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Josef Martinez Extends Record Goal Streak; LAFC-Red Bulls Play Goal-Filled Thriller

Josef Martinez scored twice to extend his MLS-record goals streak to 10 games while LAFC scored TKTK goals in a win over the Red Bulls and the Galaxy's road struggles continued. 

Associated Press

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ATLANTA — Josef Martinez scored twice to extend his MLS-record goals streak to 10 games and Atlanta United beat New York City FC 2-1 on Sunday.

Martinez has 10 goals in Atlanta's last seven games and scored 15 times in his last 10.

Defending champion Atlanta (13-9-3) has won four of its last five games.

Julian Gressel, on the right side, played a high cross to the far post that Martinez headed home to make it 1-0 in 42nd minute. Martinez converted from spot in the 63rd to double the advantage.

Heber Araujo dos Santos scored in the 81st, blasting a first-timer, off a feed by Valentin Castellanos, into the net from the top of the area. New York City (10-5-8) has lost two of its last three games.

LAFC 4, New York Red Bulls 2

LOS ANGELES — Carlos Vela had a goal and two assists to lead Los Angeles FC to a 4-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday night.

With the three-point night, Vela has tied Sebastian Giovinco, who had a combined 38 goals and assists in 2015 with Toronto, for the most points in an MLS season. Vela has 10 games remaining in the regular season.

The game was tied at 2-all before Vela scored his MLS-leading 23rd goal on a penalty kick in the 61st minute. LAFC was awarded the penalty when Red Bulls' defender Rece Buckmaster fouled Eduard Atuesta in the penalty area.

Both of Vela's assists were on free kicks. Jordan Harvey opened the scoring with his first LAFC goal in the 23rd minute on a header. Eddie Segura gave LAFC a 4-2 advantage in the 72nd minute off a Vela feed into the box. It was Vela's 15th assist of the season.

Latif Blessing also scored in the 25th minute for LAFC, which improved to a league-best 17-3-4. They have 55 points, which is 10 more than East-leading Philadelphia.

The Red Bulls tied it in the first half on a Cristian Casseres Jr. goal in the 42nd minute and a Tyler Miller own goal in stoppage time. New York (11-10-4) has lost two of its last three and remains fifth in the East with 37 points.

D.C. United 2, LA Galaxy 1

WASHINGTON — Lucas Rodriguez and Paul Arriola scored in D.C. United's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday night.

Rodriguez side-footed a rebound into an open net to make it 2-1 in the 73rd minute. Ulises Segura's shot from outside the box was stopped by a diving David Bingham but the rebound went directly to Arriola and the corner of the 6-yard box. His first-timer was parried by Bingham, but Rodriguez tapped in the putback from near the spot.

D.C. (10-7-9) snapped a three-game winless skid and won for just the second time in its last eight matches.

Bill Hamid played a goal kick into the attacking half where Quincy Amarikwa headed it to Segura, who flipped an arcing pass to the top of the area where Paul Arriola first-timed it to give D.C. United the lead in the 28th minute.

Favio Alvarez tied it in the 48th.

Hamid finished with three saves. After a failed clearance attempt by D.C. United in first-half stoppage time, Uriel Antuna turned and fired from near the spot but Hamid made a diving one-handed stop. He also made a diving save in the 70th minute.

The Galaxy (12-11-1) have lost four of their last five games.

Philadelphia Union 2, Houston Dynamo 1

CHESTER, Pa. — Kacper Przybylko and Jack Elliott scored and the Philadelphia Union beat the Houston Dynamo 2-1 on Sunday night.

Elliott's header gave the Union a 2-1 lead in the 78th minute. Jamiro Monteiro played a high entry to the center of the area where a clearance attempted deflected off Elliott and bounced off the crossbar before he headed it into an empty net.

The Union (13-7-6) have won three of their last four games.

Przybylko rolled it to Haris Medunjanin at the top of the area, who tapped it back to Przybylko for a first-timer that rolled through the legs of goalkeeper Joe Willis into the net to make it 1-0 in the 18th.

Christian Ramirez, in his first game for Houston after being traded from Los Angeles FC on Wednesday, tied it in the 42nd. DaMarcus Beasley, on the left side, played a cross to Ramirez at the top of the area where he flipped it up and then rifled a volley inside the post.

The Dynamo (9-13-3) have lost seven of their last eight games.

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