MONTREAL, Quebec – The Montreal Impact (3-2-1) won 5-1 against the Philadelphia Union (2-3-1) in Reserve League action on Sunday morning at Stade Saputo, thanks to a hat-trick by forward Sanna Nyassi and two goals by Impact U21 forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
The Impact opened the scoring at the 13th minute when Nyassi pounced on a long ball before beating two Union defenders and chipped goalkeeper Chris Konopka.
Two minutes later, forward Jorge Perlaza tied it up for Philadelphia when he broke free on the left wing. Impact goalkeper Evan Bush tried to cut the angle but could not stop the low shot to his left.
Nyassi restored the lead for the Impact a minute later on a counter-attack, for his second of the game, when he deflected Lamar Neagle’s shot in the penalty area.
Evan Bush kept his team in the game in the 22nd minute when he stopped a Union penalty taken by midfielder Jimmy McLaughlin, diving to his left. The penalty was called following a foul on Perlaza in the 18-yarrd box.
Nyassi completed his first-half hat-trick at the 29th when he redirected a low cross by defender Dennis Iapichino, to beat Konopka at the near post. The Swiss defender had overlapped the Union right-back before sending in the cross.
Impact U21 midfielder Anthony Jackson-Hamel scored the Impact’s fourth and fifth goals, at the 71st and 78th minute, after coming in for his U21 teammate Wandrille Lefevre at the 61st minute.
Union defender Porfirio Lopez was sent off by the referee at the 63rd minute for a two-footed tackle on forward Eduardo Sebrango, who had come on for Nyassi at the beginning of the second half. Sebrango was replaced by Impact U21 player Victor Ndiaye, following the foul.
It was a first start for Impact U21 midfielder Wandrille Lefevre in Reserve League action.
Postgame comments
“We didn’t have a Reserve game in a while so it was good to put these guys out there in a real game,” said Impact assistant coach Mike Sorber. “We took advantages of our chances finishing and I thought that we played a really good game as a group.”
“It was good for a lot of us to get 90 minutes,” added midfielder Josh Gardner. “Philadelphia came out with more energy in the second half but we got better control and position as it went on. The subs came on and did their job.”
Next game
The Impact will hit the road to face the New England Revolution for the second time this season, next Sunday, at 7pm (ET), at Gillette Stadium, in Foxboro, MA.
The club will then return home to take on the Western Conference leading San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, August 18, at 7:30pm (ET) at Stade Saputo.
Individual tickets for games at Stade Saputo are available via the Admission Network. Three-game mini-season packages at Stade Saputo are now available, starting at $53, by calling 514-328-3668, via impactmontreal.com, or visit the Seat Store, located just behind the south grandstands. Special family and friend packages, as well as new student rates are also available.
Lineups:
MTL: GK – Evan Bush; D- Dennis Iapichino, Karl W Ouimette, Shavar Thomas, Jeb Brovsky (Evan James 45’); M – Josh Gardner, Wandrille Lefevre* (Anthony Jackson-Hamel* 61’), Calum Mallace, Lamar Neagle, Sinisa Ubiparipovic; F – Sanna Nyassi (Eduardo Sebrango 45, Victor Ndiaye* 66’)
Subs not used: G – Greg Sutton, M-Zakaria Messoudi, Maxime Tissot
* U21 players
PHI: GK – Chris Konopka; D– Greg Jordan, Raymon Gaddis, Porfirio Lopez, Bakary Soumare, M-Cristhian Hernandez, Roger Torres, Jimmy McLoughlin, F– Josué Martinez (Will Beaugé 45’), Chandler Hoffman, Jorge Perlaza
GOALS:
MTL – Nyassi (Gardner) 12’
PHI – Perlaza (unassisted) 15’
MTL – Nyassi (Neagle) 16’
MTL – Nyassi (Iapichino) 29’
MTL – Jackson-Hamel (Gardner) 71’
MTL – Jackson-Hamel (James) 78’
CAUTION:
MTL – Brovsky 22’
EJECTION:
PHI – Lopez 63’
