Montreal Impact Holds off New York Red Bulls to Earn 2-1 Victory

The Montreal Impact held off a late charging New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night to secure a 2-1 victory at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Montreal’s Maximiliano Urruti 79th minute penalty kick was the saving grace for the Impact with the two teams tied 1-1. That goal put Montreal up 2-1 and with just over ten minutes remaining in the second half, it was one New York was unable to overcome in regular time, but also in extra and stoppage time.

Urruti goal and assist on the second goal by Zakaria Diallo, his first of the season with  Montreal, helped the Montreal Impact to improve to 1-9-0 against the New York Red Bulls. New York’s Aaron Long scored the Red Bull’s only goal. It was his first for the season.

Major League Soccer

The Impact were awarded the penalty kick after Aaron Long knocked down Anthony Jackson-Hamel. Urruti was chosen to take the kick and fired off a low shot to the right side of the net beating goalkeeper Luis Robles, who went to the left. It was the first for Urruti, who scored 29 goals while Dallas for three years, with Montreal. Impact midfielder Ignacio Piatti remained on the sidelines out with a knee injury, and New York’s Bradley Wright-Phillips also sat out for the third consecutive game due to a groin injury.

That goal was the breakthrough the Impact needed against New York, who traditionally have outscored Montreal in the last ten games played at the Red Bull arena. Montreal outshot New York by 50% with four of those going on target compared to the Red Bulls only getting two and needing until the 36th minute before driving one home.

That goal came on a free kick taken by midfielder Marc Rzatkowski who sent the ball into the box that was headed into the net past goalkeeper Evan Bush by Aaron Long. That put New York in the lead, and it wasn’t until the 64th minute that Montreal tied it, also as a result of a corner kick.

That kick was taken by Omar Browne, who passed it to Maximiliano Urruti, who then manoeuvred it towards the net sending it to Zakaria Diallo who headed the ball past Luis Robles. Long had a second scoring opportunity 75 minutes in, but his header shot went wide of the goal. However, it was only four minutes later that he scored the winning goal with the penalty kick.

The Montreal Impact are next scheduled to play FC Cincinnati on Saturday and then will have a week off before meeting the New England Revolution on the 18th. The Red Bulls will head to Dallas on Saturday and then face Atlanta United FC on the 18th.