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The Montreal Impact will host a struggling Portland Timbers on Sunday at Stade Saputo, in what will be their 3rd game in only nine days. Struggling as of late and coming off a 3-1 loss in Real Salt Lake, the Impact are looking for a big win at home to get them back on track.
The Impact enjoyed a winning record against the Timbers last year, and they’ll need one of those victories tonight in order to avoid a 5-game losing streak. They’ll have to face a Timbers team who was expected to be doing a little better this season, and who scores a lot of goals. That being said, they also concede a lot of goals (33 this season), and the Impact will look to take advantage of that.
The Opening 45
A tough tackle by Pearce in the 4th minute on Nagbe gave Portland the first real chance of the game, a free kick right outside the box. Luckily for the Impact, the shot deflected off the wall and just out of play. The last thing the bleu-blanc-noir needed was to concede another early goal.
Montreal started the match shaky, opting to defend as the Timbers tried to work their way through the midfield and past the defense. Credit given to the Timbers, who were constantly on the move making life difficult for the Impact.
Put in the 13th minute it was Mapp that gave the Impact the spark they needed. Touching the ball brilliantly past the right defender, Mapp sprinted his way down the line and passed the ball in the box to the feet of Andres Romero, who took a step and hammered a goal past Ricketts into the top corner. The Impact was on the board early.
The quality of Impact’s possession escalated quickly after the goal was scored, and they started dictating the game a little more than the Timbers.
Bush was tested in the 19th minute, after Diego Chara got the ball off a set piece on the edge of the box, but the Impact keeper managed to hold on. A minute later, a run by Nagbe in the box forced Bush to make another stellar save.
Portland would get another excellent chance in the 24th minute after a very sloppy tackle by Bernier. But Will Johnson’s strike from just outside the box would be touched by Bush and kept out of the net, keeping the score at 1-0.
Felipe had a good chance on net in the 32nd minute off a nice pass from Romero in the box, but Ricketts managed a good save. Despite being up 1-0, the Impacts chances were limited, and that was their best chance since the goal.
In the 34th minute, Portland pressure finally paid off. Nagbe, who has been a mess of trouble for the Impact this evening, ran through the middle and fed Maximiliano Urruti, who toed the ball off the post and into the net.
In the 39th minute, Hassoun Camara’s night went from back to worse. Already on a yellow, the Impact defender gave the Timbers a penalty shot after a scramble in front of net forced Camara to make a goal saving tackle that ended up missing the ball. Will Johnson stepped up in the 40th to easily put it past Bush and put the Timbers up 2-1. In just five minutes, the Impact went from winning the game to chasing the lead.
Just three minutes later, the Impact’s nicest play of the game ended up past Ricketts into the back of the net to tie the score. Captain Patrice Bernier moved through the middle into the box off a nice pass and go with Felipe. He then passed the ball back to Tissot, who one timed it right under Ricketts’ shoulder. Tissot celebrated joyously for his first goal of the season.
A very entertaining first half was now over and the score was tied at 2. The Impact tied the game just before the half ended in the 44th minute, a perfect time to level the score.
The Second Half
The rain continued to pour as the second half got underway, fans scrambling back to their seats, struggling to hold snacks and umbrellas and hoping that the second would be as good as the first.
The crowd protested loudly in the 55th when Mclnerney sent a soaring ball in for Tissot, who was tackled controversially in the box, but the referee let the play continue. Mclnerney has been a constant threat tonight for the Impact despite not having scored a goal thus far, and that was a perfect example.
Romero had an excellent chance in the 59th minute, turning in front of the box and shooting a well-aimed shot just wide of the net, that seemed to have Ricketts beat. Two minutes later, Romero found himself in front of Ricketts again, his shot again going just wide.
The Impact opted for Marco Di Vaio for the last 28 minute of the game, bringing off Mclnerney. The Italian striker has been on a streak as of late, and the fans here are hoping he’ll be the one to break the deadlock here tonight.
Johnson made everyone at Saputo Stadium gasp when he caught Evan Bush screaming to his players on a corner kick. The Canadian took a premature corner that went just wide. Bush got up, lucky to have avoided what would have been a very embarrassing goal. Credit is due to a good heads up play by Johnson.
Another free-kick for Portland in the 74th minute on Bush’s right was taken by Valeri but blocked by a soaring Romero, who seemed to be doing everything right for the Impact tonight. The game still tied at 2-2 with just over 15 minutes remaining, the teams getting a little sloppier as the clock ticked on.
As the game was closing out, Camara was straying from his right back position into a more attacking role. In the 82nd minute, it cost him. Camara lost the ball in the Portland half, leaving the right back position wide open, and the Timbers took advantage.
Attacking the left flank, the ball was played into the middle into the feet of Valeri, who had time to aim a shot, making no mistake to slot it into the net past Bush. As we’ve seen in every single game in this four game losing streak, the Impact allowed a late goal.
The goal pushed Klopas to make his final two substitutions, bringing on Mallace and Gonzalez with only five minutes left. But with only five minutes, it was a tall order for the two subs, as people were already making their way out of the stadium.
The Impacts best chance to tie it came in the dying seconds from Gonzalez, who controlled a high ball from the middle, put turned and shot way over the bar. It was another story of what could have been from Montreal, and another loss.
"We are fragile right now," said Impact assistant coach Mauro Biello, who ran the bench in the absence of Frank Klopas, serving a one-game suspension. "As much as it's on the field, it's mental as well. We can't allow three goals at home and expect to win the game."
"We let the game get a little bit too open, looking for the winning goal and that hurt us," explained Evan Bush, making his first start at home in MLS play. "We got stretched a little bit on the third goal, and then I managed to get a fingertip to the ball, but unfortunately I wasn't able to push it around the post."
The Impact’s next game will be at home against Toronto FC on Saturday.
Man of the Match
Andres Romero
Andres Romero was all over the pitch for the Impact tonight. His early goal have him the confidence to build plays and he pushed his team for 90 minutes. He had many scoring chances throughout the game but failed to finish them off. Klopas switched Romero from the wing to a more central midfield role, and it seemed to have worked quite well.
Honourable mention
Aside from Romero, captain Patrice Bernier had a good game offensively despite a few defensive mishaps. He helped create the first goal and build up plays nicely from the back. Tonight, he was the calm captain the Impact needed. Credit should also be given to Mclnerney, who played a good 70 minutes despite not netting one.
Montreal Impact Line-up
Evan Bush
Hassoun Camara
Mamadou Danso
Heath Pearce
Krzysztof Krol
Maxim Tissot
Andres Romero
Felipe Martins
Patrice Bernier
Justin Mapp
Jack Mclnerney
Impacts substitutions
Di Vaio for Mclnerney, Mallace for Tissot, Gonzalez for Felipe.
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