Montreal Impact vs. New York City FC | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

MONTRÉAL IMPACT vs NEW YORK CITY FC
STADE SAPUTO, Montréal, Qué.
July 4, 2015 (WEEK 18, MLS Game #179)
8 p.m. ET (TVA; YES)

Two teams in need of points to start a move up the Eastern Conference table meet on Saturday evening when the Montréal Impact play host to New York City FC at Stade Saputo. The teams are separated by just a single point, both sitting outside the top six in the division and the playoffs-paying places. The Impact return home off a 2-2 draw at Philadelphia Union last weekend, while NYCFC had their club-record three-game winning streak put to an end in a second defeat by Big Apple rivals New York Red Bulls, 3-1 at Yankee Stadium last Sunday.

Jack McInerney and Ignacio Piatti each scored their first goals since June 3, pulling the Impact back into a 2-2 draw with Philadelphia Union on Saturday evening at PPL Park.
NYCFC saw their club-record winning streak put to an end after three games, the Red Bulls roaring back with three second-half goals to claim the second New York derby of the season 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
The teams are meeting for the second time this season. David Villa, Mix Diskerud and Kwadwo Poku all scored as NYCFC took a 3-1 victory, June 13 at Yankee Stadium.

REFEREE: Jorge Gonzalez. AR1 (bench): Craig Lowry; AR2 (opposite): Scott Kachmarik; 4th: Jose Carlos Rivero
MLS Career: 118 games; FC/gm: 25.1; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 37; pens: 30

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SUSPENDED: MTL: Patrice Bernier (through July 5)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: MTL: Andres Romero … NYC: Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Chris Wingert, Jason Hernandez
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: MTL: Nigel Reo-Coker, Calum Mallace, Jack McInerney … NYC: Mehdi Ballouchy, Kwadko Poku, Shay Facey
DISABLED LIST: MTL: Kenny Cooper, Justin Mapp, Adrian Lopez … NYC: Tony Taylor
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: MTL: Maxim Tissot (Canada, CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... NYC: Mix Diskerud (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (1 meeting): Impact 0 wins, 1 goal … NYCFC 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 0 AT MONTREAL: First meeting.
FUTURE MATCH: 8/1: New York City FC vs. Montreal Impact, 7 p.m. ET

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. David Villa, Mix Diskerud and Kwadwo Poku all scored as NYCFC took a 3-1 victory, June 13 at Yankee Stadium.
Coaches record: Jason Kreis vs. MTL: P3 W2 L1 D0 … Frank Klopas vs. NYC: P1 W0 L1 D0

LAST MEETING (MLS) 6/13: NYC 3, MTL 1 (Villa 31; Diskerud 76; Poku 90 – Lefevre 88)

NYCFC took the lead on 31 minutes. Patrick Mullins settled a cross from Thomas McNamara and tapped the ball to Mehdi Ballouchy, who was quickly swarmed by Impact players. He then slipped the ball to his right where an in-stride David Villa struck from 12 yards.
The NYCFC second came in the 76th minute through a pair of substitutes. Mix Diskerud received a ball from Kwadwo Poku, who dispossessed a defender at the top of box, took a touch and fired the ball past Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush from 16 yards out.
The Impact pulled a goal back in the 88th minute when center back Wandrille Lefevre latched onto a free kick flighted in by Laurent Ciman from the left flank sent a glancing header past NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders.
But the NYC victory was complete two minutes later when Poku took a pass from Villa on a 2-on-1 counterattack and side-footed home his first career MLS goal. · NEW YORK CITY FC (4-3-1-2): Josh Saunders - R.J. Allen, Jason Hernandez, Shay Facey, Chris Wingert (Jeb Brovsky 78) - Mehdi Ballouchy (Mix Diskerud 65), Andrew Jacobson, Thomas McNamara - Ned Grabavoy - Patrick Mullins (Kwadwo Poku 75), David Villa
MONTREAL IMPACT (4-2-3-1): Evan Bush - Victor Cabrera (Anthony Jackson-Hamel 46), Wandrille Lefevre, Laurent Ciman, Donny Toia - Nigel Reo-Coker, Calum Mallace (Patrice Bernier 70) - Andres Romero, Ignacio Piatti (Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare 78), Eric Alexander - Jack McInerney.