MLS Review: Dallas leave it late, Dempsey unable to prevent Sounders loss

Tesho Akindele was the hero for FC Dallas, with his late goal lifting the Western Conference high-flyers past reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1.

With four minutes of regulation time remaining at Toyota Stadium in Frisco on Saturday, Akindele received a diagonal pass from Mauro Diaz just outside the penalty area and curled the ball beyond Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.

Akindele’s match-winner ensured Dallas stayed level with Vancouver Whitecaps (20 points), who top the standings on goal difference after accounting for Philadelphia Union 3-0.

The Galaxy went into the match on the back of three consecutive draws but the Los Angeles franchise broke the deadlock after a scoreless first half away from home.

Gyasi Zardes, who met Stefan Ishizaki’s 59th-minute corner, shrugged off his opponent and glanced a header past keeper Dan Kennedy with relative ease.

Dallas were back on level terms 13 minutes from the end thanks to Blas Perez after the Panama international striker chested down a scooped pass from Diaz and rounded the keeper.

Akindele then scored his fourth goal of the season to extend Dallas’ unbeaten run to four matches.

Clint Dempsey scored twice but it was in vain as Seattle Sounders went down 3-2 at Columbus Crew.

The Sounders went into the half-time break level at 1-1 thanks to Dempsey, who cancelled out Kei Kamara’s opener.

Federico Higuain restored the Crew’s lead four minutes into the second half, before Kamara doubled the home team’s advantage just shy of the hour mark.

Dempsey pulled a goal back from close range in the 75th minute but Crew held on for all three points to jump up to third in the Eastern Conference, with the fourth-placed New York Red Bulls scheduled to play New York City on Sunday.

The Sounders lost ground in the West, now sitting four points behind Vancouver and Dallas, but have games in hand.

Elsewhere, beaten CONCACAF Champions League finalists Montreal Impact’s return to MLS action did not go according to plan, losing 2-1 at home to Portland Timbers.

DC United missed the chance to go top in the East following their 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City.

Real Salt Lake upstaged Chicago Fire 2-1.