NAPERVILLE, Ill., June 22 (UPI) -- Mamadou Diallo set up Rodrigo Faria for the game's only goal late in the second half Saturday, giving the MetroStars a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire that tightened the Eastern Conference standings.
Tim Howard made a pair of great saves late in the contest to preserve his second straight shutout for the MetroStars (5-5-2, 17 points), who blanked the Los Angeles Galaxy last week. Chicago (5-6-2, 17 points) suffered its third straight loss as it was caught for second place.
Howard was the key to the second half as the Fire applied pressure. In the 80th minute, Howard made a spectacular diving save on Ante Razov's shot, tipping the ball away while at the very edge of the penalty area.
The MetroStars seized the advantage from the brilliant save, converting a two-on-three counterattack into a goal in the 81st minute. Diallo carried the ball down the flank and to the end line, freezing defender Jim Curtin with a sharp pass against the flow of play.
Faria, surrounded by a trio of red jerseys, touched the ball to the inside. With a clear shooting angle around C.J. Brown, Faria slotted the ball into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
Howard was called upon again in the closing minutes, when Carlos Bocanegra took advantage of chaos inside the Metros' penalty area by putting a crisp shot on goal from point-blank range. Howard managed an acrobatic save, leaping to tip the ball over the crossbar.
