Montreal Impact Stun New York Red Bulls With 2-1 Victory to Advance in MLS Playoffs
The Montreal Impact advance in the MLS Cup Playoffs after defeating the Red Bulls 2-1 in New York and seal a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Ignacio Piatti’s brace led the Montreal Impact in their win over the New York Red Bulls in the second leg of their semifinal match-up. Montreal defeated NYRB 2-1 in the second leg. The team north of the border knocked off the Eastern Conference’s number one seed after a 3-1 aggregate win.
Montreal had a game plan and Mauro Biello’s men stuck to it. They had a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg and the Impact knew New York had to be aggressive early. They used the Red Bull’s aggression to counter attack and pick their moments to exploit the NY defense.
Didier Drogba was back in the 18-man squad for Montreal but he didn’t make an appearance until the 80′ minute. MVP candidates’ Bradley Wright-Phillips and Sacha Kljestan couldn’t break through the Impact defense.
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Missed Penalty
In the 20′ minute, Impact goalkeeper, Evan Bush, conceded a penalty to New York. Sacha Kljestan stepped up to take the spot-kick but Bush came up huge with a great save. It was a poorly struck penalty in truth but Montreal’s keeper still needed to make the save. A make from Kljestan could have changed the complexion of the entire match. Instead, it was a missed opportunity.
Shortly after, he left the field for about 10 minutes due to a bloody nose, leaving the Red Bulls down to 10 men.
Piatti Gets the Decisive Away Goal
Early in the second half, Nacho Piatti gave Montreal the decisive away goal. Ignacio put on the moves to get open inside the box and his shot was too powerful for Luis Robles to save. The score gave the Impact a 1-0 lead in the match, 2-0 on aggregate, and essentially sealed the future for both sides.
BWP Gives NYRB Hope
Bradley Wright-Phillips pulled one back for New York when he scored in the 77′ minute. His shot from inside the box took a deflection and found the back of the net. It was a case of too little, too late for the Red Bulls. They were tied 1-1 in the game but still down 2-1 on aggregate with an away goal in Montreal favor. They still needed two goals in less than 15 minutes to advance.
Nacho Seals the Game
Ignacio Piatti scored his second goal of the match in the 85′ minute. The match winner came on a counter attack after the Red Bulls were throwing number forward. This goal exemplified Montreal’s style of play against New York. They were patient and took advantage of every opportunity they were given during this semifinal match-up.
The Montreal Impact will now advance to the Eastern Conference Championship round to take on either Toronto FC or New York City FC. As for the New York Red Bulls, their season is over. After a strong regular season, they stumbled once again in the playoffs.