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Union open new stadium in style

June 28, 2010

Associated Press

Real Salt Lake and San Jose Earthquakes played to a scoreless draw on Friday in the first Major League Soccer match since the league took an unprecedented break for the 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage in South Africa.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando stopped eight shots for RSL, including a short-range blast from San Jose's Cornell Glen on a breakaway opportunity in the 84th minute. The draw snapped Salt Lake's six-match home winning streak, but extended its unbeaten streak at Rio Tinto Stadium to a franchise-record 17 league games - five short of an MLS record. The Earthquakes extended their winless streak to four games.

On Saturday, Toronto FC and Los Angeles Galaxy played out a scoreless draw Saturday amid nearby G20 Summit protests that prevented several thousand fans from attending the game at BMO Field.

Subway shutdowns, altered bus routes, and the uncertainty over road closures contributed to the smaller-than-usual crowd. The attendance was announced at 18,809, though it did not reflect the actual number of fans in the stands. Los Angeles played without stars Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle, members of the United States national team eliminated from the World Cup earlier on Saturday.

In other matches Saturday, Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel scored two late goals after Ghana's Salou Ibraham opened with a header to lead New York Red Bulls past the Kansas City Wizards 3-0. In Ohio, Guillermo Barros Schelotto of Argentina scored one goal and set up another for Eric Brunner, as Columbus Crew beat D.C. United 2-0.

Joseph Ngwenya of Zimbabwe equalized in the 80th minute after Houston conceded an own-goal to give Colorado Rapids a 2-2 draw with the Dynamo. Danny Cruz also scored for Houston, while Conor Casey scored for Colorado. In Carson, California, David Ferreira converted a second-half penalty to help FC Dallas defeat Chivas USA 2-1. Osael Romero of El Salvador earlier equalized in the 59th minute for Chivas after teammate Ante Jazic conceded an own-goal late in the first half.

Sunday saw Philadelphia Union open their new PPL Park stadium in style with a 3-1 win over Seattle Sounders FC. Sebastien Le Toux haunted his former club with Philadelphia's first goal from the penalty spot before Fred scored the Union's second goal. Danny Mwanga added a third goal in the 85th minute to seal the win at the $122 million PPL Park, where some of the 18,755 arrived four hours before kickoff.

In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Marco Poppa's first-half goal extended Chicago Fire's MLS unbeaten streak to five matches with a 1-0 victory over New England Revolution on Sunday night. Poppa uncorked a 30-yard drive for his team-best sixth goal of the season in the 30th minute. The ball glanced off of the right hand of diving Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.