[MLS NAMES & NUMBERS] For the second time this season, FC Dallas scored six goals in one game, this time downing Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center. Defending Columbus Crew is the league’s best after a 2-1 win over Houston. For highlights of the weekend’s MLS action …
1. Brazilian forward Maicon Santos, who joined Chivas USA three weeks ago, scored his first MLS goal (in his fourth appearance) when he stroked a 7-yard shot past New England keeper Matt Reis after latching on to a precise low cross from Justin Braun in the 10th minute of a 2-0 win over the Revs.
3. FC Dallas scored three goals in four minutes — second-half strikes by Atiba Harris, David Ferreira and Jeff Cunningham — to up a 3-2 lead to 6-2 in a 6-3 win at Los Angeles. FC Dallas, with a modest record of 7-11-6, has now scored six goals twice this season, having thumped Kansas City 6-0 Aug. 1.
JEFF CUNNINGHAM, who scored twice in FC Dallas’ win over the Galaxy (while assisting twice), upped his season total to 12 goals, one behind league-leader Conor Casey and one more than Seattle’s Fredy Montero, whose 11th goal of the season was the 84th minute gamewinner in the Sounders 2-1 win at D.C. United.
2. Toronto FC’s second win in 10 games in all competitions helped keep its slim playoff hopes alive. The Reds beat Colorado 3-2 win thanks to goals by Dwayne De Rosario, Nana Attakora and O’Brian White.
42. Eddie Gaven‘s stoppage-time penalty kick gave defending champ Columbus a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo and puts the Crew atop the league’s overall standings with 42 points. It also kept the Crew the only team with an undefeated home record (8-0-4).
CARLOS JOHNSON. The New York Red Bulls defender tied the MLS record for most red cards in a season when he was ejected for the third time, during a 1-0 loss to Kansas City. Johnson matches the three reds Brazilian World Cup champ Branco accumulated when he was with the club, then the MetroStars, in 1997. Johnson has played only nine games for the Bulls.
7. The Chicago Fire is undefeated (4-0-3) in games in which it has entered halftime with a lead. On Saturday, Chris Rolfe put the Fire ahead 1-0 shortly before the break, and it escaped Real Salt Lake with a 1-1 tie to stay in second place in the East Conference.