MLS Club de Foot Montreal

Impact Reaches Conference Semis with 4-2 Win at D.C. United

Published on October 27, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club de Foot Montreal News Release


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Montreal Impact passed its first MLS Cup Playoffs test with flying colours on Thursday night, defeating D.C. United by the score of 4-2 at Washington's RFK Stadium. Laurent Ciman, Matteo Mancosu (with a fantastic brace) and Nacho Piatti scored the four Montreal goals, an MLS record in Knockout Round games. The reply came from former Impact player Lamar Neagle and from Taylor Kemp.

The Impact becomes the first Canadian team to win an MLS Cup Playoffs road game and will now take on the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The home leg will take place on Sunday, October 30 at Stade Saputo (RDS, TSN, 98,5fm & TSN Radio 690, time TBC), with the return leg played on Sunday, November 6 at Red Bull Arena.

"We were focused on our task, and that's what we saw on the field tonight," said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. "Our team was ready to fight and to do what it took to win. I congratulate my players on what was probably their best performance of the year. Now, we turn our focus to an important game on Sunday."

Bleu-blanc-noir stuns D.C. early The Impact showed its intentions 17 seconds in, as Nacho Piatti took a first shot on Bill Hamid, setting the tone for the Bleu-blanc-noir to take the lead three minutes later. After Ambroise Oyongo won a corner with a magnificent cross, Ciman brushed past Rob Vincent to tap Marco Donadel's delivery home, to Hamid's right.

Donadel once again played a fine pass in the 22nd minute, heading it into Mancosu's path to Hamid. But Nick DeLeon tracked back well, forcing Mancosu into a weaker shot than expected.

Hamid then made a big save in the 37th minute as Hassoun Camara found a way into the area. The Montreal defender's attempt gave problems to Hamid, who still managed to beat it away for a corner kick.

The Impact doubled its lead in the 43rd minute. Fed by Oyongo down the left, Piatti placed a beautiful cross to the edge of the six-yard box with his right foot. Perfectly in-sync with Piatti, Mancosu ghosted past Bobby Boswell to slam the ball home.

"At halftime, we made some adjustments in order to keep control in the first minutes of the second half," said Marco Donadel. "When you're down 2-0, you can score in the first minutes and be halfway there. They started to push, but instead, we found spaces to attack."

The Bleu-blanc-noir put the game out of reach for United in the 58th minute. A long pass from the ever-present Dominic Oduro crossed the entire field for Oyongo, who placed his cross onto the head of Mancosu. Without much momentum, Mancosu still conjured up a header that beat Hamid.

Excellent throughout, Nacho Piatti put the cherry on the cake in the 83rd minute. On a great transition initiated by Johan Venegas, Piatti played Mancosu through, but Mancosu swiftly played the ball back for Piatti, who punished Hamid with a low shot to his right.

"It is so easy to play with such a great player like Nacho Piatti," said Matteo Mancosu. "We are really happy with this result, and we're confident that we'll do well in the next two games. We'll recover well over the next two days and be ready to go."

United got two back at the death. First, in the 90th minute, Neagle got his head to a Patrick Nyarko cross, putting it past Evan Bush. Then, in stoppage time, a long Taylor Kemp strike from distance somehow found its way into the net, to Bush's right. But the result stayed the same: the Impact became the second MLS team to win back-to-back Knockout Round games, after the Houston Dynamo in 2012 and 2013.

Next games The Impact will continue its MLS Cup Playoffs run with the first leg of its Eastern Conference Semifinal against the New York Red Bulls, this Sunday, October 30, at Stade Saputo (RDS, TSN, 98,5fm & TSN Radio 690, time TBC).

LINEUPS

DC - GK-Bill Hamid; D-Nick DeLeon, Steve Birnbaum, Bobby Boswell, Taylor Kemp; Lloyd Sam (Lamar Neagle 60'), Jared Jeffrey (Marcelo Sarvas 46'), Rob Vincent, Luciano Acosta (Julian Buscher 65'), Patrick Nyarko; F-Patrick Mullins

Subs not used - G-Travis Worra; D-Kofi Opare, Luke Mishu; A-Alvaro Saborio

MTL - GK-Evan Bush; D-Hassoun Camara, Victor Cabrera, Laurent Ciman, Ambroise Oyongo; M-Dominic Oduro, Hernan Bernardello, Marco Donadel (Johan Venegas 78'), Patrice Bernier (Calum Mallace 71'), Ignacio Piatti (Wandrille Lefevre 84'); F-Matteo Mancosu

Subs not used- GK-Eric Kronberg; D-Donny Toia; M-Harry Shipp; F-Anthony Jackson-Hamel

GOALS MTL - Ciman (Donadel) 4' MTL - Mancosu (Piatti) 43' MTL - Mancosu (Oyongo) 58' MTL - Piatti (Mancosu) 83' DC - Neagle (Nyarko) 90' DC - Kemp 90'+4'

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