Evan Bush makes six saves in the loss
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts – The Montreal Impact lost 1-0 against the New England Revolution, on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium. Lee Nguyen was the game’s sole goal scorer, offering the Revs all three points in the 68th minute.
“We created enough chances on the road, we just did not execute,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “In the end, the little details cost us, but I felt we could have gotten more out of this game. We now have to come back home and regain our confidence.”
Opportunities in the first half
As early as the first minute, the visitors had a great chance to take the lead. Chris Duvall, who started his 75th MLS career game, recovered the ball in the Revs’ box and passed it to Nacho Piatti, who could not convert.
Two minutes later, at the other end of the field, the hosts came close to open the score. Lee Nguyen, in the middle, opened up the play for Teal Bunbury, alone on the right. His first-time ground cross was good, but Juan Agudelo’s legs were not long enough to reach the ball. Evan Bush, who finished his evening with six saves, caught the ball.
The Bleu-blanc-noir could have been awarded a penalty at the half-hour mark. Anthony Jackson-Hamel touched the ball in the area before Cody Cropper, who tripped him while diving, but head referee Armando Villareal did not react.
Golden chance for the Impact
Right after the break, Montreal had another great opportunity to get ahead. Blerim Dzemaili found Duvall all alone on the right flank. The full-back sent a low cross towards the far post, where Jackson-Hamel was waiting, unmarked; his shot was not on target.
The Revs take the lead
The Impact’s lack of finishing ended up costing the team. After a turnover in the 68th minute, Bunbury passed the ball to Nguyen, just outside the area. The midfielder dribbled two defenders before beating Bush to his right with a right-footed shot.
The Revolution almost doubled the gap two minutes later, as Diego Fagundez and Kei Kamara both hit the crossbar, a few seconds apart.
“I thought we did enough to come away from here with one, possibly three points,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “The game opened up, we had some chances but we did not finish. We are now in a tough position, but we will not quit.”
Upcoming games
The Impact has its work cut out after this trip to New England and will start a sequence of four games in 12 days with the very first visit of Minnesota United FC to Stade Saputo, on Saturday, September 16, at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690 – TICKETS), before adding another page to the rivalry with Toronto FC, on Wednesday, September 20, at 7:30pm at BMO Field (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, CJAD 800).
LINE-UPS
NER – G- Cody Cropper; D- Chris Tierney, Claude Dielna, Antonio Mlinar Delamea, Benjamin Angoua; Scott Caldwell, Gershon Koffie; Teal Bunbury (Xavier Kouassi 72’), Juan Agudelo (Diego Fagundez 57’), Lee Nguyen; Kei Kamara (Krisztián Németh 82’).
Substituts non utilisés : Brad Knighton, Je-Vaughn Watson, Andrew Farrell, Daigo Kobayashi.
MTL – G- Evan Bush; D- Daniel Lovitz, Shaun Francis (Dominic Oduro 82’), Laurent Ciman, Víctor Cabrera, Chris Duvall (Ballou Tabla 78’); M- Samuel Piette, Blerim Dzemaili, Louis Béland-Goyette (Patrice Bernier 46’); A- Ignacio Piatti, Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
Substituts non utilisés : Maxime Crépeau, Hernán Bernardello, Michael Salazar.
GOAL
NER – Nguyen 68’ (Bunbury)
CAUTIONS
MTL –Béland-Goyette 35’
NER – Nguyen 90’+1’
