MONTREAL – The ice is finally broken – smashed, rather – at Stade Saputo.
The Montreal Impact picked up their first win of the 2015 MLS season on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake. Andres Romero, Laurent Ciman, and Dilly Duka scored for the Impact with Romero netting two, while Devon Sandoval scored the visitors' only goal.
Despite the win, Montreal (1-3-2, 5 pts) remain bottom of the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Philadelphia Union. RSL (3-3-5, 14 pts) now sit seventh in the West.
Montreal took a 3-0 lead within an 11-minute span of the first half, punishing a flat Salt Lake side. Ciman scored his first MLS goal in the 18th minute after Elias Vasquez conceded a corner kick that Marco Donadel delivered. The unmarked Belgian beat RSL's Alvaro Saborio to the ball to sidefoot it past goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Excluding penalty kicks, this was Montreal’s first league goal on a set play in nearly 19 months.
A fine second goal came only two minutes later. From the right, Ignacio Piatti hooked the ball into Romero’s path while RSL defensive midfielder Kyle Beckerman trailed behind. Romero coolly chipped Rimando to make it 2-0.
Romero scored his second just nine minutes after his first. A Calum Mallace cross from the right reached teammate Dominic Oduro, whose shot was tipped onto the post by Rimando. But Romero outpaced RSL right back Tony Beltran to tap home the rebound.
The Impact had a chance to stretch their lead to four in the 43rd minute as Oduro was taken down in the box by Vasquez. Unfortunately for Montreal, Piatti shot his penalty kick off the post.
RSL were more energized in the early goings of the second half, while Montreal suffered from an early second-half slump.
Consistently first to the ball in the first 15 minutes after the break, RSL got a goal back two minutes into the second stanza. Luis Gil ran at Ciman, who failed to make a tackle on the edge of the box, but Sandoval pounced and from just inside the area, curled an improbable shot past Evan Bush. The Impact goalkeeper seemed stunned by the sheer quality of the strike.
But Montreal grew back into the game and found a fourth goal 12 minutes from full time. Released down the right by Eric Alexander, substitute Jack McInerney provided a low cross that Rimando tipped into Duka’s path for a simple finish.
Both teams will be at home next Saturday, May 23. Montreal will be playing the last of three straight home games as they host FC Dallas (8 pm ET, MLS LIVE and TVA Sports), while Real Salt Lake have their first-ever meeting with New York City FC the same night (10 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
