MLS Review: Rapids win to stay top, Impact continue winless run

Axel Sjoberg scored his first goal for Colorado Rapids in a 1-0 win at Seattle Sounders in MLS action on Saturday. 

Colorado, who momentarily lost their spot atop the Western Conference following FC Dallas’ win earlier in the day, moved back to the summit with their eighth win of the season.

Sjoberg scored the game’s only goal at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle, heading in from a corner in the 43rd minute after losing his man in the box. 

However, the goal came in controversial circumstances with Rapids forward Kevin Doyle appearing to put the ball out for a goal kick, but a corner was ruled in favour of the visitors, from which they scored. 

Seattle mounted pressure on Colorado in the closing stages as the Sounders searched for an equaliser, but they could not avoid back-to-back losses. 

Set piece strength. @ColoradoRapids strike first off a corner just before halftime. #SEAvCOL https://t.co/pBiYfnKwn8

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 22, 2016

Dallas kept up the pace with Colorado courtesy of a 4-2 come-from-behind win away to New England Revolution. 

Tesho Akindele put Dallas ahead five minutes into the contest but two goals in the space of three minutes from Juan Agudelo and Lee Nguyen turned the game on its head. 

But Atiba Harris netted an equaliser 10 minutes later, and Dallas sealed the result with a goal from Fabian Castillo and then Akindele’s second of the evening in the second half. 

Dallas remain two points behind the Rapids in the west, while New England are three points off the bottom in the Eastern Conference after Chicago Fire won their second game of the season. 

It was a battle of the bottom teams in each conference, and it was Chicago who came out on top against Houston Dynamo 1-0 courtesy of Arturo Alvarez’s third-minute strike. 

Montreal Impact are now six games without a win after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Orlando City.

Montreal, who set the pace at the start of the season, took an early lead through Ignacio Piatti, but Cyle Larin’s goals either side of half-time saw Orlando take the three points in front of their home support. 

So, these guys work pretty well together. @Kaka to @CyleLarin again to give @OrlandoCitySC the lead. #ORLvMTL https://t.co/FnwXyeBZZ6

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 22, 2016

New York City missed the opportunity to move top in the east after suffering an embarrassing 7-0 defeat to local rivals New York Red Bulls. 

Real Salt Lake won 3-1 at Sporting Kansas City, while Toronto FC and Columbus Crew played out a scoreless draw.