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Arango's hat trick leads LAFC past Pepi-less FC Dallas

FRISCO, Texas (AP) - Cristian Arango had a hat trick, scoring two goals four minutes apart late in the second half, and LAFC beat a Ricardo Pepi-less FC Dallas team 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Pepi did not play after injuring a foot last week in the U.S. national team's win over Costa Rica.

Arango tied it at 1 in the 33rd minute on a penalty kick that goalkeeper Phelipe Megiolaro got a hand on but the ball rolled over the line. Arango had a sliding finish of Daniel Musovski's pass to tie it at 2 in the 75th, and then gave LAFC its first lead four minutes later.

Arango has 11 goals in 13 games with LAFC (11-12-7) this season, including two on Saturday.

Dallas (6-14-10) has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Ryan Hollingshead opened the scoring in the 10th by slotting it inside the far post, and Franco Jara gave Dallas a 2-1 lead just before halftime.

SOUNDERS 1, RAPIDS 1, TIE

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) - Cristian Roldan scored his fifth goal in sixth games, and Seattle tied Colorado to clinch a top-four seed in the MLS playoffs.

Seattle (17-6-7) is six points ahead of Colorado (14-6-10) and Kansas City (15-7-7) in the race for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Sounders host Sporting KC on Saturday.

Léo Chú set up Roldan's tying goal in the 81st minute by dribbling to the edge of the 18-yard box and sending the ball across the goal for a sliding finish in traffic.

Colorado forward Dom Badji headed in Jack Price's corner kick in the 66th.

WHITECAPS 3, TIMBERS 2

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Cristian Dajome converted on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute and Vancouver Whitecaps came from behind to beat Portland.

Down 2-0 at halftime, Vancouver (11-9-10) got second-half goals from Deiber Caicedo and Brian White before Dajome's penalty.

Yimmi Chara put the Timbers in front early with a left-footed goal in the 15th minute. Portland (14-12-4) doubled the lead before halftime when Dairon Asprilla's shot got past Whitecaps goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau in the 42nd minute.

REVOLUTION 3, D.C. UNITED 2

Adam Buksa, Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou all scored after halftime to give New England a win over D.C.

New England (21-4-6) extended its undefeated run to eight games, and notched its third straight victory over D.C. United (12-13-5) this season. With four matches remaining in the regular season, the Revolution are three points shy of tying the single-season points record of 72 set by LAFC in the 2019 season.

Buksa and Gil scored three minutes apart to give New England a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute. Buksa headed in Tommy McNamara's cross to the penalty spot for his 14th goal of the season. And Gil cut back his defender along the 18-yard line and took another touch for clear shooting lane.

Bou made it 3-1 in the 79th by sending home a deflected shot of Buksa's back-heel pass.

D.C. United struck first in the 51st when Ola Kamara's shot on a counter attack went off the post and fell to the feet of Nigel Robertha for an easy finish into an empty net. Ramón Ábila added a header goal in the 93rd.

MINNESOTA UNITED 3, UNION 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Robin Lod and Franco Fragapane scored goals a few minutes apart as Minnesota beat Philadelphia.

Emanuel Reynoso stole a pass in the attacking third and pulled the Philadelphia defense with him in the center before playing a back-heel pass to Lod for a one-touch finish to tie the game 2-2 in the 63rd minute. Fragapane gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead when he headed home the rebound of a shot by Adrien Hunou in the 67th minute.

Minnesota (12-10-8) has won back-to-back games following a three-game winless skid.

Fragapane's first goal came in the 41st minute, playing a slow roller that led Hunou to the corner of the 6-yard box for a one-touch finish. Philadelphia's Daniel Gazdag scored just before halftime and again in the 54th - just his second and third goals in MLS - to give the Union a 2-1 lead.

Philadelphia (12-8-10) had its six-game unbeaten streak snapped.

NASHVILLE SC 1, CREW 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Hany Mukhtar scored in the 77th minute and Joe Willis had five saves as Nashville tied Columbus.

Mukhtar, who scored four goals as a rookie last season, ran onto a cross by Daniel Ríos and slipped right-footer around defender Jonathan Mensah that froze goalkeeper Eloy Room and bounced into the net to even the game.

Mukhtar has 14 goals this season, tied for fifth most in MLS.

Lucas Zelarayán gave Columbus (10-12-8) a 1-0 lead when he blasted a one-touch shot into the net in the 75th minute.

Nashville (11-3-16) is undefeated, with five ties, in its last six games.

