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Late Rossi Goal Gives LAFC Draw Against Orlando, Toronto Blasts FC Cincinnati

Diego Rossi scored in the 78th minute as LAFC labored to a draw against Orlando City while Toronto FC had no trouble blasting FC Cincinnati on Saturday. 

SI Staff

Late Rossi Goal Gives LAFC Draw Against Orlando, Toronto Blasts FC Cincinnati
Late Rossi Goal Gives LAFC Draw Against Orlando, Toronto Blasts FC Cincinnati /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Adrien Perez scored his first MLS goal and Diego Rossi also connected to help Los Angeles FC tie Orlando City 2-2 on Saturday night.

Rossi, on the right flank, cut inside to evade a defender, and rolled a pass to Adama Diomande, who turned and led Rossi toward the top of the 6-yard box, where he slipped a shot past diving goalkeeper Brian Rowe to tie it in the 78th minute.

Los Angeles (19-4-6), which was without Carlos Vela for the second consecutive game, is winless in its last three matches—its longest such streak this season. Vela, who leads MLS with 27 goals this season, injured his hamstring in a 3-3 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 25.

Perez, a 23-year-old rookie making his first start and just his ninth appearance, first-timed a left-footer that deflected off the outstretched hand of Rowe into the net to open the scoring in the 12th minute. Luis Carlos ''Nani'' Almeida da Cunha immediately began his run after tapping the ensuing kickoff to Christian Higuiata, who played a long ball that led Nani to the top of the area where he chipped it over charging goalkeeper Tyler Miller into an open net to tie it moments later.

Benji Michel put away Ruan Carlos Gomes Costa da Silva's low cross with a sliding first-timer from point-blank range to give Orlando City a 2-1 lead in the 20th minute.

Orlando (9-13-8) has just one win in its last five matches.

Toronto FC 5, FC Cincinnati 1

CINCINNATI — Patrick Mullins scored in the 10th minute, Marco Delgado added a goal and an assist and Toronto FC beat expansion FC Cincinnati 5-1 on Saturday night.

Delgado deflected a pass by Cincinnati's Joseph-Claude Gyau directly to a streaking Mullins, who took one dribble before side-netting a left-footer from the top of the area to make it 1-0.

Nick DeLeon rifled home a low volley to double the advantage in the 21st minute, and Delgado headed home an entry by Alejandro Pozuelo to give Toronto a 3-0 lead in the 28th.

Michael Bradley scored in the 63rd minute, and Nicolas Benezet made it 5-0 in the 85th. Benezet, who signed with Toronto July 30, has scored in back-to-back games.

Emmanuel Ledesma capped the scoring on a penalty kick in the second minute of stoppage time.

Toronto (11-10-8) is unbeaten in its last five matches, dating to a 2-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Aug. 3. Cincinnati (5-21-3) has lost four in a row and is winless, with eight losses, in its last nine matches.

NYCFC 2, New England Revolution 1

NEW YORK — Jesus Medina scored two second-half goals, the second on a penalty kick late in extra time, and New York City FC vaulted into the Eastern Conference lead with a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday.

New England took the lead in the second minute and went a man down in the ninth, but New York City couldn't capitalize until Medina scored in the 70th minute. It appeared the Revolution would steal a point on the road until Andrew Farrell took down Alexandru Mitrita in the box. The PK call, six minutes into stoppage time, was made after review and was the second review to go against New England. Antonio Milnar Delamea was sent off in the ninth minute for denial of an obvious scoring opportunity.

Juan Fernando Calcedo's fifth goal made it 1-0 for New England (10-10-9) early. A long pass forward from Farrell found Calcedo behind the defense. He fended off a defender and put the ball past challenging keeper Brad Stuver.

NYCFC (15-5-8), which moved past Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference, had the pressure the short-handed Revolution on throughout and it showed in the tying goal. Alexander Ring put a long ball up to Anton Tinnerholm on the right sideline and he quickly put it into the box where three teammates swarmed behind the defense with Media taking the honors for his second goal of the season.

Matt Turner made nine saves for sixth-place New England as NYCFC put 10 of 30 shots on goal. The Revolution only had seven shots, two on target as Stuver made just one save.

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