MLS Roundup: Niko Hansen's late goal lifts Crew over Timbers
A round up of Saturday's MLS action:
Columbus 3, Portland 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Niko Hansen scored in his MLS debut, Ola Kamara got a goal in his third consecutive game and the Columbus Crew beat the Portland Timbers 3-2 on Saturday night.
Hansen, the ninth pick in the 2017 SuperDraft, came on in the 60th minute for Justin Meram and gave Columbus (2-1-1) a 3-2 lead with his first goal in the 84th minute. Kamara, charging to the top of the 6-yard box, played a perfect cross by Harrison Afful from the right wing. Jake Gleeson made a diving stop, but Hansen put away the rebound.
Dairon Asprilla put the Timbers (3-1-0) in front in the opening minutes. Kamara's header off a corner kick by Federico Higuain was deflected and Meram tapped it in from point-blank range before Kamara made it 2-1 in the 19th. Higuain dropped an arcing pass from beyond midfield to the left corner of the box, where Kamara chipped a half-volley over Gleeson and into the far corner of the net.
Portland's Fanendo Adi made it 2-2 during first-half stoppage time, his 45th career regular season goa. That tied John Bain for most in franchise history.
The Timbers are 1-12-6 in their last 19 road games.
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New England 5, Minnesota 2
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Juan Agudelo scored twice, Lee Nguyen and Chris Tierney each had a goal and an assist and the New England Revolution beat Minnesota United 5-2 on Saturday.
Agudelo, just inside the 6-yard box, headed home a perfect cross by Tierney in the fourth minute and, after Collen Warner tied it from well outside the area about 10 minutes later, Kei Kamara gave New England (1-2-0) the lead for good in the 21st. Diego Fagundez, from near midfield, threaded a pass to Nguyen at the left corner of the box, who beat a defended at the 6-yard box and centered to Kamara for the tap-in.
Nguyen scored on a penalty kick in the 31st minute to tie Steve Ralston for second on the Revolution's career goals list with 42 and Agudelo's second goal made it 4-1 at the break.
Brent Kallman pulled Minnesota (0-3-1) within two early in the second half, before a penalty kick by Tierney capped the scoring in the 53rd minute.
Minnesota United, an expansion team, has 18 goals allowed this season and is on pace to allow 153 this season. Chivas USA allowed an MLS single-season 67 goals in 2005 and 2013.
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New England 0, New York 0
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Matt VanOekel posted a shutout in his first MLS start and short-handed Real Salt Lake played the New York Red Bulls to a 0-0 draw on Saturday.
The 6-foot-4 VanOekel — starting in place of Nick Rimando, who is off on international duty — made all three of his saves in the second half. Fredrik Gulbrandsen weaved through four defenders into a clearing in the center of the box but VanOekel made the one-handed stop, diving to his right to poke it away in the 63rd minute. Then, in the 79th, he denied Bradley Wright-Phillips from close range before making another diving save in injury time, turning away Alex Muyl's shot from the top of the box.
New York's Luis Robles had four saves for his second clean sheet of the season. The Red Bulls (2-2-1), who were without Sacha Kljestan, Derrick Etienne Jr. and Michael Murillo (international duty with the United States, Haiti and Panama, respectively), have 10 shutouts during their 16-game home unbeaten streak.
It was RSL's first match under interim head coach Daryl Shore. Shore replaced Jeff Cassar, was dismissed on Monday. Real Salt Lake was also without Albert Rusnak (international duty with Slovakia) and Kyle Beckerman, who received two yellow cards in its game with the Los Angeles Galaxy on March 18.
