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Richards scores for Red Bulls

Published:Monday | May 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts (right) of Jamaica, knocks the ball away during a corner kick by Chivas USA, in the second half of a MLS soccer match on Saturday in Carson, California. The Galaxy won 1-0. - AP

HOUSTON, Texas (CMC):

Dane Richards scored his second goal of the season and his teammate, Mehdi Ballouchy, scored in stoppage time to earn the New York Red Bulls a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday in Major League Soccer (MLS).

The Jamaican international opened the scoring in the match, but Dynamo took over the game - following strikes from Brad Davis and Koke in either half - before Ballouchy saved the day for the visitors.

The result will send Houston (3-3-5, 14 points) to the west coast for a May 25 match with the LA Galaxy and drop the Red Bulls (4-2-4, 16 points), behind Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of a May 25 home match against defending MLS Cup champions Colorado Rapids at Red Bull Arena.

strike

Richards lived up to his pre-match talk that he would take the chance to quiet the Dynamo crowd if he got it, with a strike in the 39th second of the match, smashing a Luke Rodgers knock-down past diving Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall.

His goal was both the fastest scored in Red Bull history and the fastest conceded in Dynamo history.

New York's lead didn't last long, as Brad Davis converted a penalty in the 12th minute, after rookie Will Bruin drew the foul from Rafa Márquez, whose attempted slide tackle in the box caught the forward's ankle.

Koke later broke the 1-1 stalemate in the 82nd minute, knocking in the rebound of a Geoff Cameron header off a corner kick before Ballouchy battled for space at the near post and found himself on the end of a Joel Lindpere corner kick, snapping a quality header past Hall.