Crew wins at Toronto; FIFA approves video replay

TORONTO — Federico Higuain and Gyasi Zardes scored to help the Columbus Crew beat Toronto FC 2-0 on Saturday, spoiling the defending MLS champion Reds’ home opener.

Zack Steffen made two saves for Columbus.

Higuain one-timed Milton Valenzuela’s cross past diving goaltender Alex Bono in the 44th minute.

Zardes scored a minute into the second half, getting his foot on Pedro Santos’ through ball and putting it past Bono. Zardes joined the Crew in an offseason deal with the L.A. Galaxy.

UNION 2, REVOLUTION 0: In Chester, Pa., Anthony Fontana and C.J. Sapong scored and the Philadelphia Union beat 10-man New England in the opener for both teams, spoiling Brad Friedel’s Revolution coaching debut.

Fontana opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with a quick-reacting, left-footed stab to finish Sapong’s redirection of Alejandro Bedoya’s low cross. Fontana, an 18-year-old Union Academy graduate and Homegrown Player signing, was making his MLS debut.

Sapong flicked in Cory Burke’s cross in the 69th minute to make it 2-0.

DYNAMO 4, ATLANTA UNITED 0: In Houston, Andrew Wenger opened the scoring with a tap-in in the fifth minute for Houston.

Alberth Elis outraced a defender to chase down Philippe Senderos’ long ball and sent a low cross to Wenger. Senderos scored on a header in the 23rd minute, and Mauro Manotas cleaned up a loose ball four minutes later.

Darwin Ceren scored in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time in his Dynamo debut.

REAL SALT LAKE 1, FC DALLAS 1 (tie): In Frisco, Texas, Real Salt Lake’s Marcelo Silva scored an own goal in the 86th minute and FC Dallas escaped the season opener with a draw.

DC UNITED 1, ORLANDO CITY 1 (tie): In Orlando, Fla., Stefano Pincho tied it in the 93rd minute and 10-man Orlando City salvaged a draw with D.C. United in the season opener for both teams.

DC. United’s schedule is road-heavy at the beginning while waiting for the opening of Audi Field in July.

VIDEO REPLAY: In one of the most fundamental changes ever to soccer’s 155-year-old rules, FIFA approved video review on Saturday and cleared the way to use it at the World Cup in June.

The panel, known as IFAB, voted unanimously to begin updating the game’s written rules to include VAR and let competition organizers ask to adopt it — with FIFA next in line this month.

The decision “represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase integrity and fairness in the game,” IFAB said in a statement.