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The Montreal Impact is experiencing a very difficult start to the season, although hopes are a little higher after gaining three straight draws. I mean, at least they weren’t losing. There task was no easier Saturday night when they visited the defending champs, Sporting Kansas City. This experienced unit would be a difficult to crack, and Klopas knew it, starting his experienced captain Patrice Bernier for the first time in three games.
The Impact’s record in Kansas City has been pretty good in the past, going 2-1 on previous occasions. They’ll be looking to uphold that record tonight.
The Opening 45
The defending champions got to work early, putting pressure on a younger than usual Montreal defense with a few set pieces.
But it was Montreal who got the first real chance in the 14th minute. Feipe found himself sprinting down the wing and into the box all alone. But opted to pass to an unmarked Di Vaio instead of having a shot himself. Di Vaio’s ensuing shot was stopped, and every Montrealer watching this one was scratching their heads, wondering how the Impact was not up 1-0.
That opportunity sparked the Montreal 11, who slowly took control of the game and started applying some pressure of their own. Felipe was being particularly dangerous down the left wing, but failed to find anyone in the middle of the box.
Despite not seeing too much action, Perkins was ready when the time came, sprinting head on into a beautiful ball into the box and getting there just before the Kansas wing did. Still, despite occasional breakthroughs, this game was mostly locked in the middle, both teams struggling to find much space.
The breakthrough did however come, and it was the home team that got it in the 31st minute. A long throw-in, more like a corner, by Matt Besler was headed awkwardly into the air by Impact player Callum Mallace and somehow past Perkins into the top right corner. A little unfortunate for the Impact, but indeed an own goal.
Di Vaio almost got the Impact back into the game, controlling the ball past the Sporting defender only to hit it just wide, missing a great opportunity.
Frustration was seeping in after the own goal though, and the Impact made a few reckless challenges, shifting their focus from scoring to blindly chasing the Sporting players. Mapp even earned himself a yellow card on a very late foul.
Less than impressive soccer by the Impact in the first half despite a small spell of pressure, something Klopas will look to change in the second half. For now, the Impact goes into the dressing room down 1-0 off an own goal by Mallace.
The Second Half
The second started with Justin Mapp on the bench in favour of Romero. Not the first time Klopas made a change in the halftime. Against a team like Kansas who has so much control in the middle, Klopas would want to counter that. Mapp didn’t have the strongest of halves as well, compared to his usual play. It seems everyone is on a short leash in this Impact team that is still looking for their first win.
It was more bad news in the 55th minute, when play was stopped as Di Vaio groped his thigh, clearly uncomfortable. The Italian striker was switched almost immediately for Jack McInerney, the Impact’s newest addition. He got his first goal last week against the Chicago Fire. The Impact was now down to only one sub.
In the 71st minute, on yet another long throw into the Impact box, the ball bounced around for a few seconds before ending up on the foot of defender Aurelien Collin, who’s well placed shot snuck into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0.
But wait, there’s more. Just a few minutes later in the 75th minute, what looked like a harmless ball into the middle was missed by Ouimette and tucked in behind a helpless Perkins by Dwyer. This game was all but over now for the Impact, down 3-0 with barely 15 minutes remaining.
Camara was brought on in the 79th minute in place of Ferrari in order to defend what was left of the Impact’s diminishing dignity. Unless a miracle happened, the Impact was quickly heading for their fourth loss of the season, and a bad one at that.
But Camara did not make a difference. Not even a little one. As the game closed out, Kansas slowly made their way into the Impact zone. Martinez dropped it off to the wide open winger on the side, who played a nice cross near the second post, which was easily headed by an unmarked Dwyer. He had his second of the game, and the Impact was now down 4-0.
Here’s a stat that explains exactly how the second half went. Kansas took a total of 16 shots in the second, 9 of those on net. The Impact not only took 0 shots on net, but just 0 shots. It was definitely a half that needs to be forgotten by the entire Impact squad.
The Impact is now 0-3-4 to start the season, their worst start in their young MLS history. They host the Philadelphia Union in their Saputo Stadium opener next Saturday.
Man of the Match
Felipe
It was a very difficult game for the Impact’s starting 11, and not one player really deserves the man of the match today. However, if there was one player who had just a little bit of energy throughout the game, it was Felipe. He found a lot of space down the wing, and provided some pretty sweet balls into the middle, but the quality of his play diminished as the game wore on for the Impact.
For the rest, it was a game to forget, and hopefully something to think about when the Impact plays their first game of the year at Saputo Stadium next Saturday.
Impact starting lineup
Marco Di Vaio
Collen Warner
Felipe Martins
Justin Mapp
Patrice Bernier
Callum Mallace
Maxime Tissot
Karl Ouimette
Matteo Ferrari
Eric Miller
Troy Perkins
Substitutions
Romero for Mapp, Di Vaio for McInerney, Camara for Ferrari
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