Team finishes 7th in the East, misses the playoffs
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts – On MLS Decision Day, the 34th and last day of the 2018 regular season, the Montreal Impact lost 1-0, Sunday at Gillette Stadium, against the New England Revolution.
The Bleu-blanc-noir, who finishes the season with a 14-16-4 record, had to win this last game if it hoped to qualify for the postseason in the sixth and last playoff spot.
The game’s only goal was scored in the 74th minute, when Diego Fagundez beat Evan Bush with a shot from the edge of the box to the opposite corner.
“We’re very disappointed and sad to finish the season on a loss,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “We could’ve scored as well, but we lacked precision in our passing, and we couldn’t pressure them more because we made too many technical errors. We lacked rightness. If we want to regret anything as a whole, it would be more our first half of the season.”
After only three shots found the target for both teams during the first half, Quincy Amarikwa, Alejandro Silva and Nacho Piatti earned their fair share of opportunities for the Impact in the second half.
“We’re disappointed with the way this game turned out,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. But just a few months ago, we would never have expected to be in this position.”
“It comes down to one brilliant hit from them and we weren’t able to capitalize on our opportunities. It comes down to execution,” said defender Daniel Lovitz. “It’s a terrible feeling to be left scoreless and to lose the last game, but overall, it was a good end to the season and we need to move forward.”
LINE-UPS
MTL – GK-Evan Bush; D-Bacary Sagna, Rod Fanni, Jukka Raitala, Daniel Lovitz; M-Samuel Piette, Micheal Azira, Saphir Taïder; F-Alejandro Silva, Quincy Amarikwa (Mathieu Choinière 67’), Ignacio Piatti
Subs not used – Clément Diop, Chris Duvall, Victor Cabrera, Rudy Camacho, Ken Krolicki, Matteo Mancosu
NE – GK-Matt Turner; D-Antonio Mlinar Delamea, Brandon Bye, Michael Mancienne, Zachary Herivaux (Andrew Farrell 64’); M-Cristian Penilla, Diego Fagundez, Juan Agudelo, Kelyn Rowe (Wilfried Zahibo 83’), Luis Caicedo; F-Teal Bunbury (Brian Wright 46’)
Subs not used – Brad Knighton, Jalil Anibaba, Scott Caldwell, Guillermo Hauche
GOAL
NE – Fagundez 74’
CAUTIONS
NE – Rowe 69’
NE – Fagundez 75’
NE – Farrell 84’
NE – Zahibo 89’
MTL – Taïder 90+2’