NEW YORK CITY FC 1, ATLANTA UNITED 1

ATLANTA (AP) - Gudmundur Thórarinsson scored on a free kick in the 90th minute, giving New York City a tie with Atlanta.

Thórarinsson's curled a left-footed shot up and over the wall past a diving Brad Guzan.

It was the first goal for New York City (11-11-8) since a 1-1 draw on Sept. 22 against the New York Red Bulls.

Marcelino Moreno scored his ninth goal of the season in the 17th minute for Atlanta (11-9-10). Luiz Araújo stole it near midfield and dribbled down the field before finding an open Moreno on his left side for a one-touch finish.

ORLANDO CITY 1, MONTREAL 1

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Chris Mueller scored for the first time in nearly four months and Orlando tied Montreal. Orlando (12-8-10) is undefeated in its last four games.

The 25-year-old Mueller, who scored a career-best 10 goals last season, scored moments before halftime to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. It was his third goal of the season, and first since July 3.

Rudy Camacho headed in a corner kick by Djordje Mihailovic in the 51st minute for Montreal (11-10-9), which extended its unbeaten streak to three games.

Orlando is tied with the Philadelphia Union for third in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. As of Wednesday, Orlando would win a tiebreaker for the No. 3 seed.

INTER MIAMI 3, TORONTO FC 0

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Federico Higuaín and Christian Makoun scored to help Miami beat Toronto.

Nick Marsmann, who allowed four goals in a loss to Columbus on Saturday, had four saves for Miami (10-15-5).

Higuaín stole a pass by goalkeeper Alex Bono and then blasted a roller into the net to open the scoring in the 10th minute. It was the second goal of the season for the 36-year-old Higuaín, who was given a yellow card in the 11th minute for excessive celebration.

Makoun scored just before halftime, slipping a shot inside the far post.

A Toronto (6-17-7) own goal in the 61st minute gave Miami a 3-0 lead.

FIRE 4, CINCINNATI 3

CINCINNATI (AP) - Luka Stojanovic scored in the 93rd minute to help Chicago beat Cincinnati in a game between teams that won't be in the playoffs.

Stojanovic's shot from distance came two minutes after Cincinnati's Tyler Blackett tied it at 3 with his first MLS goal. Stojanovic settled a clearance attempt and volleyed it over goalie Przemyslaw Tyton.

Chicago (8-16-7) built a 2-0 lead after Robert Beric scored twice three minutes apart early in the first half. He controlled a rebound with his chest and beat Tyton at the far post in the 14th minute, then sent home a loose ball in front of the net in the 17th minute for his first multi-goal game with Chicago.

Álvaro Medrán scored on a free kick in the 71st to give Chicago a 3-2 lead.

Luciano Acosta pulled Cincinnati (4-18-8) within a goal of Chicago in the 28th minute with his seventh of the season, tapping in Brandon Vázquez's header at the back post.

GALAXY 3, DYNAMO 0

HOUSTON (AP) - Sacha Kljestan and Kevin Cabral scored in Los Angeles' win over Houston.

Los Angeles (13-11-6) has won two straight after getting a stoppage-time winner from Kljestan on Saturday. Houston (6-13-12) was eliminated from playoff contention Saturday.

Kljestan scored on a penalty kick in the 39th minute and a Zarek Valentin own goal gave the Galaxy a 2-0 lead at the break. Cabral scored two minutes after halftime on a breakaway.

Greg Vanney earned his 100th regular-season victory as an MLS coach.

New England Revolution midfielder Luis Caicedo (27) and D.C. United defender Steve Birnbaum (15) battle for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Washington. The Revolution won 3-2. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
Los Angeles FC forward Cristian Arango (29) scores on a penalty kick against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS soccer match Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Frisco, Texas. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via AP) The Associated Press
D.C. United forward Ramon Abila heads the ball with New England Revolution defender Andrew Farrell (2) and midfielder Brandon Bye (15) nearby during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Washington. The Revolution won 3-2. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil (22) celebrates his goal during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the D.C. United, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Washington. The Revolution won 3-2. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
New England Revolution forward DeJuan Jones (24) passes the ball past D.C. United defender Julian Gressel (31) during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Washington. The Revolution won 3-2. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
Inter Miami defender Kelvin Leerdam, left, and Toronto FC forward Jacob Shaffelburg, right, go for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
Inter Miami forward Federico Higuain (22) celebrates after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against Toronto FC, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The Associated Press
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