Sounders beats Toronto 2-1 in rematch of last 2 MLS Cups

TORONTO (AP)  Handwalla Bwana scored early in the second half and the Seattle Sounders beat Toronto FC 2-1 on Wednesday night in a rematch of the previous two MLS Cup finals.

Seattle won the championship in a shootout in 2016, and Toronto won 2-0 in December.

Will Bruin also scored for Seattle (2-4-2), and Stefan Frei made five saves. Jonathan Osorio scored for Toronto (2-5-1).

Tosaint Ricketts had a chance to tie it in stoppage time off Jordan Hamilton’s header, but Frei was able to re-direct the shot wide.

Bwana scored his first career MLS goal, taking a through ball from Bruin and beating Bono between the legs in the 54th minute.

Seattle opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Bruin picked up a through ball from Magnus Wolff Eikrem, outran Gregory van der Wiel and beat Bono for his third of the season. Osorio tied it for Toronto in the 40th minute on a header off Sebastian Giovinco’s feed.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY 2, ATLANTA UNITED 0

ATLANTA (AP) – Daniel Salloi and Gerso Fernandes scored second-half goals and Tim Melia came up with several huge saves, helping Sporting Kansas City snap Atlanta’s eight-game unbeaten streak in a showdown between the two conference leaders.

United played the last 56 minutes a man down after goalkeeper Brad Guzan was given a red card for taking out Kansas City’s Khiry Sjelton just outside the penalty area as be broke in alone. Rookie Paul Christensen, an emergency signee filling in for injured backup Alec Kann, made a big save shortly after entering but couldn’t hold off a Sporting team with an extra player.

In the 67th minute, Salloi beat a diving Christensen just inside the right post. In the closing minutes, Fernandes took a long pass and went in all alone on Christensen.

CREW 1, UNION 0

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Gyasi Zardes scored his sixth goal of the season and Columbus kept Philadelphia winless on the road.

Columbus (5-3-3) extended its unbeaten streak to four matches. Philadelphia (2-5-2), which has lost four of its last five, hasn’t won on the road in 16 matches.

Zardes’ 40th career goal came in the 53rd minute on an easy tap-in. Cristian Martinez ran to a loose ball along the end line and his cross got past goalkeeper Andre Blake to the open Zardes at the far post.