PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) _ David Villa scored a contentious goal as New York City won 2-1 at Portland on Sunday to take a share of the lead in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference.
The former World Cup-winning striker netted the opening goal to give him eight goals for the season, tied for the league lead.
In the day’s other games, Sporting Kansas City downed Orlando City and Houston defeated Real Salt Lake.
NYC took the lead in the 12th minute as defender R.J. Allen appeared to use his hands to knock the ball away from Darlington Nagbe, but no foul was called. Instead, Allen sent an inch-perfect 30-yard rolling pass into the path of Villa, who calmly shot the ball past the goalkeeper.
Portland equalized in the 55th minute when Fanendo Adi fended off a defender and muscled his way in to the area, where his shot deflected off a New York defender and beat the keeper Josh Saunders. Adi also has eight goals this season.
Tommy McNamara scored what proved the winner in the 65th minute when he curled a 20-yard shot out of the reach of the keeper and into a top corner.
New York has won three straight, tied for the longest in the team’s short history, while defending MLS champion Portland has lost three straight.
Sporting Kansas City substitute Jacob Peterson scored on a diving header in the 79th minute to secure a 2-1 win against Orlando.
Peterson’s goal came on a cross from Roger Espinoza from the right corner. Sporting KC deserved to win, dominating the play with 34 shots. The victory broke a seven-game winless sequence.
Despite being outplayed, Orlando City opened the scoring in the 67th minute from a goalmouth scramble, with the ball ricocheting off several legs and into the net, being record as an own goal.
Kansas City drew even in the 74th minute when Benny Feilhaber chipped it into the penalty area, Peterson centered the ball with his header and Dominic Dwyer flicked in a header at the near post.
Orlando City is winless in six games.
Houston’s Giles Barnes scored the sole goal as the Western Conference cellar dwellers beat Real Salt Lake 1-0.
Off a goal kick in the 65th minute, Barnes outran a defender down the left wing and squeezed his shot just inside the far post.
