Union fall to Chicago in season finale
BRIDGEVIEW, ILL. » Nemanja Nikolic scored two of his three goals in the second half, increasing his leagueleading total to 24, and Chicago rallied for a win.
The Fire (16-10-7) moved into third in the Eastern Conference, which would be good for a home game in the playoffs. Nikolic is four goals clear of his pursuers for the Golden Boot with one game to play.
Nikolic opened the scoring in the third minute, getting to a long feed from Brandon Vincent and aided by a bad angle by defender Jack Elliot before beating Andre Blake. Nikolic’s penalty kick in the 64th tied it at 2 after David Accam was taken down in the penalty area. Nikolic completed his first career hat trick with an easy finish from the middle of the box on a feed from Brandon Vincent for the game winner in the 78th.
Chicago defender Johnan Kappelhof’s own goal put the Union in a 1-1 tie at the six-minute mark and a feed from Haris Medunjanin to Alejandro Bedoya for a chip shot was good for the lead from the 13th minute.
Philadelphia (10-14-9) finished 1-10-6 on the road this season. SOUNDERS 4, FC DALLAS 0 » Will Bruin scored twice in four minutes midway through the second half and Seattle clinched a playoff berth and a chance to defend its MLS Cup.
The Sounders (13-9-11) are tied for second place in the Western Conference with Portland at 50 points apiece with one game left, two points behind Westleading Vancouver.
Dallas (10-10-13) still has not clinched a playoff spot and is tied with San Jose for the final position at 43 points after Sunday’s games.
With Seattle clinging to the lead on Victor Rodriguez’s 31st-minute goal, Bruin made it 2-0 in the 64th minute. The initial shot by Clint Dempsey was saved by goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez, but Gonzalez was not able to gain control of the rebound. Bruin, with defender Atiba Harris hanging onto him, still got to the ball at the top of the 6-yard box and punched it into the back left corner.
Late in the 67th minute, Bruin was playing just to the left of the penalty spot when the ball was deflected his way, and he fired it into the back left side. He now has 10 goals for the season.
Lamar Neagle added a stoppage time goal for Seattle. TIMBERS 4, D.C. UNITED 0 » Sebastian Blanco scored a pair of second-half goals to lead the Portland Timbers over D.C. United.
Near the end of the first half, Portland (14-8,11) forward Darren Mattocks intercepted a weak backpass by defender Chris Korb, then was taken down by goalkeeper Steve Clark for a penalty. Diego Valeri knocked his shot past Clark and into the lower left corner of the net for his 21st goal. Valeri has scored in 10 of the last 11 games.
Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella preserved the lead in the 49th minute with two saves in quick succession, first diving to keep out a header by Luciano Acosta, then blocking a rebound shot by Patrick Mullins to blank D.C. United (9-5-19).
A minute later, Portland doubled the lead. Alvas Powell dribbled in from the right wing and, with no defenders attempting to close him down, unleashed a left-footed shot past a diving Clark for his second of the season. RAPIDS 1, SALT LAKE 0 » Joshua Gatt scored three minutes into the game, Tim Howard made seven saves and Colorado kept Real Salt Lake on the outside of a tight playoff race.
The Rapids (9-18-6), long eliminated from the playoffs, are just 2-3-2 in their last seven home games.
Salt Lake (12-15-6) came in hot, going 4-1-1 in its previous six matches, and could have been in control of its playoff hopes going into next Sunday’s regular-season finale at home against Sporting Kansas City. RSL is one point below the line and behind both San Jose and Dallas for the final spot in the Western Conference. SPORTING KC 0, DYNAMO 0 » Andrew Dykstra recorded his first shutout since 2014 and Sporting Kansas City clinched a playoff spot after a draw against Houston in their second meeting in four days.
After the game, Houston learned it secured a playoff berth — needing losses by Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas.
Two key players from each team returned from international duty. Matt Besler and Graham Zusi both started for Sporting KC after the United States’ crushing loss to Trinidad & Tobago. Houston’s Alberth Elis started in his return from playing with Honduras and fellow countryman Romell Quioto entered as a second-half substitute.
Kansas City (12-8-13) is winless in its last eight regular-season games against the Dynamo. Houston (1210-11) has just one win in its last 19 regular-season road matches. GALAXY 3, MINNESOTA UNITED 0 » Romain Alessan- drini had two goals and an assist, Clement Diop made four saves and Los Angeles defeated Minnesota United.
Home games haven’t been kind this season for the Galaxy (8-17-6), who have the worst home record in the league with just three wins and were just 1-12-4 in the previous 17 games, giving up almost 2½ goals a game. Minnesota (10-17-6) will also miss the playoffs, but United came in averaging 2.4 goals for a 3-1-1 record in their previous five games.
Alessandrini’s goal in the 11th minute was all Diop would need to get his second shutout in his 16th career game. A quick restart by Giovani dos Santos sent the ball to Alessandrini and he dribbled into the right side of the box for a quick left-footed release into the far corner of the goal.
It took a review to give the Galaxy their second goal, which was a header by Jonathan dos Santos from 18 yards out in the 22nd minute. The ball hit the crossbar and fell inside the line, although play continued until the review gave dos Santos his first goal. ATLANTA UNITED 0, RED BULLS 0 » Brad Guzan and Luis Robles each made three saves, and Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls, both playoff bound, battled to a draw.
Atlanta (15-9-9) could have moved into a tie for second in the Eastern Conference with a chance to earn a first-round bye when the regular season ends next Sunday. A win would have guaranteed United a home game in the knockout round.
Guzan picked up his eighth shutout for expansion Atlanta with a couple of big saves in the wideopen game, including robbing Bradley WrightPhillips from point-blank range in the 65th minute. Guzan also had a diving save in the 73rd to deny Gonzalo Veron with Josef Martinez clearing the rebound.
Robles earned his 10th clean sheet for the Red Bulls (13-12-7). His key save was in the sixth minute on a diving stop of Yamil Asad’s close-range header.
The teams had a combined 22 shots, 13 by the Red Bulls. CREW 1, ORLANDO CITY 0 » Ola Kamara scored his 17th goal of the season on his birthday and Columbus beat Orlando City to spoil Kaka’s final game with the Lions.
Kaka, the 35-year-old Brazilian soccer star, announced on Wednesday he would not re-sign with Orlando City after a threeyear run with the expansion team.
“A lot of emotions today,” Kaka said after the game. “It was a special day for me because the whole day keeps reminding the past three years — everything that already happened in this city, with this club.”
Kamara scored on an easy redirection in the 67th minute. Federico Higuain found an open Hector Jimenez along the left side for a cross in front of goal to an unmarked Kamara.