Heading into their top-of-the-table clash with the Kansas City Wizards, the New York Red Bulls had conceded just one goal at Giants Stadium in five home matches. Through 79 minutes Saturday, that amount was tripled as the Wizards torched the home side for three goals for the second time in two weeks.
But last-minute heroics by Juan Pablo Angel, who beat Kevin Hartman from the penalty spot for his second goal of the game, saved the Red Bulls in a 3-3 draw.
At Arrowhead Stadium, Eddie Johnson was the hero, tearing apart the Red Bulls defense for his second consecutive hat trick. But at Giants Stadium the Wizards did it without Johnson, who is with the U.S. national team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The hero was second-year player Yura Movsisiyan, who scored a brace after coming on for Scott Sealy in the 55th minute.
The Red Bulls have now given up 11 goals in the last four games, going 1-2-1 during that stretch.
Already without outside backs Todd Dunivant and Hunter Freeman, the injury-plagued Red Bulls defense took yet another hit when Dema Kovalenko, who was slated to start at right back, was sidelined with a slight groin strain. He was replaced by Taylor Graham in the starting XI.
Six minutes into the match, the Red Bulls struck and it was Angel who made history, becoming the first player to score eight goals in his first seven MLS matches.
Dave van den Bergh collected his own deflected corner kick and sent a cross to the far post that Angel powerfully headed back into the goal from the edge of the six-yard box after beating Jimmy Conrad to the ball. The goal also put the Colombian international one goal away from tying the league record for goals scored in consecutive matches.
The Red Bulls doubled their lead on 15 minutes when Clint Mathis scored his fifth goal this year and 44th in all competitions for the New York-based MLS team, tying him with Giovanni Savarese on the club's all-time list. New York is now 22-0-6 when Mathis scores.
Angel laid the ball off to Richards by the corner flag and the rookie played a one-two with Seth Stammler. Richards then crossed the ball in front where Mathis slid in and beat Hartman to put the Red Bulls in front 2-0.
Davy Arnaud and Sasha Victorine both had opportunities for Kansas City in the 27th minute, but Arnaud's shot from 20 yards out was saved by Ronald Waterreus, who made his second consecutive start after missing five straight games with a sprained left ankle. Victorine's header on the ensuing corner kick deflected out for another corner.
The Red Bulls had another dangerous scoring chance just after the half hour mark when Angel headed back a cross by Claudio Reyna at the end line and van den Bergh blasted a shot from 14 yards out that was pushed aside by Hartman for a corner kick.
After Victorine was denied by a diving Waterreus in the 33rd minute and Carlos Marinelli shot a free kick from 22 yards out directly at the former Dutch international five minutes later, Kansas City sliced its deficit in half two minutes from halftime.
Marinelli stepped on the ball and rolled it back with the sole of his foot, leaving it for Kerry Zavagnin, and the Wizards defender rifled a shot from 26 yards out into the upper 90, past a stunned and motionless Waterreus for his second goal of the year.
The Wizards threatened to tie the game in the 67th minute when Victorine played the ball back into the box from the endline and found Marinelli open from 16 yards out. But the Argentinean put the ball off the post to Waterreus' right.
Three minutes later, Kansas City equalized when Arnaud slid the ball to Ryan Raybould, who drove a low cross to the near post where Movsisyan beat Jeff Parke to the ball and tapped it past Waterreus for his second goal of the year.
Immediately following the goal, the Red Bulls made two changes as Jozy Altidore came on for Clint Mathis in the 70th minute and Sinisa Ubiparipovic replaced Dane Richards a minute later.
Nine minutes later, Movsisiyan scored his second of the game to put the Wizards in front. Arnaud played a long ball from well inside his own half to Movsisiyan on a counter and the Armenian cleverly chipped Waterreus from 25 yards out.
K.C. nearly added a fourth goal in the 83rd minute, but Waterreus dived to his left to stop Arnaud's shot from 16 yards out.
With the Red Bulls facing their second home loss of the season, referee Abbey Okulaja called a penalty kick in the 89th minute after Jose Burciaga, Jr., and John Wolyniec collided as they chased after a high cross lofted in from the left flank.
Angel stepped to the spot and put his penalty high and to the right of Hartman to secure the home draw for the Red Bulls.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
