MONTREAL IMPACT vs. D.C. UNITED
Stade Saputo | Montreal, Quebec
Wednesday, August 24 | Week #25 | MLS Game #252
7:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE)
A crucial contest in the Eastern Conference playoff chase is ahead at midweek when the Montréal Impact entertain D.C. United on Wednesday evening at Stade Saputo. The Impact come into the match off back-to-back losses, the last a 3-0 home defeat by the Chicago Fire on Saturday, leaving them in fifth place in the conference. They are five points ahead of United, who completed a four-game homestand undefeated, coming back for a 2-2 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium, still sitting right on the red line in a tie for sixth place in the East.
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- The Impact suffered their second consecutive defeat – their first back-to-back losses since March 19-April 2 – following their 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at Stade Saputo.
- United extended their current undefeated run to four matches – all at RFK Stadium – with a third draw in that time, coming back for a 2-2 result with the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon. Patrick Mullins scored his second goal in four matches since coming to the club in a trade with New York City FC.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Patrick Mullins gave United a first-half lead, but the Impact’s Hernan Bernardello scored his first MLS goal in the 86th minute to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw July 31 at RFK Stadium.
- United owns the only two victories by the road team in the series history, having won two of the last four meetings at Stade Saputo. They had come away with points on three consecutive visits to Montréal before the Impact won the final meeting last year, 2-0 at Stade Saputo. United have won four of the six meetings lifetime at RFK Stadium, with two draws.
REFEREE: Robert Sibiga. AR1 (bench): Jeff Muschik; AR2 (opposite): Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho; 4th: Alan Kelly
MLS Career: 15 games; FC/gm: 23.0; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 4; pens: 2
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: MTL: Didier Drogba, Lucas Ontivero … DC: Luciano Acosta, Jared Jeffrey
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: MTL: Hassoun Camara, Hernan Bernardello … DC: Steve Birnbaum, Patrick Mullins, Sean Franklin, Marcelo Sarvas
DISABLED LIST: DC: Chris Korb, Alhaji Kamara, Charlie Horton
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Impact 3 wins, 14 goals … United 5 wins, 17 goals … Ties 3
AT MONTREAL (6 meetings): Impact 3 wins, 10 goals … United 2 wins, 7 goals … Ties 1
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Patrick Mullins gave United a first-half lead, but the Impact’s Hernan Bernardello scored his first MLS goal in the 86th minute to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw July 31 at RFK Stadium.
• United owns the only two victories by the road team in the series history, having won two of the last four meetings at Stade Saputo. They had come away with points on three consecutive visits to Montréal before the Impact won the final meeting last year, 2-0 at Stade Saputo. United have won four of the six meetings lifetime at RFK Stadium, with two draws.
• Coaches record: Mauro Biello vs. DC: P2 W1 L0 T1 … Ben Olsen vs. MTL: P12 W5 L3 T4
LAST MEETING (MLS):
7/31: DC 1, MTL 1 (Mullins 20 – Bernardello 86)
• United took the lead in the 20th minute, when Patrick Mullins scored his first goal for the club, heading home a Taylor Kemp cross from the right flank.
• The Impact then went a man down in the 81st minute when Didier Drogba was sent off by referee Ted Unkel with a straight red card after a challenge on United midfielder Marcelo Sarvas.
• But the Impact hit for the leveler five minutes later, Hernan Bernardello receiving a pass back from a partially cleared corner and ripping a swerving half-volley inside the right post to leave honors even.
• D.C. UNITED (4-1-4-1): Bill Hamid - Sean Franklin, Steve Birnbaum, Bobby Boswell, Taylor Kemp - Marcelo Sarvas - Nick DeLeon, Jared Jeffrey (Rob Vincent 56), Luciano Acosta, Patrick Nyarko (Kennedy Igboananike 64) - Patrick Mullins (Alvaro Saborio 80).
• MONTREAL IMPACT (4-2-3-1): Evan Bush - Hassoun Camara, Victor Cabrera, Laurent Ciman, Ambroise Oyongo - Marco Donadel, Kyle Bekker (Hernan Bernardello 71) - Michael Salazar (Dominic Oduro 66), Ignacio Piatti, Harry Shipp (Matteo Mancosu 75) - Didier Drogba (ejected 81).
