October 10, 2009 MLS ROUNDUP Quakes, Crew stay hot
Gino Padula scored from 35 yards to give the Columbus Crew a 1-0 win over New England. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 1, TORONTO FC 1
TORONTO—Cornell Glen broke 20,571 hearts at BMO Field on Saturday, scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time to pull the San Jose Earthquakes into a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC and silence the sellout crowd.
The result all but ended Toronto’s hopes of advancing to their first-ever MLS postseason. Even if the Reds (9-10-9) win their last two regular season games, they can earn no more than 42 points. Eight teams already are ahead of them in the playoff chase, each with a possible 6-12 points on their own tables.
TFC appeared to have the game in their pockets after Nana Attakora snapped a scoreless tie in the 47th minute. Dwayne De Rosario had the assist, with a 30-yard pass to the far post.
Glen, who entered the match in the 77th minute for Shea Salinas, ran onto a sharp pass back from the endline by Chris Leitch and buried the equalizer from 10 yards.
Goalkeeper Joe Cannon kept San Jose (7-13-8, 29 pts) in the match, making five saves as the Reds put six of their 13 shots on goal. Brian Edwards, getting the start in place of injured Toronto netminder Stefan Frei, finished with two saves.
COLUMBUS CREW 1, NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 0
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.—The Columbus Crew continued their march toward the MLS Supporters Shield with Saturday’s 1-0 win over the New England Revolution.
Gino Padula won the game with a fluke goal in the 36th minute. The Crew defender, who had not scored a goal all season, teed up a 35-yard free kick from near the right sideline. What should have been an easily playable ball bounced in the box between Revolution defender Emmanuel Osei and 'keeper Matt Reis and into the net.
Netminder Will Hesmer stopped all four of New England’s shots on goal, including a point-blank stop on Kheli Dube in the 69th minute, and dodged a bullet on the same play when shalrie Joseph’s follow off the rebound went wide. The revolution had a man advantage for the final 25 minutes of the match after Emmanuel Ekpo was sent off for elbowing defender Kevin Alston.
The Crew continue to lead the league with 49 points (13-5-10). The loss makes New England’s (10-10-8, 38 pts) two-point hold on the eighth and final playoff slot even more tenuous.
