SEATTLE (AP) - Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins scored his finest goal since joining Major League Soccer in the eighth minute to give the league-leading Seattle Sounders a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Martins, who was this week overlooked for Nigeria’s World Cup training squad, scored in the 8th minute from a shallow angle just 4 yards off the end line. Instead of settling Gonzalo Pineda’s pass, Martins chipped the ball with his left foot over San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch and just inside the far post. It was the fifth goal of the season for Martins.
Both Seattle and San Jose have begun a potential two-month stretch with some of the top players in the league away competing at the World Cup.
Jermain Defoe and Luke Moore scored in each half as Toronto ended a three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls.
Toronto had lost four of its last five games after opening the MLS season with two consecutive wins.
Defoe hammered a right-footed shot into the top of the net in the 12th minute for his fourth goal in five MLS games.
Moore, in his home debut, scored his first goal for Toronto with a tap-in in stoppage time after a defensive miscommunication.
At Sandy, Utah, Joao Plata scored his sixth goal of the season as Real Salt Lake remained undefeated with a 2-1 victory in the opening match of the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry against the Colorado Rapids.
Plata of Ecuador scored in the 23rd minute and Javier Morales converted a penalty in the 52nd minute to put Salt Lake ahead 2-0.
Drew Moor’s header into the corner in the 83rd minute gave Colorado a consolation goal.
New Eangland’s A.J. Soares, Diego Fagundez, Lee Nguyen, Chris Tierney and Patrick Mullins all scored as the Revolution downed the Philadelphia Union 5-3 for their fourth straight win.
Soares opened the scoring in the 13th minute off a free kick from Tierney. Fagundez scored in the 27th.
Philadelphia got within 2-1 in the 36th minute with a goal by midfielder Vincent Nogueira, but the Revolution quickly responded after halftime as Nguyen scored his team-leading fifth goal.
Tierney scored from a free kick in the 57th minute and Mullins added a goal in the 67th. Sheanon Williams found the Union’s second goal in the 76th minute.
Portland’s Gaston Fernandez scored from a header in the 85th minute to give the Timbers a 3-3 draw with the Columbus Crew, while D.C United drew 1-1 with the Montreal Impact after Eddie Johnson scored in the 84th minute.
The Houston Dynamo beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 and Chivas USA played out a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas.
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