the price for failing to rally from a 3-0 deficit and even gave up an own goal late in stoppage time.

If the Fire backline of Jalil Anibaba, Cory Gibbs, Gonzalo Segares and Dasan Robinson put on a performance like they did in the first half against Portland, the Galaxy's depth may have a field day on their hands, and goalkeeper Sean Johnson could have his work cut out for him.

Prediction:

The interesting thing about Major League Soccer is that it's not a top-heavy league. On any given match day, a team with a worse record could prevail over one with a better record.

The losses of Beckham, Juninho and possibly Donovan could mean that this road trip will make the hot seat a little bit more uncomfortable for Bruce Arena.

Chicago Fire 3, Los Angeles Galaxy 1

Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Telefutura.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

“Actions are the seed of fate deeds grow into destiny.” - Harry S Truman

Long before Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, and many former New York Cosmos legends joined the team, the New York Cosmos had already won their first NASL Championship in 1972.

Long before the Cosmos made Giants Stadium their home, they played their first season at Yankee Stadium.

Before playing their first home game at Yankee Stadium on May 5, 1971 in a 1-0 victory against the Washington Darts in front of 3,746 in attendance, the New York Cosmos had played their first official North American Soccer League (NASL) match almost a month earlier.

Forty years ago or April 17, 1971, the New York Cosmos played their first official NASL game. Playing on the road, there first-ever opponents in league competition was the Saint Louis Stars.

Playing at Busch Memorial Stadium, the New York Cosmos played the spoilers as they won 2-1 in front of 3,701 in attendance.

Scoring the first New York Cosmos goal was now Cosmos Legend Randy Horton. While Horton scored the first goal, Wilberforce Mfum of Ghana scored game winner. F

ollowing this historic game, I wonder how many in attendance truly believed that the New York Cosmos would have become most famous world-renowned American Soccer club.

How many in attendance actually believed that the Cosmo would become the "Galácticos" before Real Madrid took that honor? Not many, I'll wager. While it maybe a game that many New York Cosmos fans will probably not know, it will always remain the first official regular-season NASL game.

So why do I know this? Two words: Werner Roth.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 was the day the idea of writing about the New York Cosmos were planted.

Earlier that day, I was at Barnes & Noble listening to the conversation between Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP and Dr. Cornel West, activist, thinker, professor and leader. Later that evening, I went to a Kicking & Screening (K&S) Festival event. 

There I met former New York Cosmos captain Werner Roth. Meeting him is equivalent to a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan meeting Michael Jordan. Along with being cool to hang with, we talked a few more times because the Festival was a week-long event.

Obviously, we talked about the New York Cosmos and other life-related topics. During one of our conversations, he suggested that I should write about the Cosmos. I promised him that when the time was right, I'll do it.

What's pretty cool about this is that it was before Pelé announced the return of the New York Cosmos on Sunday, August 1, 2010 at Halftime of the Copa NYC final between Jamaica and Poland.

Sure, this maybe all coincidental, but when it's said and done, I took the former captain of the New York Cosmos suggestion to heart and turned it into a reality. I'm not sure if he'll even remember of our conversations and that's cool because in the end, I do.

I'm proud to admit that it's because of him that I work hard in trying to find interesting stories about the New York Cosmos History.

So I salute you Werner Roth!

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for LatinoSports.com. He's also a Columnist for USSoccerPlayers.com; your source for American Soccer news brought to you by members of the U.S. National Team.

Easily accessible, you may reach Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Major League Soccer showcased it's best rivalry Wednesday night as the last two MLS Cup Champions met in the first leg of the battle for the Rocky Mountain Cup.

The Cup, given annually to the winner of rivalry between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, may be staying in Utah for another year.

In what is becoming the norm for these fierce rivals, the two teams battled hard and held each other scoreless until the game was won with a little bit of last minute drama. 

