Forward Didger Drogba scored deep into second-half stoppage time, putting a long distance free kick off goalkeeper Brian Rowe to lift the Montreal Impact to 3-2 victory over the LA Galaxy on Saturday at State Saputo.
The victory snapped a six-match winless streak for Montreal (5-4-4), which celebrated its first-ever win over the LA Galaxy (4-2-6), who had their nine-match unbeaten steak come to an end in dramatic fashion.
On his first MLS goal, Lucas Ontivero gave the Impact a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute after receiving a quick pass from Ignacio Piatti, but Mike Magee responded just two minutes later to level at two.
Steven Gerrard took a short pass from Sebastian Lletget and played a ball into the box. Magee brilliantly trapped before scoring from eight yards out.
Giovani dos Santos put Los Angeles in front in the eighth minute when he capitalized on a Montreal defensive gaffe for his sixth goal of the season. Magee got a piece of ball played in front by Robbie Rogers and the ball popped up in the air. Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush called for the ball, but defender Maxim Tissot attempted to play it. The ball rolled off Tissot’s back to dos Santos, who tapped in easily.
The Impact leveled in the 26th on a terrific counter started when Dominic Oduro won the ball in his own defensive third and played forward to Drogba, who played a give-and-go with Oduro. The Ghanaian forward cut inside of Jelle Van Damme and played to an open Piatti, who beat Rowe to the ball and scored from 15 yards out for his eighth goal of the season.
Box Score
- 8’ – LA – Giovani dos Santos
- 26’ – MTL – Ignacio Piatti (Dominic Oduro, Didier Drogba)
- 56’ – MTL – Lucas Ontivero (Ignacio Piatti)
- 58’ – LA – Mike Magee (Steven Gerrard, Sebastian Lletget)
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90'+4' – MTL – Didier Drogba
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Three Things
- HISTORY MADE: When Didier Drogba scored the late winner on a long-distance free kick, the Montreal Impact defeated the LA Galaxy for the first time in club history after going 1-0-3 in their previous four meetings.
- BLUNDERS X 2: Both teams scored off defensive gaffes, as Giovani dos Santos tapped in after a ball rolled off the back of defender Maxim Tissot and Drogba won it by putting his attempt in off goalkeeper Brian Rowe.
- STREAKS SNAPPED: The Impact snapped a six-match winless streak, getting all three points for the first time since a 2-1 win at Chicago on April 16. It is the first loss for the LA Galaxy since a 1-0 defeat at Colorado on March 12, a span of nine matches.
Next Up
MTL: Amway Canadian Championship: Wednesday, June 1 at Toronto FC (7:30 p.m. ET)
LA: Thursday, June 2 vs. Sporting Kansas City (10:30 p.m. ET | MLS LIVE)
