AP News, June 3rd, 2007
Eddie Johnson became the first player in Major League Soccer history to score three goals in consecutive games, leading the Kansas City Wizards to a 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.
Johnson has nine goals already this season after scoring just two in 19 games last year, when he was trying to come back from a toe injury that cut short his 2005 season. One week ago, he scored three goals in a 4-3 comeback victory at New England.
Juan Pablo Angel and Dema Kovalenko had goals for New York.
The Wizards (6-2-1) leapfrogged the Red Bulls (5-2-2) and New England into the Eastern Conference lead. Kansas City has 19 points, one more than the second-place Revolution, who tied Real Salt Lake 0-0 earlier Saturday.
Kansas City broke a six-match winless string (3-0-3) against the Red Bulls, who had not lost to the Wizards since losing 1-0 at Arrowhead Stadium on May 25, 2005.
Johnson's first goal, in the 46th minute on a feed from Michael Harrington, tied the game at 1. He put Kansas City ahead for good in the 59th minute off a low cross from Jose Burciaga Jr. and made it 3-1 in the 86th minute with an assist from Sasha Victorine.
Kovalenko's goal two minutes later got New York within a goal, but the Wizards held on.
Angel put the Red Bulls ahead 1-0 in the eighth minute, putting a sliding volley past Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman after a flick from John Wolyniec.
New York had to play with 10 men after the 35th minute, when midfielder Clint Mathis was ejected for elbowing Kansas City's Kerry Zavagnin.
