Late Ulloa equalizer secures draw, keeps Dallas top in MLS
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) - Dallas' Victor Ulloa scored a late long-range equalizer to snatch a 1-1 draw at Colorado on Saturday, maintaining the three-point gap between the top two teams in the Major League Soccer standings.
The Rapids remain unbeaten at home this season but missed a prime chance to go level on points with Dallas and are now looking over their shoulder at Los Angeles, placed third in the Western Conference, after the Galaxy won at Portland.
In the key Eastern Conference encounter, a Didier Drogba hat trick saw Montreal rout Philadelphia and move within a point of the Union in the fight for second place.
The Colorado-Dallas game was delayed nearly an hour due to lightning in the area, and Marlon Hairston put the hosts ahead just before halftime when he blocked a clearance attempt and followed the deflection into the 18-yard box for the finish.
The equalizer came in the 82nd minute when Ulloa gathered a deflected clearance in an open space about 30 yards from goal and drilled a right-footed shot that curled away from goalkeeper Tim Howard and into the upper right corner of the goal.
Los Angeles' Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes scored in the opening 11 minutes to set up a 2-1 win at Portland, ending the Timbers' nine-game unbeaten streak.
Zarek Valentin scored for Portland, which suffered a setback when veteran defender Nat Borchers suffered what appeared to be a left ankle injury late in the first half. The Timbers were already without defender Liam Ridgewell, who has a strained right calf and will also miss the MLS All-Star Game against Arsenal next week.
The Galaxy has won four straight MLS games.
Montreal's Drogba emphatically ended an eight-week scoring drought when he hammered home three as the Impact beat Philadelphia 5-1.
The 38-year-old Ivorian striker returned last week after missing three games with a thigh injury.
Ignacio Piatti returned after sitting out a one-game suspension to score a goal and add two assists, while recent signing Matteo Mancuso, who replaced Drogba in the 79th minute, added his first MLS goal.
Chris Pontius scored for Philadelphia.
Another Canadian club enjoyed a one-sided home victory as a Sebastian Giovinco hat trick led Toronto to a 4-1 win against D.C. United.
The Italian star, who also had gone eight games without scoring, converted two free kicks 18 minutes apart in the first half, with the third coming in second-half stoppage time as he poked home Mark Bloom's cross to up his goals total to 11 this season.
Marky Delgado also scored for Toronto while Jeffrey had the sole goal for D.C. United.
Vancouver kept up its playoff hopes with a scoreless draw at Houston, and it could have been more had Erik Hurtado's apparent goal in the 84th minute being ruled out for offside.
New England's Je-Vaughn Watson scored with a header in the 85th minute to lift the Revolution past Chicago 1-0.
Orlando City's Kevin Molino scored in the 65th minute and assisted on Cyle Larin's goal in the 70th to help the hosts take a 2-2 home draw against Columbus.