With only four games remaining this season, the Impact (25pts) is now four points behind the Minnesota Stars for the sixth and final playoff spot. The Stars are in Alberta tonight to face FC Edmonton (30pts). The Strikers (31pts) now have a six-point lead over Montreal.
Midfielder Gerson Mayen scored the lone goal of the game, at the 70th minute. After receiving a pass from Mike Palacio behind the Impact’s defence, Mayen was alone in front of goalkeeper Evan Bush, and beat him on a low shot to his left. The Strikers goal ended the Impact’s streak of three consecutive games without allowing a goal (339 minutes).
Bush, who had registered the three clean sheets during that sequence, distinguished himself throughout the game, with a total of seven saves, including three saves against Strikers midfielder Brian Shriver, diving each time (17th, 28th and 36th minute).
“It was a tough game tonight and overall it was not a great performance,” said Impact head coach and sporting director Nick De Santis. “The effort to fight and to get the tying goal was good; however, we did not play our best game tonight. In the second half we were better. Perhaps their goal was questionable, but we’ll have to wait to watch the video. Now we need to regroup and go to Puerto Rico with the right mindset. Hopefully we can go there and get a positive result.”
At the 26th minute, midfielder Ryan Pore registered the Impact best scoring chance of the game, when his shot from the corner of the 18-yard box hit the top of the crossbar.
Midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who scored both goals for Montreal in the last game, had a scoring chance at the 55th minute, but his point blank shot from the six-yard box was stopped by Strikers goalkeeper Matt Glaeser.
This was the last of four matchups between the teams this season. The teams had previously played to three draws this season: 0-0, on May 28 in Florida and June 18 at Saputo Stadium, as well as 1-1 on July 13, in Montreal. With the win, the Strikers now hold the tiebreaker over the Impact, if necessary.
The Impact will now travel Monday to Puerto Rico to face the Islanders on Wednesday, at 7:30pm, at Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, in Bayamon (puertoricoislandersfc.com).
On Sunday at 7pm, the Impact U21 will face a team made of the best senior players from the Centre-du-Québec region, during a friendly game at collège St-Bernard in Drummondville (25, avenue des Frères). The game will allow the Drummondville Dragons to raise funds to help young soccer players from the region. Tickets will be on sale on site.
NEXT FOUR GAMES
• Wednesday, Sept. 7 – IMPACT @ Puerto Rico Islanders – Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel – 7:30pm (puertoricoislandersfc.com)
• Sunday, Sept. 11 – Carolina RailHawks @ IMPACT – Saputo Stadium – 3:30pm (98,5FM, THE TEAM 990, radio-canada.ca/sports)
• Saturday, Sept. 17 – FC Edmonton @ IMPACT – Saputo Stadium – 7:30pm (98,5FM, THE TEAM 990, radio-canada.ca/sports)
• Saturday, Sept. 24 – IMPACT @ Atlanta Silverbacks – Atlanta Silverbacks Park – 7:30pm (atlantasilverbacks.com)
GAME SUMMARY
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