3-2 victory over D.C. United propels Impact to victory
The suspense remained until the very last second, but the Montreal Impact is heading to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
With a 3-2 win over D.C. United, Thierry Henry’s men finish ninth in the Eastern Conference, booking themselves a date with the New England Revolution for a knockout game on Friday, November 20, at 6:30pm EST.
It was Romell Quioto, who leads the team in goals and assists this season, who scored the game-winning goal with just a few minutes left in the contest.
“The story of the game was the story of our season,” said Impact head coach Thierry Henry. “We battled all the way through. We were losing at half-time and we did it, we came back. It points to the character of these guys. I’ve told my players all year: when the desire is right, things go your way.”
Montreal had to come back from behind twice to earn its playoff qualification, facing a D.C. side that was desperate to keep its playoff hopes alive as well with three points. After conceding in the ninth minute, Bojan was able to score his fourth goal of the year just four minutes later.
“We felt we were better than them and we believed in ourselves,” said Impact forward Bojan. “We have a good team, good players, and a great staff. I think we deserve to be in the playoffs. We’re strong mentally, physically, emotionally, and that’s why we won today.”
Then, after conceding before half-time, Victory Wanyama scored his second goal of the season off a corner, heading through his opportunity into the top corner.
Montreal now has a 12-day break before its showdown against the New England Revolution, a team the Impact has seen quite a bit of this year. Bruce Arena’s men finished in eighth after falling 2-0 to the Philadelphia Union on Decision Day.
“We have to stay grounded and not get carried away,” added Henry. “We wanted to be in the playoffs and this win was very important for us. We didn’t want anyone to help us go through. We made it, and we didn’t have to wait on anyone. Now, we’re looking at New England, who is a difficult team to deal with, especially away from home. Our focus is on them.”
