MONTREAL IMPACT vs. CHICAGO FIRE
Stade Saputo | Montreal, Quebec
August 20, 2016 | Week #24 | MLS Game #243
7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE, CSN Plus, TVA Sports)
The Montréal Impact and Chicago Fire meet for a second time this season in a crucial match for both clubs, when the clubs face off Saturday evening at Stade Saputo. The Impact sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, six points above the red line, returning home off of a 3-1 loss at the New York Red Bulls last weekend. The Fire head out aiming to put an end to their long winless streak away from Bridgeview, now five games overall without a victory following a 2-2 draw with Orlando City SC last weekend at home.
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- Ignacio Piatti scored his 13th goal of the season – good for fourth place in the MLS Golden Boot standings – but the Impact had their three-game undefeated streak put to an end in a 3-1 defeat at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening.
- The Fire made it six consecutive home matches without a loss, though their overall winless run was extended to five games, as Razvan Cocis scored a late equalizer for a 2-2 draw with Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon at Toyota Park.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Ignacio Piatti scored the game-winner in second-half stoppage time with a stunning goal, giving the Impact a 2-1 win April 16 at Toyota Park.
- The Impact have won the last three meetings in the series, and have won the last four matches in the series in Montréal.
- The visiting team has never won in the series.
REFEREE: David Gantar. AR1 (bench): Philippe Briere; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Mathieu Bourdeau MLS Career: 44 games; FC/gm: 25.4; Y/gm: 2.6; R: 18; pens: 9
SUSPENDED: MTL: Ambroise Oyongo (through Aug. 21)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: MTL: Lucas Ontivero
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: MTL: Didier Drogba, Hassoun Camara, Hernan Bernardello … CHI: Joao Meira, Matt Polster
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Impact 5 wins, 17 goals … Fire 3 wins, 17 goals … Ties 4
AT MONTREAL (6 meetings): Impact 4 wins, 11 goals … Fire 0 wins, 6 goals … Ties 2
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Ignacio Piatti scored the game-winner in second-half stoppage time with a stunning goal, giving the Impact a 2-1 win April 16 at Stade Saputo.
- The Impact have won the last three meetings in the series, and have won the last four matches in the series in Montréal.
- Coaches record: Veljko Paunovic vs. MTL: P1 W0 L1 D0 … Mauro Biello vs. CHI: P3 W3 L0 D0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
4/16: CHI 1, MTL 2 (Igboananike 29 – Drogba 56; Piatti 91+)
- The Fire took the lead in the 29th minute from a spectacular strike by Kennedy Igboananike, curling the ball high inside the far post from the left corner of the penalty area.
- But second-half substitute Didier Drogba canceled that with his first goal of the season for the Impact, slipping home a backheel from the center of the area.
- Then the Impact hit for the winner as the match turned into stoppage time, Ignacio Piatti breaking the home fans' hearts when he mimicked Igboananike's goal with a wonder strike of his own from just outside the box on the left.
- CHICAGO FIRE (4-4-1-1): Matt Lampson - Rodrigo Ramos, Jonathan Campbell, Johan Kappelhof, Michael Harrington - Arturo Alvarez (Matt Polster 46), Michael Stephens, Razvan Cocis (Nick LaBrocca 78), Kennedy Igboananike - John Goossens (Alex Morrell 58) - Gilberto.
- MONTREAL IMPACT (4-2-3-1): Evan Bush - Hassoun Camara, Victor Cabrera (Wandrille Lefevre 46), Laurent Ciman, Donny Toia - Kyle Bekker (Marco Donadel 80), Eric Alexander - Johan Venegas (Didier Drogba 50), Ignacio Piatti, Harry Shipp - Dominic Oduro.
