Sounders extend MLS lead

Seattle's Obefemi Martins set up the Sounders' 3-2 win with a double at Chicago on Saturday before his first-half ejection. Photo: Otto Greule

Seattle's Obefemi Martins set up the Sounders' 3-2 win with a double at Chicago on Saturday before his first-half ejection. Photo: Otto Greule

Published Jun 8, 2014

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Bridgeview, Illinois – Seattle’s Obefemi Martins scored twice before his first-half ejection, setting up the Sounders’ 3-2 win at Chicago on Saturday, extending their lead atop the MLS standings heading into the three-week World Cup break.

Their lead over nearest rival Real Salt Lake was stretched to seven points, as the Utah club was beaten at home by Portland.

Lamar Neagle added a third goal for Seattle in the 78th minute, with Chicago’s Harry Shipp scoring his second of the game four minutes later, but the hosts could not find an equaliser.

Martins scored in the 31st and 38th minutes but was sent off after an altercation with the Fire’s Benji Joya seconds after Shipp scored his first goal in the 41st minute.

REAL SALT LAKE 1, PORTLAND TIMBERS 3

Real Salt Lake failed to keep pace with the Sounders as they suffered their first ever home loss against Portland, beaten 3-1.

Fanendo Adi scored a pair of goals and captain Will Johnson converted a penalty for the Timbers.

Luke Mulholland scored the sole goal for RSL, who played without team captain Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando on World Cup duty with the US national team.

Real Salt Lake has suffered losses on consecutive weekends after going 12 matches unbeaten to start the season.

DALLAS 3, COLORADO RAPIDS 2

Dallas ended a run of eight games without a victory by beating Colorado 3-2.

Fabian Castillo scored in the 62nd minute and FC Dallas snapped an eight-game winless streak.

The Texan club had failed to score more than one goal in a game during that skid but broke that sequence with first-half goals from Deshorn Brown and Zach Llloyd. Dallas led 2-1 at halftime, with Andres Escobar having scored for Colorado.

Jose Mari equalised for the Rapids in the 52nd minute but Fabian Castillo scored what proved the decisive goal in the 62nd minute with a classy effort, dribbling around one defender and then curling a 5-metre shot beyond the goalkeeper’s reach.

DC UNITED 0, COLUMBUS CREW 0

Columbus goalkeeper Steve Clark saved a Fabian Espindola penalty in second-half stoppage time to preserve a point for the Crew at DC United.

Columbus has won only one of its past 12 games while DC missed a chance to go top of the Eastern Conference, with the draw putting them one point behind leader New England.

PHILADELPHIA UNION 3, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS 3

Vancouver’s Pedro Morales scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season with a penalty in the 81st minute which gave the Whitecaps a draw at Philadelphia and a seven-game unbeaten streak.

Conor Casey scored twice and Sebastien Le Toux added a goal for the Union, all in the space of eight minutes during the second half to take a 3-2 lead. Casey has four goals in the past two games.

Erik Hurtado scored in the 18th minute and Nicolas Mezquida added a goal in the 42nd to give the Whitecaps a 2-0 lead.

TORONTO 1, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 0

Toronto’s Jermain Defoe scored a 28th minute penalty and the Canadian club hung on for a 1-0 win over San Jose.

The former Tottenham and England striker converted after Nick Hagglund was pulled down in the box. – Sapa-AP

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