Photo Credit: Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact 0-1 Chicago Fire
MONTREAL, QC–Almost three weeks after falling 3-0 in Montreal, the Chicago Fire returned and took all three points with a 1-0 win over the Impact. The win ends a four-match losing streak, returns the Fire to third in the Eastern Conference table, and gets them eight points clear of the red line in the East with seven matches to play.
Matt Polster returned to the starting XI, Brandon Vincent returned as a sub, but David Accam was a scratch with a hip injury. Montreal were missing a few players on international duty such as Samuel Piette and Laurent Ciman while the Fire had Dax McCarty on international duty.
After a quiet first half, the match essentially turned in the 50th minute. Deian Boldor’s challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger was initially ruled a yellow card by referee Baldomero Toledo, but after consultation with video assistant referee Chris Penso, the yellow was changed to a red and the Impact were down to ten men.
Nine minutes later, Schweinsteiger would score what turned out to be the only goal of the match after collecting a pass from Polster. It was Schweinsteiger’s third goal of the season and first since April 15th.
The Impact pressed for an equalizer later and Ignacio Piatti nearly got it on two occasions. He struck a line drive shot off the post in the 80th minute and then had a shot saved by Matt Lampson with the last kick of the match five minutes into stoppage time.
The Fire return home next Saturday to take on New York Red Bulls. Kickoff is at 3pm on UniMas and Facebook Live.
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI-Bastian Schweinsteiger (Polster) 59
BOOKING SUMMARY:
CHI-Juninho (caution, tactical foul) 38
MTL-Deian Boldor (sent off, serious foul play) 50
MTL-Marco Donadel (caution, reckless foul) 70
CHI-Michael de Leeuw (caution, tactical foul) 90+2
MONTREAL IMPACT (4-3-3): #1-Evan Bush; #6-Hassoun Camara, #36-Victor Cabrera, #35-Deian Boldor, #3-Daniel Lovitz; #25-Louis Beland-Goyette (#26-Kyle Fisher 55), #33-Marco Donadel (#30-Hernan Bernardello 77), #8-Patrice Bernier; #15-Andres Romero (#13-Ballou Tabla 65), #21-Matteo Mancosu, #10-Ignacio Piatti
Subs not used: #40-Maxime Crepeau, #18-Chris Duvall, #30-Hernan Bernardello, #7-Dominic Oduro, #19-Michael Salazar
CHICAGO FIRE (4-3-3): #28-Matt Lampson; #2-Matt Polster, #4-Johan Kappelhof, #16-Jonathan Campbell, #22-Patrick Doody (#3-Brandon Vincent 89); #19-Juninho, #31-Bastian Schweinsteiger (#18-Drew Conner 79), #14-Djordje Mihailovic (#12-Arturo Alvarez 90); #8-Michael de Leeuw, #23-Nemanja Nikolic, #9-Luis Solignac
Subs not used: #45-Richard Sanchez, #5-Michael Harrington, #13-Brandt Bronico, #10-David Arshakyan
TOTAL SHOTS: MTL 11-8 CHI
SHOTS ON GOAL: MTL 2-2 CHI
FOULS: MTL 15-15 CHI
OFFSIDES: MTL 1-2 CHI
CORNER KICKS: MTL 5-4 CHI
SAVES: MTL 1-2 CHI
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Referee’s Assistants: Gianni Facchini, Andrew Bigelow
4th Official: Fotis Bazakos
Video Assistant Referee: Chris Penso
Weather: Sunny and 65º
Attendance: 19,619
Man of the Match: Bastian Schweinsteiger (CHI)
Chicago Fire
Montreal Impact
