MONTREAL – Going down to 10 men early in the game proved to be insurmountable for the Montreal Impact, falling 3-0 to Sporting Kansas City on Saturday afternoon, at Stade Saputo.
A penalty kick in the 18th minute gave the road team a 1-0 lead. After the referee pointed to the spot following a handball in the box by Collen Warner, who was ejected on the play, SKC forward Dom Dwyer slotted it past goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who just missed the ball as he dove to his right.
“The red card really changed the game for us”
Sporting doubled its lead in the 34th minute when defender Chance Myers played a cross from the right flank that found Paulo Nagamura at the far post, putting his redirect back towards the opposite post for his first goal of the year.
KC found a third goal in the 64th minute when Dwyer was played through to goal by Nagamura. The SKC striker, alone in front of goal, picked the bottom right corner to score his second goal of the game.
Defender Wandrille Lefèvre made his first start of the season. Fellow defenders Matteo Ferrari and Eric Miller as well as forward Marco Di Vaio missed the match with injuries, while right back Hassoun Camara served a one-game suspension.
Post-game comments
“I think that the red card really changed the game for us. We really had some good moments early on,” said head coach Frank Klopas, who was managing his 100th career game in MLS. “I give credit to my guys because in the second half they worked extremely hard considering we had a game midweek and that we have some players injured. We have to focus on finding ways to improve now.”
“We had to chase the game after going a man down, but it’s not coming from a lack of effort,” said Troy Perkins. “It might be from a lack of ideas or lack of belief in ourselves, but certainly something is missing.”
“I think it was absolutely harder to play with ten players today,” said Wandrille Lefèvre. “But the fans come here to see a great game and I think we owe it to them to give better.”
Other highlights
Midfielder Justin Mapp, dribbling down the right flank in the 44th minute, cut to the middle, beating three defenders, but his shot was scooped up by SKC keeper Eric Kronberg.
Perkins made a reactionary stop in the 51st minute following a shot from a tough angle that deflected off an Impact defender.
Upcoming games
The Impact will play the return leg of the Amway Canadian Championship against FC Edmonton this Wednesday, May 14, at 7:30pm (EDT) at Stade Saputo.
The bleu-blanc-noir then returns to MLS regular season play on Saturday May 17, in Washington, to face D.C. United at 7pm (EDT).
Lineups
MTL – GK-Troy Perkins; D-Jeb Brovsky, Karl W. Ouimette, Wandrille Lefèvre, Maxim Tissot; M-Collen Warner, Hernan Bernardello, Sanna Nyassi (Andrés Romero 61’), Felipe (Patrice Bernier 70’), Justin Mapp; F-Jack McInerney (Santiago Gonzalez 69’)
Subs not used: GK-Evan Bush; D-Heath Pearce; M-Calum Mallace, Blake Smith
KC – GK-Eric Kronberg; D-Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic; M-Jacob Peterson (Antonio Dovale 57’), Graham Zusi (Soony Saad 75’), Benny Feilhaber, Oriol Rosell, Paulo Nagamura; F-Dom Dwyer (Claudio Bieler 70’)
Subs not used: GK-Andy Gruenebaum; D-Igor Juliao, Lawrence Olum; M-Jimmy Medranda
Goals
KC – Dwyer (PK) 18’
KC – Nagamura (Myers) 34’
KC – Dwyer (Dovale) 64’
Caution
MTL – Bernardello 38’
Ejection
MTL – Warner 17’
