FC Dallas clinch playoffs spot
Ruidiaz scores twice, Sounders rout Rapids
SEATTLE, Sept 30, (AP): Raul Ruidiaz scored twice off assists from Nicolas Lodeiro and the Seattle Sounders beat the Colorado Rapids 4-0.
Ruidiaz opened the scoring in the 22nd minute for the Sounders (14-115). Cristian Roldan fed the rebound of Lodeiro’s saved attempt back to Lodeiro, who passed it over to Ruidiaz for the finish from the middle of the area.
Colorado’s Kellyn Acosta tripped Lodeiro just inside the edge of the penalty box and Lodeiro made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute, converting from the spot into the lower right corner.
Lodeiro settled Victor Rodriguez’s pass and laid it off to Ruidiaz to make it 3-0 in the 73rd minute.
Rodriguez capped the scoring in the 80th minute with a right-footed blast into the far corner.
The Sounders ended a two-game skid that followed their nine-game winning streak.
The Rapids (6-18-6) lost their sixth in a row.
FC Dallas 0, Timbers 0 In Portland, Ore, FC Dallas clinched a spot in the playoffs with the draw with Portland.
Dallas sits in first place in the Western Conference with four matches left. The team needed a win or a tie against Portland to solidify a postseason berth as rumors swirl that coach Oscar Pareja may be a candidate for head coach of the US men’s national team.
The Timbers (13-9-9) are in fourth place and in playoff contention but just three points ahead of sixth-place Real Salt Lake with three matches left.
Galaxy 3, Whitecaps 0 In Carson, Calif, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in each half in Los Angeles’ victory over Vancouver.
The Swedish star opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the fourth minute, finishing into the lower left corner. Romain Alessandrini drew the foul against Marcel de Jong.
The Galaxy (12-11-8) made it 2-0 in the 58th minute when Ibrahimovic drove in from 40 yards out, faked out defender Aly Ghazal and sent home a right-footed blast from the top of the box. It was Ibrahimovic’s 20th goal of the season.
The Whitecaps (11-12-7) dropped their third in a row.
DC United 5, Impact 0 In Washington, Luciano Acosta had a goal and three assists, Wayne Rooney and Paul Arriola each scored two second-half goals, and DC United beat Montreal.
United (10-11-8) closed within two points of the Impact (12-15-4) for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. DC has two games in hand.
Bill Hamid had five saves for his second shutout of the season.
Fire 3, LAFC 1 In Bridgeview, Ill, Djordje Mihailovic opened the scoring and added an assist in the second half to help Chicago beat Angeles.
Toronto FC’s Justin Morrow battles for the ball with New England Revolution’s Guillermo Hauche during the first half of a MLS soccer game on
Sept 29, 2018 in Toronto. (AP)
Mihailovic powered home a full volley off Brandon Vincent’s cross in the 20th minute to give the Fire (8-167) the lead. Nemanja Nikolic doubled the lead in the 29th minute with a penalty kick into the right corner. Brandt Bronico drew the foul in the penalty area against Steven Beitashour.
The Fire made it 3-0 in the 66th minute when Aleksandar Katai scored on a counterattack sprung by Nikolic’s pass to Mihailovic. Mihailovic drove it into the area and laid it off for Katai.
Dynamo 3, Earthquakes 2 In Houston, Romell Quioto scored the go-ahead goal in the 87th minute to cap Houston’s comeback victory over San Jose.
San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski scored his 143rd MLS goal on a penalty kick to open the scoring in the 37th minute. Wondolowski is two goals behind Landon Donovan for the career record.
Quioto scored the winner when he was left open on a run to the left post and Mauro Manotas’ low cross slipped past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell. Minnesota United 2, NYCFC 1 In Minneapolis, Angelo Rodriguez scored two first-half goals and Minnesota held on to beat New York City FC after going a man down Saturday night.
Rodriguez headed home a wide cross from Miguel Ibarra to open the scoring in the 20th minute for Minnesota (11-16-3). In the 36th, Rodriguez intercepted Ben Sweat’s off-target back pass and slipped behind the goalkeeper to easily finish his second goal.
Crew 0, Union 0 In Columbus, Ohio Andre Blake had two saves for his 10th shutout of the season to help Philadelphia tie Columbus.
Blake preserved the shutout with a leaping save of Harrison Afful’s attempt in the 90th minute.
Zack Steffen had his 10th shutout of the season for Columbus (13-9-9) without making a save. Toronto FC 4, Revolution 1 In Toronto, Sebastian Giovinco, Lucas Jansson, Victor Vazquez and Marky Delgado scored and defending MLS champions Toronto FC beat New England to keep its slender playoff hopes alive.
Toronto (9-15-6) won for the first time in league play this season after conceding the first goal.
Cristian Penilla scored for New England (8-11-11).