Late Dempsey strike lifts Sounders to victory over Dallas
Nov 2 (Reuters) - A late 25-yard free kick goal by Seattle striker Clint Dempsey stunned top-seeded FC Dallas as the Sounders clinched a 2-1 victory in the first leg of their Major League Soccer Western Conference semi-final series on Sunday.
Dempsey's winner on the stroke of 86 minutes capped a day of playoff action that saw New York Red Bulls top D.C. United 1-0, Montreal Impact edge Columbus Crew 2-1 and Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps play a scoreless draw.
The Sounders fell behind when Fabian Castillo scored for Dallas in the 18th minute, before Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz equalised with a fierce left-footed strike from 20 yards in the 67th minute.
As the clock ticked towards full time, Dallas appeared increasingly likely to return home on level terms, but that was before Dempsey bent a superbly-placed free kick over the wall and inside the near post.
In Montreal, substitute Johan Venegas delivered the game-winning goal in the 77th minute as the Impact also came from behind.
Earlier, Argentine Federico Higuain put the Crew ahead 1-0 in the 33rd minute when a poor defensive header by Montreal's Didier Drogba fell at his feet.
The Impact took only four minutes to draw level courtesy of midfielder Patrice Bernier.
In Washington, the New York Red Bulls earned a workmanlike victory against D.C. United.
Midfielder Dax McCarty delivered a valuable away goal in the 72nd minute, set up by a free kick from Sacha Kljestan for the top-seeded Red Bulls.
United struggled to create chances and did not record a shot on goal.
"It wasn't always a pretty game," Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said in a pitch-side interview.
"We've got an important lead but we've got to go home and be ready for another battle."
In Portland, the Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps played a drab game of few chances.
The home fans had little to cheer about but coach Caleb Porter was not too despondent at the result against the second seed in the West.
"We had a couple of chances in the end to win the game. They didn't have very many," he said.
The second legs of the Conference semi-finals will be played next Sunday. (Reporting by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Andrew Both)
