Bleu-blanc-noir crumbles after two goals conceded in end of first half
KANSAS CITY, Kansas - The Montreal Impact lost its fourth game of the regular season 7-1, Saturday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park, in Kansas City.
“We made too many mistakes, way too many,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “Our opponent played simple and collectively, but we answered with too many individual errors. We needed to answer as a team. This game hurts, but we need to turn the page and learn from this loss for our upcoming games.”
“If the first half finished 1-0, maybe we could’ve regrouped,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “But the two goals they scored at the end of the first come from being undisciplined and not on the same page. We tried to score the goal we thought we needed right away. We need to be much smarter than that, especially when we’re missing important pieces of our line-up. Every part of it was very bad.”
Three goals conceded before halftime
As the Impact struggled to clear its zone, Johnny Russell gave the hosts the lead with a curled, left-footed shot from just outside the box, giving goalkeeper Evan Bush no chance, beaten to his right.
Sporting Kansas City doubled its lead in the 43rd minute when it took advantage of a quick counter-attack, allowing Krisztián Németh to score in an open net after receiving a nice pass from Gerso.
Then, in first-half stoppage time, Gerso crossed to Felipe Gutiérrez, alone in front of Montreal’s net, who took it one time for SKC’s third goal of the day.
Four goals allowed after the break
Russell scored his second of the game in the 50th minute, dribbling past a defender before beating Bush with a shot in the opposite corner.
SKC scored its fifth of the game in the 68th minute, when Russell crossed for Németh, the latter having no trouble finding the back of the net.
Gianluca Busio scored a sixth goal for the hosts in the 78th minute when he found himself alone in front of Bush after having recovered the ball from a Montreal defender.
Following a turnover in the 84th minute, Németh managed to complete his hat-trick, giving SKC a 7-0 lead.
Finally, in the 89th minute, Taïder scored his fourth of the season and 10th all-time in MLS, cancelling out a potential clean sheet for goalkeeper Tim Melia.
Because Nacho Piatti (injured) and Zakaria Diallo (suspended) were both unavailable, Saphir Taïder started the game on the left wing, Shamit Shome taking the Algerian international’s usual spot in midfield for his first start of the season, while Rudy Camacho also made his first start in 2019.
Midfielder and Academy product Clément Bayiha made his MLS debut, replacing Shamit Shome in the 54th minute.
Upcoming games
The Impact will play three games in eight days next week, starting with a trip to the Big Apple to face New York City FC on Saturday, April 6 at 1pm (TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690). Montreal will then visit D.C. United at Audi Field on Tuesday, April 9 at 8pm (TVA Sports) before playing its home opener on Saturday, April 13 at 1pm at Stade Saputo against the Columbus Crew SC (TICKETS - TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690).
LINE-UPS
MTL – GK-Evan Bush; D-Bacary Sagna, Víctor Cabrera, Rudy Camacho, Daniel Lovitz; M-Samuel Piette, Micheal Azira, Shamit Shome (Clément Bayiha 54’); F-Orji Okwonkwo (Jukka Raitala 76’), Maximiliano Urruti (Anthony Jackson-Hamel 90’+1’), Saphir Taïder
Subs not used – Clément Diop, Amar Sejdic, Mathieu Choinière
KC – GK-Tim Melia; D-Graham Zusi, Andreu Fontàs, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic; M-Roger Espinoza (Gianluca Busio 62’), Ilie Sánchez, Felipe Gutiérrez (Kelyn Rowe 74’); F-Johnny Russell; Krisztián Németh, Gerso (Yohan Croizet 71’)
Subs not used – Adrián Zendejas, Botond Baráth, Gedion Zelalem, Rodney Wallace
GOALS
KC – Russell (Németh) 10’
KC – Németh (Gerso, Felipe Gutiérrez) 43’
KC – Gutiérrez (Gerso, Espinoza) 45’+2’
KC – Russell (Espinoza) 50’
KC – Németh (Russell) 68’
KC – Busio 78’
KC – Németh (Sánchez 84’)
MTL – Taïder (Urruti, Lovitz) 89’
CAUTIONS
MTL – Lovitz 19’
MTL – Piette 22’
