FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts – Two PK goals by Patrice Bernier and a brace by Marco Di Vaio, his league-leading 16th and 17th goals of the season, lifted the Montreal Impact to a 4-2 victory over the New England Revolution on Sunday night, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts. With the win, the Impact is undefeated in four straight games.
As a result, the Impact has 45 points and remains tied with Sporting Kansas City and the New York Red Bulls – both winners in their weekend matches – for top spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Impact holds two games in hand on both clubs.
The Impact opened the scoring early in the game when Revs’ keeper Matt Reis was shown a red card for tripping Marco Di Vaio in the box in the 5th minute. As a result, Patrice Bernier stepped up to the penalty spot in the 8th minute and netted his third PK goal of the season as he forced substitute keeper Bobby Shuttleworth to dive the wrong way with a stutter step.
With the ejection, the Revs were forced to play the rest of the match with 10-men.
The Revs took advantage of an unfortunate bounce in the box to tie things up in the 26th minute. Midfielder Kelyn Rowe played striker Dimitry Imbongo through into the box, but defender Jeb Brovksy came from the outside to slide and knock the ball away. Unfortunately for the Impact, the ball fell right to the foot of forward Diego Fagundez, who scored his 10th of the season into an open net from just inside the penalty area.
Bernier scored his second goal from the spot in the 33rd minute when two minutes prior, New England defender José Gonçalves took down Felipe in the box. Shuttleworth guessed the right side this time, but the Impact’s vice-captain made no mistake, going the other way from his first attempt. This is Bernier’s 10th consecutive career goal from the PK spot in as many attempts going back to last season.
Marco Di Vaio gave the Impact some breathing room in added time from the first half when he scored his 16th goal of the season. Defender Hassoun Camara found the Impact’s DP with a long ball to his left foot. Di Vaio took one step to the outside before using a classy touch to cut into the box and fire a low ball inside the short post.
Camara and Di Vaio then hooked up again in the 55th minute on an almost identical play to put their team up 4-1, but this time, after Di Vaio cut inside to beat his defender, he went far post to score his league-leading 17th of the season.
The Revs got one back in the 76th minute when Rowe dribbled into the penalty area before cutting back towards the half circle to beat his defender and chipped the ball over and around Impact keeper Troy Perkins.
Captain Davy Arnaud played in his 50th game for the Impact in MLS while defender Jeb Brovksy made his 50th career start with the team, second only to Felipe.
Next game
The Impact returns to Stade Saputo to take on the Columbus Crew on Saturday, September 14, at 2pm ET, and will be looking to play in front of a fourth sellout crowd.
Lineups
MTL – GK-Troy Perkins; D-Jeb Brovsky, Alessandro Nesta, Matteo Ferrari, Hassoun Camara; M-Collen Warner, Patrice Bernier, Davy Arnaud (Andrea Pisanu 80’), Felipe (Daniele Paponi 72’), Justin Mapp, F-Marco Di Vaio (Andrew Wenger 90’)
Subs not used: GK-Evan Bush; D-Maxim Tissot, Wandrille Lefèvre; M-Sanna Nyassi
NE – GK-Matt Reis; D-José Goncalves, Andrew Farrell, Chris Tierney, A.J. Soares; M-Kelyn Rowe, Scott Caldwell, Diego Fagundez; Lee Nguyen (Juan Toja 68’), Chad Barrett (Bobby Shuttleworth 7’); F-Dimitry Imbongo (Saer Sene 74’)
Subs not used: D-Darrius Barnes, Stephen McCarthy; M-Andy Dorman; F-Charlie Davies
Goals
MTL – Bernier (PEN) 8’
NE – Fagundez 26’
MTL – Bernier (PEN) 33’
MTL – Di Vaio (Camara) 45+’
MTL – Di Vaio (Camara) 56’
NE – Rowe 76’
Cautions
MTL – Brovsky 45+’
NE – Rowe 83’
NE – Tierney 87’
Ejection
NE – Reis 5’
