Nagbe leads Timbers to 2-1 win over Vancouver
PORTLAND, ORE. >> Darlington Nagbe scored a spectacular goal early and Darren Mattocks added his first of the season as the Portland Timbers defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday.
Nagbe’s highlight reel strike came in the 18th minute, when he received a pass 30 yards from goal and danced away from two Vancouver defenders. Moving toward the penalty area, he shrugged off a challenge by Kendall Waston, who has an 8 inch and 50 pound advantage. Nagbe finished the play by blasting a right-footed shot from 20 yards out over Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted and off the bottom of the crossbar for his second goal of the season.
Portland (5-2-1), which leads the Western Conference, doubled its lead in the 39th minute, with Nagbe involved again. His threaded pass found Diego Valeri on the right wing, who then drove a cross into the Vancouver penalty area. Mattocks was racing into the area and met the cross, driving the ball past Ousted from 5 yards out RED BULLS 2, CREW 0 >> Luis Robles had two saves to earn his fourth shutout and Alex Muyl scored early to spark the New York Red Bulls to a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, leaving the teams tied atop the Eastern Conference standings.
The Red Bulls (4-3-1) are unbeaten in their last 18 regular-season home games, 15 of them wins and 12 shutouts, including four straight.
Robles went outside his box and met a streaking Justin Meram of Columbus (43-1), taking the shot off his face, with the ball deflecting out of play in the 38th minute. Early in the second half, Ola Kamara had a close-in shot that deflected off a defender’s foot but Robles was there to snatch the ball away. DALLAS 1, SPORTING KANSAS CITY 0 >> Maynor Figueroa scored his first goal of the season and Jesse Gonzalez earned his 10th career shutout and FC Dallas defeated Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on Saturday night.
Dallas broke through in the 77th minute of the even match between teams that have now conceded just three goals apiece this season. Michael Barrios drove the ball to the end line before crossing it left to the back post where the soaring Figueroa, who slipped his defender, got his head on it to beat Tim Melia.
Dallas (4-0-2) is now 6-0-5 in its last 11 regularseason home games with six clean sheets. Gonzalez made just one save as his defense blocked four shots. He now has three shutouts in four starts this season and 10 in 21 regular-season games over the past three seasons.
Melia had five saves for Kansas City (3-1-3). ATLANTA UNITED 3, REAL SALT LAKE 1 >> Brandon Vazquez scored his first MLS goal in the closing seconds of stoppage time to secure Atlanta United’s 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.
It was the second road win for the expansion team — and their first against an established club. Atlanta (32-2) won at fellow expansion team Minnesota United in the second week.
It also marked the first loss for Salt Lake coach Mike Petke, who was 2-0 after replacing Jeff Cassar following the team’s slow start.