Union lose to Red Bulls, 2-1, on penalty kick

HARRISON, N.J. - For the second week in a row, the Union were victimized by a second-half penalty kick after scrapping to tie the score.

Juan Pablo Angel converted the penalty kick in the 67th minute to give the New York Red Bulls a 2-1 win over the Union in Saturday's Major League Soccer game at Red Bull Arena.

The Union, who fell to 1-3, won't have much time to lick their wounds, since they have to return to Red Bull Arena for Tuesday's opening-round game against New York in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

In their previous game, a 2-1 loss at Toronto on April 15, the Union surrendered a game-winning penalty kick in the 81st minute. The Union also fell behind, 1-0, before tying the score against Toronto.

Union defender Michael Orozco gave New York (4-1) the penalty kick after being called for a handball just inside the box. Orozco had gone up for a header, but on the way down the ball hit his hand.

Angel converted the penalty to snap the 1-1 tie.

So, one team is making the most of its chances and the other appears to be snake-bitten. For stretches in all their games, the Union have shown good attacking ability, and Saturday was no exception.

"Our physical play is good," team manager Peter Nowak said. "We just have to find a way to win games."

Both teams were pushing the ball well from the back, and it paid off for New York with the game's first goal.

Outside back Jeremy Hall carried the ball from the right side and made an outstanding chip into the box, where the 6-foot-4 forward Salou Ibrahim went up in traffic and headed it in from 6 yards out in the 50th minute.

The Union didn't take long to answer. Alejandro Moreno and Sebastien Le Toux connected for the equalizer in the 59th minute.

Moreno's cross from the right side inside the box was tipped in at the far post by a charging Le Toux, who got past Hall on the play.

"I was running into the box and knew the defender was closing in, and wanted to hold the ball as long as I could to allow Sebastien to go to the far post," Moreno said. " . . . I just put the ball in front."

Union goalkeeper Chris Seitz, who has been under fire for inconsistent play, made his best save of the season when he stopped Angel's 10-yard shot from a right angle in the 41st minute.

"I wanted to stay up and was able to get a hand on it," Seitz said.

New York had a good chance in the 34th minute, but Union defender Shea Salinas, backing up the play on a corner kick, made a potential goal-saving clear on a ball that slipped through the defense.

In the 85th minute, the Union missed a good opportunity when forward Jack McInerney headed a chip from Fred wide at the far post.

The Union were playing without central defender Danny Califf, who had to sit out after receiving a red card in the loss to Toronto.

There were no red cards this time for the Union, just the same frustrating result.

Elsewhere: The host Columbus Crew edged Real Salt Lake, 1-0, on Guillermo Barros Schelotto's penalty. . . . Pablo Mastroeni scored to lead the Colorado Rapids over host New England Revolution, 2-1. . . . The host Kansas City Wizards and Los Angeles Galaxy played to a scoreless tie. . . . The Chicago Fire blanked the visiting Houston Dynamo, 2-0.