Complete performance by Bleu-blanc-noir
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact celebrated a third win in a row, on Wednesday evening at Stade Saputo, this time beating Chicago Fire by a 3-0 score. Nacho Piatti, with a brace, and Matteo Mancosu, from 12 yards, were the scorers for Montreal, striking twice in two first-half minutes.
“Tonight was an important game for us. We played well against a good team, we defended well and we scored three goals,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “We also hurt them on the counter. We take the three points against them and we gain confidence, despite a bit of fatigue. We continue to grow and we are focused on the upcoming games against difficult teams.”
Impact strikes early
The hosts’ attacking line did not wait to apply pressure on the Fire’s defense. In the 6th minute, Chris Duvall, on the right, took a throw-in and exchanged quick passes with Patrice Bernier, who played a ball towards Nacho Piatti, standing in front of the area. The Fire’s defender missed his intervention and Piatti took advantage of this gift, simply beating goalkeeper Matt Lampson. The number 10 thus scored in a third consecutive game.
Following this early goal, the Impact could afford to be patient. Veljko Paunovic’s team kept the ball for most of the first half, without creating big scoring opportunities. Its only shot on target came in the 12th minute, from David Accam’s foot, but Evan Bush was well positioned to make the save.
From the 30th to the 40th minute, the crowd of 19,894 people at Stade Saputo was able to witness the devastating effects of the Bleu-blanc-noir’s counterattack. In the 33rd minute, Piatti recovered the ball in his zone and spotted Matteo Mancosu’s run in the middle of a depleted defensive line. The Italian beat defender Christian Dean and shot with his left, looking to nutmeg Lampson to score, but the goalkeeper was up to the task.
Mancosu once again went on a breakaway three minutes later. This time put through by a great ball by Patrice Bernier, he went around the Fire goalkeeper, who went to ground and tripped the man from Sardinia; the latter took the penalty successfully to double his team’s lead.
A few seconds later, Piatti showed the extent of his talent. After controlling Blerim Dzemaili’s pass on the left flank, the Argentinean went on a run and attacked the full-back, going inside out to mesmerize him before bending a 25-metre shot inside the far post, putting the hosts three goals ahead.
Calm after the storm
After such a lucrative half, Montreal was happy to control the rhythm of the second half and to limit Chicago’s opportunities. Still, the Fire knocked on Bush’s door, Accam finding the back of the net in the 59th minute – from an offside position – and asking a good question to Bush in the 68th, but shooting directly on him.
Mancosu had a last chance to seal the deal in the 77th minute after a dangerous through ball by David Choinière, but Lampson stuck out his left hand to stop the lob.
Upcoming game
The Impact will play its next game in less than 72 hours, this Saturday at 7:30pm, as Real Salt Lake travel to Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690 – TICKETS).
LINEUP
MTL – G- Evan Bush; D- Daniel Lovitz, Laurent Ciman, Victor Cabrera, Chris Duvall; M- Samuel Piette (Kyle Fisher 79’), Blerim Dzemaili (Louis Béland-Goyette 71’), Patrice Bernier; F- Ignacio Piatti (David Choinière 75’), Matteo Mancosu, Dominic Oduro
Unused subs: Maxime Crépeau, Shaun Francis, Michael Salazar, Anthony Jackson-Hamel
CHI – G- Matt Lampson; D- Patrick Doody, Joao Meira (Christian Dean 5’), Jonathan Campbell, Johan Kappelhof; M- Michael de Leeuw, Dax McCarthy, Djordje Mihailovic (David Arshakyan 82’), Bastian Schweinsteiger, David Accam; F- Nemanja Nikolic (Luis Solignac 63’)
Unused subs: Stefan Cleveland, Arturo Alvarez, Juninho, Drew Conner
GOALS
MTL – Piatti 6’
MTL – Mancosu 37’ (PEN)
MTL – Piatti 38’ (Dzemaili)
CAUTIONS
MTL – Cabrera 20’
CHI – Lampson 36’
MTL – Duvall 48’
MTL – Piette 78’
