Montreal Impact 3, Los Angeles Football Club 5 | 2018 MLS Match Recap

Ian Nicholas Quillen

LAFC scored four unanswered goals after halftime against the 10-man Montreal Impact to complete their six-match, season-opening road trip with a 5-3 victory at Stade Saputo on Saturday afternoon.

LAFC scored after halftime through Benny Feilhaber, an own goal, Carlos Vela and Latif Blessing, deciding a game that already had plenty of talking points by the break. Montreal's Ignacio Piatti hit a first-half hat trick and Laurent Ciman scored on a stunning free-kick in his return his old ground.

I thought I was the biggest @LaurentCiman23 fan along with @LegionCiman but these people in 112 might have the crown👑 😂 Bravo guys! #LAFC #IMFC pic.twitter.com/hVupKCD93x
— Marceau Blétard 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇧🇪 (@MarceauBletard) April 21, 2018

It could've been worse had Marco Urena converted a first-half penalty he earned, the one that got Victor Cabrera sent off.

LAFC have scored three times and conceded three times in half of their six matches played so far, all on the road as they look toward their home opener at brand-new Banc of California Stadium on April 29.

Meanwhile, Montreal have lost three in a row and five of seven this season while allowing 12 goals in their last three matches. Seven of those were conceded while coach Remi Garde's played down a man.

Goals

9' - MTL - Ignacio Piatti Watch
16' - MTL - Ignacio Piatti (PK) Watch
24' - LAFC - Laurent Ciman Watch
43' - MTL - Ignacio Piatti Watch
52' - LAFC - Benny Feilhaber Watch
57' - LAFC - Jukka Raitala (OG) Watch
83' - LAFC - Carlos Vela (PK) Watch
89' - LAFC - Latif Blessing Watch

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: It's hard to be picky of winning four games out of six on the road, but LAFC coach Bob Bradley will know his team's defense must get better. Meanwhile, the Impact are becoming the latest MLS team that need to keep all their players on the field, after Seattle struggled with red cards earlier this season.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH:
For all the matches Impact fans may have cheered on Ciman as their own at Stade Saputo, it's doubtful they ever knew he could strike a ball as pure as on his 30-yard rocket free kick to pull LAFC to within 2-1. It was Ciman's first regular-season goal since scoring the winner in Montreal's 1-0 victory over Seattle on July 25, 2015.

⚽️🎥 @LaurentCiman23 with the laser!!#MTLvLAFC 2-1
https://t.co/fp2rP2vIFC
— LAFC (@LAFC) April 21, 2018

MAN OF THE MATCH: It's a rare thing that a losing player is worthy of man of the match honors, but who was more worthy than Piatti after his first MLS hat trick? He drew and converted a penalty for his second goal and 50th of his MLS career. He scored a third with Montreal reduced to 10, and nearly had a fourth with a very late strike off the crossbar..