HOUSTON, Texas – The Montreal Impact fell to the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Friday night at the BBVA Compass Stadium. As a result, the Dynamo move into third spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Montreal, but the Impact have one game in hand and are still in the middle of the playoff race.
Houston opened the scoring in the 6th minute when Giles Barnes played a one-touch to Ricardo Clark with his chest. From the top of the box, the former US international cut to the right using the outside of his foot before curling one inside the left post past Impact keeper Troy Perkins.
In first-half stoppage time, Felipe found some space down the heart of midfield, dribbling through the middle before firing a long distance blast that was punched away by Dynamo keeper Tally Hall.
In the 51st minute, Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins made the first of two big stops to keep the Impact in the game. Will Bruin was played though into the box to the right of Perkins, but the Impact keeper managed to kick out a leg to stop his shot from in close.
Second-half sub Andrew Wenger, who replaced Marco Di Vaio in the 62nd minute, came close to bringing things level in the 71st minute. Midfielder Andres Romero played a long ball from the defensive side of midfield that found Wenger on the run. Alone with the goalkeeper, Wenger brought the ball down before attempting a low shot to Hall’s right, but the Dynamo backstop managed to get a hand on it as he came charging out.
Midfielder Patrice Bernier missed his first game since June 30, 2012, due to a hip injury, ending a streak of 45 consecutive appearances in MLS. As a result, Academy midfielder Zakaria Messoudi was named to the 18-man roster for the first time since signing with the pro team.
Hassoun Camara was shown a yellow card in the first half and will miss the Impact’s next game as a result of yellow card accumulation.
Post-game comments
"We were a little reluctant in the first 40 minutes, but we found some good scoring chances at the end of the first half," said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. "Then in the second half, we had a number of opportunities, but we couldn't finish. It's never easy to play on the road."
"On the play that resulted in the goal, we could have reacted a little better, but it was a nice goal,” said captain Davy Arnaud. “We go home now and we need to play a huge game on Saturday. We have to put this result behind us.”
“If we don’t allow that goal, we are still in the game,” noted Matteo Ferrari. “We had some good scoring chances, but couldn’t find a goal. We have to put this game behind us and win our next game. We are still in a good position, but we have to make sure we are compact and play our next game like it’s a final.”
Upcoming games
The two clubs faceoff in an MLS Reserve League game on Saturday morning.
The Impact will return home to host yet another team chasing them in the playoffs, the New England Revolution, on Saturday, October 12, at 2:30pm (ET), at Stade Saputo.
Lineups
MTL – GK-Troy Perkins; D-Jeb Brovsky, Wandrille Lefèvre, Matteo Ferrari, Hassoun Camara; M-Collen Warner, Felipe (Sanna Nyassi 65’), Davy Arnaud (Maxim Tissot 82’), Andrés Romero, Justin Mapp, F-Marco Di Vaio (Andrew Wenger 62’)
Subs not used: G-Evan Bush; D-Karl W. Ouimette; M-Zakaria Messoud; F-Blake Smith
HOU – GK-Tally Hall; D-Corey Ashe, Kofi Sarkodie, Bobby Boswell, Jermaine Taylor; M-Oscar Boniek Garcia, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis (Andrew Driver 86’), Warren Creavalle; F-Giles Barnes (Omar Cummings 88’), Will Bruin (Cam Weaver 79’)
Subs not used: GK-Tyler Deric; D-Eric Brunner; M-Alexander López, Servando Carrasco;
Goal
HOU – Clark (Barnes, Garcia) 6’
Cautions
MTL – Brovsky 31’
MTL – Camara 32’
HOU – Creavalle 63’
MTL – Ferrari 73’
