Metro dumps Montreal on record-setting night, 3:1
August 13, 2016
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Wright-Phillips 2
Davis
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Piatti
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The heat index hit unseen heights, but the thermometer was not the only one setting records today. Bradley Wright-Phillips set a major Metro record and Sacha Kljestan tied another, as New York easily dispatched Montreal, 3:1.
Injuries forced two changes to the backline, as Aurelien Collin and Chris Duvall stepped in for Damien Perrinelle and Connor Lade. Jesse Marsch was also absent, suspended for his just outburst during the LA game.
The visitors got on the board in the 21st minute, after a Kemar Lawrence turnover on Montreal's side of the field. With the entire Metro team caught upfield, Matteo Mancosu was put through. He set up a wide-open Ignacio Piatti for an easy tally.
Metro answered a minute later when Kljestan's through ball found BWP in the box. The Englishman was then taken down (surely, the referee would call a penalty!), but this time, no call was needed. The ball trickled into the net to tie it at ones. Kljestan's assist tied his own (and Eduardo Hurtado's, and Thierry Henry's) season record of 14 assists.
In the 41st, a perfect Sean Davis cross found Wright-Phillips, who snapped his head to bury his second. Second of the game, that is, and 59th of his league career, moving BWP past Juan Pablo Angel. He now owns all major Metro goalscoring records.
Less than a minute into the second half, the game was put of reach. Mike Grella powered through the Montreal defense to the endline, then sent the ball back to Davis. The midfielder's shot deflected off a Montreal defender and into the net.
Soon after, ex-Metro Ambroise Oyongo got a straight red for an idiotic tackle in midfield, and the visitors could not recover. Metro held on for what turned out to be an easy victory, only saddened by Gonzalo Veron's selfish half-field run that ended in a save.
Omer Damari made his debut as a late sub, as Metro moved over .500 for the first time all year. Has the ship been righted?
Lineup: Robles, Lawrence, Collin, Zubar, Duvall, Davis, Martins, Kljestan, Grella, Muyl, Wright-Phillips. Subs: Zizzo, Veron, Damari.
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