* Chicago substitute Matt Watson sent off
* Dallas miss chance to go top of Western Conference
* San Jose and Portland draw 0-0
Aug 2 (Reuters) - Chicago Fire clinched one of the big
upsets of the Major League Soccer season when they beat Dallas
FC 2-0 at home on Sunday.
An early goal by Ghanaian international David Accam and a
late penalty by Scottish international Shaun Maloney earned the
Fire just their sixth win of the season after they entered the
match with the worst record in the league.
Accam's goal, his sixth of the season, came after only three
minutes when he nutmegged Dallas keeper Dan Kennedy from a tight
angle.
Dallas needed a win to go back atop the Western Conference
and they had their chances, most notably one that fell to Victor
Ulloa, who sent a shot whistling inches wide of the far post in
the 26th minute.
And Dallas could not take advantage of a one-man advantage
after Chicago substitute Matt Watson was given a straight red
card in the 79th minute for a studs-up challenge on Rolando
Escobar.
Instead, it was the Fire who scored, with Maloney converting
from the spot in the 85th minute after Kellyn Acosta was
adjusted to have fouled Kennedy Igboananike just inside the
penalty area.
"We're at the bottom of the table and to score early I think
took a big bit of pressure off us and I think we played
reasonably well on the counterattack," Maloney told Fox Sports
after a result that lifted the Fire off the bottom of the
Eastern Conference, with 22 points from 21 matches.
SAN JOSE AND PORTLAND IN GOALLESS DRAW
A day after 39 goals were notched in eight Saturday games,
scoring dried up in the two Sunday matches, with San Jose
Earthquakes and Portland Timbers drawing 0-0 in the other game.
A draw did not do much good for the Earthquakes,
second-bottom in the West, but they were fortunate to pick up
even one point after Portland twice hit the woodwork.
A fierce strike by Fanendo Adi struck the post in the 47th
minute, though there was more than a hint of offside in the pass
that put him on track to goal.
Later, Argentine Diego Valeri missed a penalty for Portland
in the 75th minute when his strike thundered against the
crossbar.
Portland coach Caleb Porter was moderately pleased with a
draw, given that his team had conceded 12 goals in their three
previous away games.
"What I'm most pleased about, outside the result, is the
fact we defended well," he told ESPN.