NYCFC extend unbeaten run to 7
Salvadoran players banned after biting incidents
United States’ Paul Arriola (20) fights for control of the ball with Costa Rica’s Francisco Calvo (15) during a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal soccer match
in Arlington, Texas on July 22. (AP) LOS ANGELES, July 23, (AFP): Clint Dempsey’s milestone goal sealed the United States’ 2-0 victory over Costa Rica on Saturday in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Dallas, Texas.
In Wednesday’s final, the United States will face either defending champions Mexico or Jamaica — who face off on Sunday in Pasadena, California.
Tenacious Costa Rica stymied the five-time champion United States until Jozy Altidore broke through in the 72nd minute, capitalizing on good work from Dempsey.
Dempsey came on for Paul Arriola in the 66th minute and soon made his presence felt, working his way through the defense and threading a pass to Altidore, who beat Costa Rican keeper Patrick Pemberton with a left-footed shot.
Ten minutes later, 34-year-old Dempsey curled a perfectly struck free kick under the wall and past Pember-
NEW YORK, July 23, (AP): David Villa and Frederic Brillant scored inside three minutes to give New York City a 2-1 victory over Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer on Saturday, extending the team’s unbeaten run to seven games.
Sean Johnson had a season-high seven saves for New York City, which has scored in a club-record 21 consecutive home matches.
Villa, Spain’s all-time leading international goal scorer, volleyed in the opener in the 48th minute after being set up by Jonathan Lewis. It was his 14th goal of the MLS season, the second highest in the league behind Chicago’s Nemanja Nikolic.
Brillant headed home the rebound of his own header to double the lead in the 51st. David Accam pulled one back within three minutes but Chicago saw an 11-game unbeaten streak come to an end.
Elsewhere, the New York Red Bulls beat Minnesota away 3-0, marking the first time since 2013 the team has won three consecutive road matches.
Daniel Royer opened the scoring by blasting a shot
in the 37th minute, and produced another big save on Urena in the 71st to keep the contest scoreless.
The tension was rising, however, with the match set to go straight to a penalty shoot-out without extra time if the sides were drawn after 90 minutes.
But Dempsey — who returned to international
from well outside the box just inside the left post in the 16th minute. Bradley Wright-Phillips padded the lead with a goal in the 67th minute and lex Muyl capped the scoring in the 90th.
MLS newcomer Minnesota is winless in its last four home games and has been shut out in four of 12 home matches this season.
In Montreal, Cristian Colman scored his first two goals of the season as FC Dallas rallied to beat the Impact.
Colman pulled Dallas even in the 52nd minute. Ten minutes later, the 23-year-old Paraguayan added a second after controlling a long cross from Carlos Gruezo off his chest and slotting home the game-winner.
New England ended a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Teal Bunbury scored twice in the match, giving the Revolution a 3-2 lead in the 70th with his first goal and then adding a second in the 73rd.
Los Angeles has lost five in a row and has just one win in its last eight games.
duty in March after a heart problem saw him sidelined for six months — provided the needed spark off the bench.
“We were pretty close to getting it right in the first half,” said US coach Bruce Arena. “I think as the game wore on and our opponent got tired, the goals came.”
The US avenged their humbling 4-0 loss to Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier in November — the final match before Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked as coach.
With Arena back at the helm, the USA are unbeaten in 12 matches and now have a shot at a sixth Gold Cup title and their first since 2013.
They failed to make the final in 2015, when Mexico won their seventh crown.
Meanwhile, Henry Romero received a six-game ban and Darwin Ceren for three on Saturday for “anti-sporting” behavior in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match in which they bit US players.
Los Cuscatlecos defender Romero bit Jozy Altidore on the back in El Salvador’s 2-0 Gold Cup quarter-final loss to the United States and also grabbed the US forward’s nipple and twisted it.
Midfielder Ceren, who plays for Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes, bit Omar Gonzalez during the contest.
CONCACAF, which did not specify the biting incidents in their announcement, said the suspensions would affect only “official matches.
El Salvador have already been eliminated from 2018 World Cup qualifying.