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Tyrone Mears secures Sounders win with first goal in five years

Tyrone Mears of Bolton Wanderers
Image: Former Bolton defender Mears secured Seattle's first win in four matches

Tyrone Mears found the target for the first time in five years to secure Seattle Sounders a late 1-0 victory over 10-man D.C. United in the MLS on Friday night.

Right-back Mears, who was released by Bolton last season, latched onto a headed clearance and fired past United keeper Andrew Dykstra from just inside the box in the 88th minute.

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Tyrone Mears reflects on life in the MLS

Victory ended a run of three straight defeats for the Sounders and lifted them level with Vancouver on top the the Western Conference standings.

League-leading D.C. played the majority of the game with just 10 men after forward Fabian Espindola was sent off with a straight red card in the 27th minute for a foul against Seattle's Zach Scott.

Scott had earlier received a yellow card for a foul on Espindola in the 13th minute.

Patrick Nyarko scored his first goal in more than a year, knocking in his own rebound in the 72nd minute, as the Chicago Fire earned a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo.

Greg Cochrane reached a loose ball in the box to the left of Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis and put it out front. Nyarko, a halftime sub, and Willis arrived simultaneously. Both players hit the deck as the ball bounced free, but Nyarko hopped up and knocked the ball into a wide-open net for his first goal since May 10, 2014.

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Alex had given Houston the lead in the 56th minute, three minutes after subbing into the game, when he tapped in a cross from Brad Davis.

Alex started the season with Chicago and made one appearance before being traded to Houston on April 13. He didn't play for the Dynamo until June 20 and was appearing in just his third game.

Chicago (4-9-3) is still last in the Eastern Conference with 15 points, while Houston (5-7-6) is ninth in the West with 21 points.

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