MLS Conference Semifinals, First Legs

Four games will be played today, representing the first games in each two-game Conference Semifinal series. The first game is...

DC United hosting the New York Red Bulls. Luis Robles and Bill Hamid are the goalies. New York had a yellow card for a thirty-fifth minute foul by Matt Miazga. The Red Bulls saw a yellow card for Ronald Zubar in the sixty-ninth minute. New York got going with a seventy-second minute Dax McCarty goal, courtesy of Sacha Kljestan. DC took yellow cards in the seventy-fifth minute to Fabian Espindola and in the seventy-seventh minute to Alvaro Saborio, both for fouls. In the eighty-eighth minute, the Red Bulls had a yellow card for time wasting by Bradley Wright-Phillips. The final stood at 1-0, with the man of the match being McCarty. The Red Bulls hold the advantage with their turn at home next week.

Out west, the Portland Timbers welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in an all-Cascadia series. David Ousted and Jake Gleeson protect the nets. Portland's Lucas Melano took a yellow card for his foul in the forty-fourth minute. Vancouver's Gershon Koffie received a yellow card in the forty-fifth minute for a foul. The scoring never came, with the final holding at 0-0, and the man of the match was Ousted for preserving a clean sheet with six-saves. The tie will have to be decided next weekend in Vancouver.

Northeast to Montreal, where the Impact bring in the Columbus Crew SC. Steve Clark and Evan Bush are the gloved men. Columbus opened in the thirty-third minute on a Federico Higuain goal. Montreal tied it on a thirty-seventh minute goal from Patrice Bernier, via Marco Donadel. The Impact had a yellow card for Victor Cabrera in first half stoppage time for his foul. Ambroise Oyongo of Montreal had a yellow card for a foul in the fifty-first minute. The Crew's Gaston Sauro received a yellow card for his fifty-second minute foul. The Impact took the lead on a seventy-seventh minute goal from Johan Venegas. Montreal's Didier Drogba took a yellow card for his foul in the eighty-seventh minute. Columbus' Harrison Afful received a yellow card in second half stoppage time for his foul. The final stood at 2-1, with the man of the match being Venegas for the winner that sends the Crew home trailing in the series with a deficit to recover next week.

Finally, the Seattle Sounders FC host FC Dallas. Jesse Gonzalez and Stefan Frei are between the posts. Dallas started in the eighteenth minute on a Fabian Castillo goal, set up by Mauro Diaz. Seattle tied it on a sixty-seventh minute goal by Andreas Ivanschitz. The Sounders took the lead in the eighty-sixth minute on a Clint Dempsey goal. This stood for a 2-1 win, with the man of the match being named as Dempsey for the winner. Seattle will travel with an advantage.

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