Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard helped the Los Angeles Galaxy defeat FC Dallas 3-2 on Sunday night to move top of the overall league standings.
Gerrard, who opened his account on league debut in July after joining the Galaxy from Liverpool, restored his team’s two-goal cushion on 57 minutes with his second goal in Major League Soccer after early goals from Giovani Dos Santos and Robbie Keane had been pegged back by a Michael Barrios strike.
Keane set up Dos Santos for the opener on 11 minutes and the Mexican returned the favour to allow the Irishman to lash home Los Angeles’ second goal three minutes later.
Atiba Harris made things interesting by getting the visitors back within one goal four minutes from time at StubHub Center, but the hosts held on and climbed two points above the Vancouver Whitecaps atop the Western Conference – and two clear of the New York Red Bulls in the Supporters’ Shield race.
The win was Bruce Arena’s 113th regular-season victory as coach of the Galaxy – the most registered by any coach with one team in MLS history.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Matias Perez Garcia grabbed the winning goal in the 87th minutes and was then sent off for removing his shirt in celebration as the San Jose Earthquakes overcame Real Salt Lake 1-0.
The Argentinian midfielder’s deflected 25-yard shot proved decisive at Avaya Stadium, keeping the Quakes in Western Conference play-off contention, but it was his last involvement in the game as his celebration earned him a second yellow card.
Substitute Dominic Dwyer’s late equaliser earned Sporting Kansas City a big point in the play-off race with a 1-1 draw against the Seattle Sounders at Sporting Park.
Obafemi Martins had given the visitors the lead just after the half-hour mark, despatching a low low shot past goalkeeper Jon Kempin.
But Dwyer, having been introduced in the 74th minute, converted an Amadou Dia left-wing cross at the far post to clinch his side a share of the spoils.