CARSON, Calif. — A 90th-minute goal by Juan Pablo Angel preserved Chivas USA’s faint playoff hopes as the Rojiblancos drew the Philadelphia Union, 1-1.
Union midfielder Justin Mapp scored in the 59th minute minute for the Union, notching his 3rd goal of the season.
With the victory, the Union moved to second in the Eastern Conference, tied on points with the Columbus Crew, while Chivas USA remain four points out of the final Wild Card berth.
With playoff ramifications in the offing, both teams began tentatively. The first half-chance didn’t come until the 36th minute, when Alejandro Moreno released midfielder Laurent Courtois alone on net. However, the Frenchman flubbed the shot wide of the frame.
Philadelphia then nearly tallied just before the halftime break. On the counter, Mapp sent in a fine pass to Michael Farfan whose right-footed shot inched past the left post of Chivas’s goal.
Mapp finally took it upon himself in the 59th minute. Left unpressured in acres of space, Mapp moved into the final third and unleashed a 23-yard shot that bounced sharply into the lower right corner, beating the diving Dan Kennedy.
Moments later, Chivas nearly equalized when Moreno pulled off a cheeky heel-flick that rattled the post.
As the match entered the final quarter of an hour, Chivas turned up the pressure in search of the equalizer. It all paid off in the 90th minute, when halftime sub Blair Gavin released Michael Lahoud down the right side. Lahoud, who subbed on in the 74th minute, drove a cross to the far post, where Angel could head it home for the tying goal.
The goal was Angel’s seventh since joining Chivas USA in the summer.
Chivas nearly found the winner in the 93rd minute, but David Junior Lopes shanked his shot painfully wide.
Chivas USA return to action on October 16, when they face the LA Galaxy in the SuperClasico. The Union continue their West Coast swing on October 8, when they face the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field.
Scoring Summary:
PHI -- Justin Mapp 3 (unassisted) 59
CHV -- Juan Pablo Angel 10 (Michael Lahoud 3, Blair Gavin 3) 90
Philadelphia Union -- Zac MacMath, Sheanon Williams, Danny Califf, Carlos Valdes, Gabriel Farfan, Amobi Okugo (Roger Torres 46), Brian Carroll, Justin Mapp (Kyle Nakazawa 74), Michael Farfan, Veljko Paunovic (Freddy Adu 46), Sebastien Le Toux.
Substitutes Not Used: Jack McInerney, Zach Pfeffer, Joe Tait, Chase Harrison.
Chivas USA -- Dan Kennedy, Michael Umana, Andrew Boyens (Michael Lahoud 74), David Junior Lopes, Ante Jazic, Justin Braun, Nick LaBrocca, Simon Elliott (Blair Gavin 46), Laurent Courtois (Marcos Mondaini 58), Alejandro Moreno, Juan Pablo Angel.
Substitutes Not Used: Victor Estupinan, Jorge Flores, Zarek Valentin, Zach Thornton.
Misconduct Summary:
CHV -- David Junior Lopes (caution; Reckless Tackle) 21
PHI -- Gabriel Farfan (caution; Reckless Foul) 28
PHI -- Zac MacMath (caution; Delaying a Restart) 77
Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee's Assistants: Kermit Quisenberry; Bill Dittmar
4th Official: Ramon Hernandez
Attendance: 16,134
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Clear-and-79-degrees
