MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact played the final 15 minutes down a man, but the home side held on for a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls Wednesday night, and extended its unbeaten streak at Stade Saputo to three games.
“I thought it was two very good teams playing tonight,” said Impact head coach Frank Klopas. “You always want the three points, but in a game like that, you take one and regroup and get ready for Saturday.”
Dominic Oduro scored his sixth of the season when he pounced on a ball at the top of the box in the 42nd minute, after Dilly Duka placed it on a tee for the Ghanaian to fire it low, left side.
The Red Bulls then tied it up on a bit of a broken play in the 52nd minute when Mike Grella played a cross into the box that found Lloyd Sam, who managed to get a touch on it to beat Bush.
“We made a mistake on the goal, but that happens sometimes in football,” said defender Ambroise Oyongo. “It's only on mistakes that we concede goals, so we need to correct that before next game.”
Other highlights
Both sides exchanged opportunities in the first half. A giveaway in the opening minutes led to an early chance for the Red Bulls’ Mike Grella, but his attempted curler didn't turn enough and missed wide right of goal. Ten minutes later, IMFC came within inches when Oyongo played a ball into the box that just missed not one, but two attackers in stride, as the ball bounced first over Oduro and then Romero.
Then in the 29th minute, Romero played Oduro through who shot from a tough angle, but Robles dove to stop the low ball going far post. Defender Donny Toia then hammered one from 20 yards a few moments later, but Robles caught the driving shot.
The second half started much the same way as the first, with chances on both ends. The best fell to Bradley Wright-Philipps, who watched as Bush parlayed the ball out of harm’s way in the 70th minute.
Despite going down a man in the 79th minute, after defender Laurent Ciman was shown a questionable second yellow card, Oduro created his own scoring chance off of a half-field run, but his shot went high in the 88th minute.
The Impact will play its next game this Saturday, at 8pm, against D.C. United at Stade Saputo (RDS, TSN, TSN Radio 690, 98.5fm). Tickets available via ticketmaster.ca.
LINEUPS
MTL – GK-Evan Bush; D-Ambroise Oyongo, Laurent Ciman, Victor Cabrera, Donny Toia; M-Calum Mallace (Patrice Bernier 77’) , Eric Alexander (Nigel Reo-Coker 57’), Dilly Duka, Ignacio Piatti, Andrés Romero (Johan Venegas 62’); F-Dominic Oduro
Subs not used: GK-Eric Kronberg; D-Eric Miller, Wandrille Lefèvre; F-Anthony Jackson-Hamel
NYRB – GK-Luis Robles; D-Connor Lade (Sal Zizzo 46’), Karl W. Ouimette, Kemar Lawrence, Matt Miazga; M-Dax McCarty, Felipe, Lloyd Sam (Anatole Abang 88’), Mike Grella (Shawn Wright-Phillips 67’), Sacha Kljestan; F-Bradley Wright-Phillips
Subs not used: GK-Kyle Reynish; D-Shawn McLaws; M-Anthony Wallace, Sean Davis
GOALS
MTL – Oduro (Duka) 42’
NYRB – Sam (Grella) 52’
CAUTIONS
MTL – Ciman 14’
NYRB – Grella 31’
MTL – Alexander 55’
NYRB – S. Wright-Phillips 75’
MTL – Venegas 75’
EJECTION
MTL – Ciman (second yellow)
