 |
| photo by Matt Kremkau |
by Garry Redman
MONTREAL, QC - In a match where both teams were looking to salvage their respective seasons with a victory, it was C.F. Montreal who earned all three points no thanks in part to an own goal by defender Andres Reyes and a late goal by Mathieu Choinière to give the Red Bulls a rough start to their two-match road trip, 2-0.
Looking to put a rough week for the club behind them, the team traveled north to face a desperate Club de Foot Montreal squad, trying to grab three points in front of the home folks at Stade Saputo Saturday evening.
With seven of their outfield players on the injured reserve list, coach Gerhard Struber had little choice but to require Wiki Carmona's services from the Red Bulls II side to field a team. This was Carmona's first start for the first team this season.
One of the reasons the team has had some problems collecting clean sheets this season is defensive mistakes. And in the 25th minute, it happened again when Aaron Hererra whipped the ball across the net, where it supposedly found the feet of Chinonso Offor charging into the box. But under further review, the ball was deflected off the foot of Andres Reyes, who was charged for the own goal instead as he attempted to clear the ball off the line.
Montreal nearly went up by two goals in the 38th minute when the ball went through the box off a corner kick and was dangerously deflected by Victor Wanyama. But to the relief of the Red Bulls, the ball safely wound up in the steady hands of Carlos Coronel, nullifying the threat.
Despite the Red Bulls having some quality chances to get on the scoreboard, it was the hosts with the one-goal lead as the free-flowing first end came to a close.
Only a little happened as the second half began as both teams struggled to assemble any offensive buildup. But fortunes began to change for the Red Bulls with Ilias Iliadis badly fouling Kyle Duncan in the 65th minute. His act earned him a second yellow card from the official, ending his evening, despite a modest protest from his teammates and fans.
The Red Bulls could have used the red card to their advantage. And they nearly did in the 70th minute as Cameron Harper delivered a terrific cross. Still, Tom Barlow bearly missed the target with a header from very close range at the right side of the net, frustrating the traveling supporters.
Red Bulls had yet another chance in the 83rd minute as Elias Manouel served a free kick, the ball pinballed in the box and bounced off Kyle Duncan's head, but it wound up right in the hands of Montreal's goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
Montreal sealed the win two minutes in stoppage time when Chinonso Offor, on a break, raced down the field with only the New York goalkeeper to beat, but Carlos Coronel made the initial save but didn't secure the ball. However, Mathieu Choinière picked up the loose rebound and cooly slotted in the back of the net to the delight of the home supporters.
Once again, the Red Bulls had their chances but could not capitalize. Even worse, Kyle Duncan may be added to the growing list of injured players for Gerhard Struber's side. Adding insult to injury, he picks up a fifth yellow card, making him unavailable for next week's match.
The pressure may be building after another loss, making the seat even warmer for their beleaguered head coach. They now must head to Soldier Field to find three points and find a temporary respite to soothe the inflamed nerves of supporters looking for anything positive this season.
Scoring Summary:
25' - New York Red Bulls - Andres Reyes - Own Goal
90'+2 - C.F. Montreal - Mathieu Choinière - Unassisted
Disciplinary Summary:
2' - New York Red Bulls - Daniel Edelman - Yellow Card
53' - C.F. Montreal - Ilias Iliadis - Yellow Card
59' - C.F. Montreal - Mathieu Choinière - Yellow Card
62' - New York Red Bulls - Kyle Duncan - Yellow Card
65' - C.F. Montreal - Ilias Iliadis - Second Yellow Card/Red Card
71' - New York Red Bulls - Andres Reyes - Yellow Card
Comments
Post a Comment