It wasn't until stoppage time that the first and only goal of the match was scored. In a somewhat desperate effort to put a goal in, RSL players worked in front of the goal when the ball popped out and defender Jamison Olave was able to draw a foul just outside the box.

On the ensuing free kick, Javier Morales bent a nearly perfect strike around the defensive wall that hit the near post. In the scramble for the ball, second half substitution Paulo Jr. collected the rebound just in front of the goal.

Before he could fire a shot, his teammate Fabian Espindola slid into the ball and kicked it into the back of the net.

His goal came in the 93' minute.

This game winning goal marked the fifth time in the last seven meetings that a goal that determined the outcome of the game was scored in the 88' minute or later. 

The Rocky Mountain Cup has found a bit of a permanent home in Utah. After Colorado won the cup the first two years, Real Salt Lake has gotten the better of the Rapids for the last four.

So far, it appears that it may stay in Utah this year as well.

With the win RSL has not lost at home in 37 straight competitions. They are 4-0-0 on this season and lead the league with 12 points.

The second leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup is not until late in the season on October 14 at Dicks' Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.

The next match for Real Salt Lake will be next Wednesday against Mexican super club Monterrey in the first leg of the CONCACAF finals. Monterrey is one of the best teams in this region, but they enter the match dealing with some injury problems.

The first leg will be in Mexico and the second and deciding leg will be in Utah.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Another match with Toronto FC, another scoreless draw with Toronto FC. And this match adds to the argument which states this Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy still lack the ability to finish their chances.

Set pieces. Corners. The transition. All wasted in horrendous fashion. What could have been 3-0 ended up in doughnuts. I'm telling you, this is a Galaxy side that makes hitting the woodwork an artform in itself.

"We have got a long way to go," Arena said after the match. "Certainly when you walk off the field and you don’t have three points you know you have a lot of work ahead of you and we do."

"Like I said before the game, there is a bunch of excitement, obviously I was ready to go," said former Toronto FC and current Galaxy forward Chad Barrett.  "I thought the team did very well today, we came out, we forced them out, and we pressed the game.

"We got a little open there at the end but we have to try to push forward and score a goal.  I think that we were the better team and I think we deserved more than what we got here."

Same old, same old, same old. Deserving more, from this columnist's perspective, is equivalent to deserving nothing.

And to top it all off, Juninho gets set off late in stoppage time and David Beckham has to serve a one game suspension for his fifth caution.

"To be honest, over the last few games," said BEckham after the match, "I’ve spoke too much about referees.  They are becoming the stars of the MLS and that’s obviously not what team’s want and clubs want.  You want the players to be playing out there; you want it to be fair.  I just don’t think the consistency is there.

"I think there are bad calls and we’ve had the majority of bad calls over the last few games.  It’s ruining games, it’s ruining our preparation for games.  I’ll probably get in trouble but it’s gone on too long now.  We want that consistency to be there and we want to keep our players on the field."

To the credit of both sides, goalkeepers Stefan Frei and Donovan Ricketts made key saves in what was essentially a defensive showcase marked by inept finishing against somewhat consistent passing.

If this was going to finish in a scoreless draw, for the love of all things football do not make this a costly effort, LA. There is such a thing as a "Pyrrhic victory." It makes you wonder if there should now be a thing as a "Pyrrhic draw."

Beckham did his best to put a positive spin on it all.

"I think that we’ve played some of our best soccer that we’ve played this season," Beckham said. " We had the chances we just couldn’t put them away.  I think when you have that many chances sometimes you need a bit of luck on your side and we just didn’t have it.

"We hit the post, we hit the crossbar a couple of times and we had the majority of the play and the majority of the chances.  But it’s disappointing; obviously we want to win these games."

Up next for the Galaxy is the match with the Chicago Fire. With Beckham and Juninho sitting out this one, LA fans can only hope that Landon Donovan will be healthy enough to take some slack off of Juan Pablo Angel.

Kickoff at Toyota Park is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Telefutura and locally on tape delay by Fox Sports Prime Ticket.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here