Montreal Impact Lose to Rochester 2-0. Nutrilite Champions Last Place in the USL
After a two game road trip that saw the Montreal Impact tie Toronto FC as well as the Rochester Rhinos, the team was back in Montreal to present the Voyageur cup to the sold out, appreciative fans that attended the second game in a home and away series against the Rhinos.
While the setting was right to celebrate the impact's advancing in the CONCACAF Champions League, the players knew that they also had other business at hand, namely advancing in the USL standings .
"I think that Sunday’s game will be different from Friday’s game because we will play in Montreal,” said defender Simon Gatti. “I think that we have to play even more offensively in order to get points in the standings. On the road, a tie game is not a bad result but at home, we want the win by giving as well a good match to our fans.”
“We are expecting to win at home,” said midfielder David Testo. “We were a little bit disappointed with the result Friday with only one point on the road. It should be another hard game but we are hoping a better outcome at home by scoring on our chances.
They said all the right things and surely meant them, but you can't underestimate the power of confidence and momentum and the Rochester Rhinos had both.
The Rhinos, after a tough season start (0-4-2) have not lost in their last 12 games going 6-1-5 during that span. Montreal would have to do without the services of defender Adam Braz (thigh, 3 weeks) and Midfielder and captain Mauro Biello (wrist, 2 weeks).
The first half was relatively quiet until 20 minutes into the match when the floodgates of opportunity gushed forward with the Rhinos having the lion's share of them.
At the 20th minute a spinning kick by Rhino midfielder Johhny Menyongar had Jordan beat but was just over the crossbar. Montreal came back with a few chances of their own with a nice attempt by defender Stefano Pesoli pinching in to keep the ball in the Rhino's end but Di Lorenzo could not convert.
The Impact started getting into penalty trouble when, in the span of 1 minute, Simon Gatti was assessed a yellow card for tackling his man and David Testo, it would seem, received a yellow, not so much for his attack on the Rhino player, but more for not approaching the ref when he was called.
The downhill spiral became steeper when, at the 32nd minute, the usual suspect for the Rhinos, Johnny Menyongar, inside the box, slipped the ball through Simon Gatti's legs to a waiting Luke Kreamalmeyer who had no problem slipping it past Matt Jordan. Montreal would not have time to regroup from this goal when a missed queue from Matt Jordan, missing a header attempt when perhaps he should have tried grabbing at the ball, resulted in the ball easily landing on the head of Matthew Delicâte who simply blooped it past Jordan. Montreal would have a few chances shortly thereafter, but nothing that amounted to a near goal. the Half would end with Montreal down by 2.
Coach Limniatis started the 2nd with Rocco Placentino replacing Severino Jefferson and Tony Donatelli replacing Simon Gatti. The new line-up would not have time to gel as Roberto Brown was assessed a red card and ejected from the game when he was knocked down heading into the 18 and did not get the call he wanted. He promptly got up and tackled Andrew Gregor who sold the dive splendidly to the ref. The Impact would now play the game short by one man.
Rocco Placentino, taking advantage of the playing time, was very busy in the half, attempting, among other things, a bicycle kick inside the penalty area after Donatelli kicked the ball off a defender, but the ball went just wide. Cedric Joqueviel sidestepped a defender streaking inside the box and fed Placentino shortly thereafter Rocco who headed it wide yet again. Placentino even showed his defensive responsibility when a ball leaving the Rhino's end passed all Impact players and the Rhinos would have surely had a breakaway on Matt Jordan, had it not been for a streaking Placentino who overtook the Rhino player and saved a potential goal.
Despite a valiant effort by the impact, being 1 man short, the second half would end as the 1st, 2-0 in favor of the visiting Rhinos.
The Impact left the field without the 3 points that they so desperately needed and hence remained in last place in the standings. They will not be back to play in Montreal until August 20th where they will meet the Atlanta Silverbacks, but prior to this, they head on the road to Carolina to face the Railhawks on the 8th. The calendar is nearing an end and the best way to describe the Impact's situation now is as Rocco Placentino put it : “...all games until the end of the season are like a finale for us. We have to score, get the win and the three points. True that.
Bookmark
Email this
Trackback(0)
TrackBack URI for this entryComments (0)
Write comment
This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comments.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
