MLS wrap: Crew fail to deliver

Columbus Crew lost three points and three players in Dallas and the New York Red Bulls drew again in MLS on Saturday.

FC Dallas picked up their third straight victory with a 2-0 result over 10-man Crew, moving within a point of first-placed Los Angeles in the Western Conference.

The match was a dire one for the visitors, who lost defender Andy Iro to a red card and rookie midfielder Rich Balchan to a groin injury.

Midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo will also sit out Wednesday’s game at the Vancouver Whitecaps after picking up a yellow card in the 20th minute, his third of the season.

Dallas winger Brek Shea continued his rampant form with a goal in the 58th minute, his eighth of the season and his fourth in as many games.

Shea, who curled a shot wide of Will Hesmer’s goal just two minutes earlier, cleaned up after the Crew goalkeeper failed to collect a Marvin Chavez attempt cleanly.

Brazilian import Jackson added an insurance goal in the 76th minute, bursting into the area and chipping over Hesmer to seal the win.

The 23-year-old has also scored in his past four games.

Elsewhere, Joel Lindpere scored a brace as the New York Red Bulls held on for a 2-2 draw at the San Jose Earthquakes.

Lindpere made up for the absence of Thierry Henry by scoring in the seventh and 85th minutes, sending New York to their seventh draw from the past nine games.

Khari Stephenson (37) and Seven Lenhart (68) scored either side of the half-time whistle for the Earthquakes, who played in front of a club-record 41,028 supporters at Stanford Stadium.

Red Bulls leading scorer Henry was a late withdrawal from the match with flu-like symptoms.

In other results, the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Union drew 2-2 at DC United, Sporting Kansas City defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 and the Chicago Fire earned a 1-1 draw at Chivas USA.