making his MLS debut, ran onto it, rounded goalkeeper Jon Busch and rolled the ball into the goal from a tight angle for his first MLS goal. He became the fifth-youngest player in league history to score, aged 16 years, 332 days.
• But the Fire hit for the game-winner in stoppage time. John Thorrington knocked a cross to Justin Mapp, who nodded a return pass over a defender into the area. Thorrington stroked the ball under Sutton from close range for the winner, his fourth goal on the season.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-3-2-1): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux (Mike Banner 83), Wilman Conde, Daniel Woolard, Gonzalo Segares (C.J. Brown 63) - John Thorrington, Logan Pause, Justin Mapp - Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chris Rolfe - Chad Barrett (Tomasz Frankowski 68). Substitutes Not Used: Diego Gutierrez, Stephen King, Nick Noble, Patrick Nyarko
• Here's Carver's team (3-4-1-2): Greg Sutton - Tyrone Marshall, Marco Velez, Julius James (Abdus Ibrahim 46) - Marvell Wynne, Maurice Edu, Carl Robinson, Jim Brennan - Amado Guevara - Laurent Robert, Jarrod Smith (Rohan Ricketts 46). Substitutes Not Used: Nana Attakora-Gyan, Jeff Cunningham, Brian Edwards, Kevin Harmse, Tyler Rosenlund
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC haven't lost in three games and still remain alive for a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, though FC Dallas received a late penalty kick to pull into a 2-2 draw last Saturday evening at BMO Field. TFC has 32 points from 28 matches, four points out of the final wild card spot with two games left to play.
LAST MATCH
• FC Dallas were unbeaten in four in a row, playing their final home game of the season, while Toronto FC had kept their playoff dreams intact the week before, winning for the first time in nearly two months.
• The Hoops took the lead into the break after Kenny Cooper's opportunistic goal in the 34th minute. Adrian Serioux's long throw-in from the right touchline bounced around the goalmouth before Cooper latched onto it, and he stroked it home from a tight angle for the opener.
• But TFC grabbed control of the match in the second half, and pulled level in the 72nd minute. Also from a long throw-in, this time from Marvell Wynne at nearly the identical spot as Serioux, Danny Dichio flicked a near-post header back toward the spot, and Marco Velez side-volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
• Then two minutes from full time, Wynne put TFC into the lead. Chad Barrett sprung the U.S. international with a perfectly weighted, defense-splitting through ball, and Wynne curled it around an advancing Dario Sala from well outside the area for his second goal on the year.
• But the game was far from over. From a free kick beyond the left corner of the TFC area, the ball was swung and referee Mark Geiger spotted TFC substitute Julius James pulling back on Serioux's jersey, awarding a penalty kick. Cooper converted the first attempt, but it was disallowed for encroachment into the area. On the second try, TFC goalkeeper Greg Sutton guessed correctly, but Cooper still slipped under his hand for the leveler, his 18th goal on the season, tying the FC Dallas club record held by Jason Kreis.
• TFC head coach John Carver made four changes to the team that defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 at Giants Stadium the previous weekend. Kevin Harmse, Tyrone Marshall, Amado Guevara and Carl Robinson were all away on international duty, so Nana Attakora-Gyan and Marco Velez came into the back four, and Tyler Rosenlund and Johann Smith came into the midfield.
• Here's Carver's team (4-4-2): Greg Sutton - Marvell Wynne, Nana Attakora-Gyan, Marco Velez, Jim Brennan - Rohan Ricketts (Jarrod Smith 61), Hunter Freeman, Tyler Rosenlund, Johann Smith (Abdus Ibrahim 83) - Chad Barrett (Julius James 90), Danny Dichio. Substitutes Not Used: Brian Edwards, Gabe Gala, Derek Gaudet, Joey Melo
• "I'm disappointed because I think we've been robbed. I thought we came out in the second half and had on the right foot and deserved to be 2-1 up. It's really disappointing when you go into the dying moments of a game and a decision's been made against you," Carver said. "It's the story of our season. That's happened all season. You work hard from Monday to Friday, you step over the white line and it's in the hands of the gods. On this occasion it's gone against us again."
TEAM NEWS
• The losses weren't as great on the last international fixture date, but Toronto FC were still missing five players to international duty for the FC Dallas match. That number grew to six when Marvell Wynne was called into the U.S. team for the midweek match at Trinidad & Tobago - joining Kevin Harmse (Canada), Amado Guevara (Honduras), Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala), Carl Robinson (Wales) and Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica) - but all six should be back for the Chicago game.
• "We had five players missing on international duty. We've gone into the game, and four guys have come into the starting lineup, so it's going to take them a little while to find the pace of the game. It's guys who haven't been playing," Carver said. "They found it quite tough in the first half, coming into the pace of the game, but once they got their second wind and came out in the second half, I felt we did very well and took the game to Dallas. Once we got the equalizer, I felt we were going to go on and win the game and we should have."
