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Di Vaio, Martins lead Impact in rout of Dynamo

FelipeMartinsMontrealImpact2-HoustonDynamo (AP)

By DAN KARELL

With both teams playing mid-week CONCACAF Champions League road matches, it’s fair to say that the outcome of Saturday evening’s game between the Montreal Impact and the Houston Dynamo could have gone either way.

Instead, it was all Impact after the first 35 minutes. Marco Di Vaio scored a brace and both Felipe Martins and Justin Mapp had two assists each for the Impact as they routed the visiting Dynamo, 5-0, at Stade Saputo in Montreal. The victory puts the Impact in first place in the Eastern Conference for the time being, with 41 points.

It’s the Impact’s first winning streak in MLS since they won three straight in May-June.

Mapp nearly put the Impact up 1-0 in the 14th minute with a long-range blast with his dangerous left foot but the shot clanged off the crossbar. Mapp did however play a key role in the Impact’s eventual opener in the 35th minute, feeding Di Vaio in the box and letting the Italian do what he does best: make seemingly difficult goals look easy, curling a shot past Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall.

Two minutes later, the Impact added their second when Mapp played Martins on the left side of the box, allowing the Brazilian midfielder to curl a beautiful shot in for a goal.

The Dynamo’s best chance of the match came three minutes into the second half, as Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins robbed Dynamo forward Will Bruin of a header goal, diving down and to his left to make a terrific save.

New signing Hernan Bernardello helped put the game away with the Impact’s third goal in the 58th minute. Bernardello sent in a long corner kick towards the far post that only needed a touch from defender Jeb Brovsky, scoring his second goal of the season in the process.

Di Vaio added his second and the team’s fourth in the 70th minute when teammate Patrice Bernier beat the offside trap on a long ball from the defense and fed a wide-open Di Vaio to his left. The Impact scored their fifth goal of the match in the first minute of stoppage time via the toe-poke of substitute Andrea Pisanu.

Here are the match highlights:

 

 

Comments

  1. I get some stick for saying I think Houston’s defense is inherently flawed but last night was a demonstration of how it is so. The first two goals showed Ashe and Sarkodie’s defensive limitations. Turned around a few times and no effective tackle, shot, goal. Montreal was repeatedly going after Ashe with diagonal balls and passes from the middle.

    The last two goals showed Taylor and Boswell’s lack of footspeed. Throughball, both attackers behind the last man, no speed to recover, goals.

    Most nights we don’t get exposed like this but I think it matters on the nights we do, including when a team like LA scores on us a few times in the final.

    Barnes scores some goals but I think you could also see hints here of how much we are forced to rely on Bruin to carry the primary load.

    Until they fix these two issues, they could have a dozen midfielders of quality and Hall in goal and still be mediocre. I expect us to make the playoffs and give people the usual fits but I think they need to look at certain personnel and note the correlation between when they were elevated to defensive starters and when this team quit winning titles.

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  2. The Dynamo missed early opportunities again, while the MTL didn’t. The Dynamo had to open up, to equalize and were humiliated for it. The Dynamo have to finish those chances, especially against a team like MTL who leaks goals.

    The Dynamo need a better back line performance as well. Sarkodie, and Boswell are fine, but Taylor, and Ashe are just not working. Brunner seemed to make a small difference, but it was already too late. The Dynamo were already beaten. Ashe needs to be challenged for his position, in my opinion.

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    • Early opportunities.. like Bruins two whiffs on the same play? I want to curl up in the fetal position thinking about this game.

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