MLS round-up: New York Red Bulls advance to Conference semi-finals
Thursday 26 October 2017 08:05, UK
New York Red Bulls scored twice in each half to reach the MLS Conference semi-finals on Wednesday night.
Jesse Marsch's men entered the game as underdogs, having gone eight games without a win during the regular season to finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference.
They took on a Chicago Fire side who finished third to earn home advantage, but it counted for nothing as the Red Bulls raced to a 2-0 lead within the opening 15 minutes.
Bradley Wright-Phillips opened the scoring after Damien Perrinelle found him with a chipped pass and the Englishman rounded goalkeeper Matt Lampson and tapped into the open goal.
The lead was doubled when Sacha Kljestan connected with a dangerous ball into the box after 11 minutes.
Daniel Royer and Gonzalo Veron scored to round off the 4-0 win at Toyota Park.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Whitecaps put five past the San Jose Earthquakes to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Nicolas Mezquida scored twice in three second-half minutes to put the game beyond doubt after Fredy Montero, Cristian Techera and Kendall Waston had found the net in a match where the Earthquakes dominated possession but could not finish their chances.