• After losing eight of nine games away from BMO Field from May 24-Sept. 20, the Reds have taken four points of a possible six from their last two road games. They will need a similar turnaround to remain in the playoff chase this weekend, as they have gone winless in their last seven games at Exhibition Place, since June 14.
• "We are trying to follow the pattern that has served us well for the last couple of weeks because that has helped to get us four points out of six. In football, when you're doing well, you don't like changing things. We should have got six points out of six, but when things are taken out of our control, there is not much we can do about it," Carver said.
• While Marvell Wynne has been the offensive "leader" over the past two games, with a goal and two assists in TFC's five goals total, Carver pointed to the strike partnership of Danny Dichio and Chad Barrett as key. The duo has started the past three games; in the last two, the Reds have scored more than one goal in a game for the first times since June 14.
• Over the last few weeks our performances have stemmed from our front guys, Danny Dichio and Chad Barrett," Carver said. "They have been awesome for us. They have given us the platform to go and play, and they have given us a chance by holding the ball up. Danny has been a thorn in the side of defenders because he has been a threat in the air. Danny and Chad have both got fitter and the team has been a bit more settled."
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire moved into a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference with the New England Revolution (against whom Chicago holds the tiebreaker) after playing to a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park. The Fire have 43 points from 28 matches, level with the Revolution, with the two teams certain to meet in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
LAST MATCH
• The Crew hadn't lost since Aug. 2, winners of three in a row, while the Fire had just one win in their last four games.
• But playing in his first game against his former club, where he began his professional career from 1996-2003, Brian McBride staked the Fire to a 13th-minute lead. A corner kick flew over everyone in the area, and McBride was well-positioned to simply turn it home.
• After the break, the Crew took the lead with two goals in a three-minute span. In the 59th minute, a cross came in from the left and was cleared out by Fire defender Wilman Conde - but only as far as the arc at the top of the box. Eddie Gaven swooped in and hammered a first-time drive inside the right-hand post for his third goal on the season.
• Then a lightning-quick counterattack pushed Columbus into the lead. Robbie Rogers was freed down the right flank and served in a pinpoint cross to the back post for Guillermo Barros Schelotto to head home for his seventh goal on the year.
• Yet with 11 minutes to go, McBride again popped up to victimize his former club. Cuauhtemoc Blanco swung in a free kick from the right, it was nodded on by Conde, and McBride hooked it home from close range for his fourth goal since returning to MLS from England's Fulham FC.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 at the Kansas City Wizards the week before. Wilman Conde came in for Diego Gutierrez in the back four, and Stephen King came in for the suspended John Thorrington.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux (Patrick Nyarko 78), Wilman Conde, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares - Stephen King, Logan Pause, Justin Mapp (Mike Banner 78) - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Chris Rolfe (Dasan Robinson 82), Brian McBride. Substitutes Not Used: Andy Herron, Peter Lowry, Nick Noble, Daniel Woolard
• "Our guys showed we wanted to get into the playoffs. We made some nice plays after we got down and then we were able to walk away with a point and a spot in the playoffs," Hamlett said.
TEAM NEWS
• Brian McBride spent his first eight years in MLS, from 1996-2003, in Columbus with the Crew, before heading to England and Fulham FC. His brace against his former club was his 10th in his MLS career, his first since returning from England.
• "I loved my time in Columbus. This game was special. But the most important thing is to win the game. We didn't do that. It just so happened that I got two goals ... This past week Denis told me to stop trying to do so many things. He told me to be a target player," McBride said. Said Hamlett: "Brian is a true professional. He knows what it's all about. He played his game today. He was able to get himself in good position and score two goals."
• After going seven consecutive games where they did not allow more than a goal in a game, the Fire have allowed multiple goals in four of their last seven, including the two against Columbus.
• "I thought in the first 70 minutes or so our defense was pretty good. After they scored their first goal we kind of lost our focus and allowed them to take the lead. After about 10 minutes we got our shape back. When we give up a goal we have to keep our shape," said goalkeeper Jon Busch.
• The draw left the Fire tied with the New England Revolution with 43 points in the Eastern Conference. If the teams remain tied at the end of the season, the Fire hold the tiebreaker and would have home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series they are guaranteed to have.
• "We wanted to get back to where we finished last season and getting into the playoffs is the first step to doing that," Hamlett said. "We now control out own destiny for home field in the first round. I want us to build on these last games in the regular season and go into the playoffs with a good frame of mind."
• The Fire travel to Toronto FC and play host to the New York Red Bulls, while the Revolution travel to D.C. United and then face the Kansas City Wizards at home to conclude the season.
• "We're playing for second place," McBride said. "That's our goal now. Getting home field advantage in one of the rounds would be beneficial to us."
