MLS Soccer: The Impact eliminated on the last shot of the match against the Revolution

CONTENTS: Impact 1 – Revolution 2

A small miracle was within the reach of the Montreal Impact. Until one of the stars of the Revolution of New England inflicted a stab in the heart and the guts of the Montreal players.

The Impact’s grueling 2020 MLS season ended on a heartbreaking note, following a 2-1 loss in the qualifying game for the Eastern Conference quarter-finals, Friday night at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough.

Gustavo Bou was the author of the winning net with only a few seconds remaining in the five minutes that had been added at the end of the second half.

Bou defeated Clément Diop, brilliant throughout the evening, with a powerful shot from twenty meters which slipped to the right of the Montreal goalkeeper.

This goal came to crown a segment of fifteen minutes during which the Revolution never stopped attacking the Impact net.

 » It is not easy. This is probably the worst way to lose, like this, at the last minute, after having had good chances on both sides. It seems typical of everything that has happened this season. Everyone is disappointed. But we have to come back stronger next year, ”responded defender Luis Binks.

Carles Gil, in the 38th minute, scored the Revolution’s other goal. Romell Quioto, in the 61st minute, offered the Impact’s reply.

Thierry Henry’s men delivered a courageous performance in the absence of midfielders Samuel Piette and Victor Wanyama and Finnish defender Jukka Raitala.

After the match, Henry said he was proud of what his players gave him on Friday night and throughout the season.

“(The players) fought to the end. They had cramps. We came back to the score, we could have managed blocks, it is true that they could also have scored on the other side. To take a goal like that, in the last second of the game, it’s really difficult. But New England was really pushing, bringing people in. The quality they have on the bench, that made the difference ”, first analyzed the Impact head coach.

“On the envy, I have nothing to say to my team, on the contrary, I am even proud of it. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win this match. It will always be difficult, but I am really proud of the team and especially of the season on an emotional level and all that we have been able to live, ”he continued.

His counterpart Bruce Arena also praised the Impact players.

“They fought for 95 minutes. We have scored, in my opinion, two quality goals. I thought Diop had a remarkable game. Montreal had a good strategy, it defended itself well and frustrated us at times. « 

Diop saves the furniture

During the first half of the match, one Impact player stood out: Diop.

In front of Bruce Arena, who was his first MLS head coach in 2016, Diop kept the Montreal team within striking distance with some spectacular saves.

In the 11th minute, he frustrated Adam Buksa who headed a corner kick from Gil.

But it was especially during the last quarter of an hour of the half that the locals were dominant. During this segment of play, the Revolution players directed five shots towards the Montreal net, three of which were on target.

One of them found himself in the back of the net when Gil branched off a long side pass from Bou with a skillful left-footed strike, made on the fly, which gave Diop no chance.

At the other end of the field, Matt Turner only had to worry about Bojan. The Spanish striker attempted three of the Impact’s five shots during the first 45 minutes of play. Two of them, of quality, forced Turner to be alert.

Little visible until then Quioto appeared at the turn of the last third of the match by scoring with a header to bring the Impact back.

The streak began in the middle of the field with a free kick from Amar Sejdic that Rudy Camacho, installed deep in the penalty area, deflected with a header behind him.

Turner dove high in the air and hit the ball with his left hand, but not enough to keep it from vibrating the ropes.

From the 75th minute, it was the Revolution which was the most incisive in attack. During stoppage time, Buksa thought he had beaten Diop but his deflection of the header stopped on the post to the right of the Montreal goalkeeper after the latter had lightly touched the ball with his hand.

“His stop on Buksa was extraordinary. Clement was brilliant tonight, but it wasn’t just tonight. He has been throughout the season and it’s nothing new to us, ”praised Binks.

The Impact will have a little more than three weeks to digest this painful setback before playing one last game in 2020, the return duel of the Concacaf Champions League against CD Olimpia of Honduras on December 15 in Florida.