Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact | MLS Match Preview

CHICAGO FIRE vs MONTRÉAL IMPACT
TOYOTA PARK, Bridgeview, Ill.
August 10, 2013 (WEEK 24, MLS Game #217)
7:30 p.m. CT (My50 Chi; TVA)

A huge match for placing in the Eastern Conference is ahead on Saturday evening as the Chicago Fire play host to the Montréal Impact at Toyota Park. The Fire are unbeaten in their last three league games, returning home after a 2-1 win at Philadelphia Union, though they lost in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal at midweek. The Impact are coming off a 2-1 loss at D.C. United last weekend in league play, though they won in the CONCACAF Champions League at midweek.

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REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Claudio Badea; AR2 (opposite): Jonathan Johnson; 4th: Younes Marrakchi
MLS Career: 26 games; FC/gm: 20.6; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 4; pens: 6

DISABLED LIST: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: CHI: Daniel Paladini, Bakary Soumare, Jeff Larentowicz, Jalil Anibaba … MTL: Dennis Iapichino, Hassoun Camara, Felipe Martins, Jeb Brovsky, Matteo Ferrari, Davy Arnaud, Patrice Bernier
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (3 meetings): Fire 1 win, 4 goals … Impact 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 1
AT MONTREAL (1 meeting): Fire 1 win, 3 goals … Impact 0 wins, 1 goal … Ties 1
FUTURE MATCH: 9/28: Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact, 7:30 p.m. CT

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Andres Romero and Marco Di Vaio scored second-half goals to lead the Impact to a 2-0 victory April 27 at Stade Saputo.
• The Fire won 3-1 in the lone meeting thus far at Toyota Park.
• The Impact played the first home game in the club’s MLS history vs. Chicago, attracting a crowd of 58,912 to Olympic Stadium last March 17 (the 18th-largest in league history) for a 1-1 draw.
• Coaches record: Frank Klopas vs. MTL: P3 W1 L1 T1 … Marco Schallibaum vs. CHI: P1 W1 L0 T0

LAST MEETING
4/27: MTL 2, CHI 0 (Romero 57; Di Vaio 76)

• The Impact finally broke through in the second half. A long pass from Wandrille Lefèvre from the right reached Andrea Pisanu, who fed Andres Romero on the left wing. Romero tricked his way past Chicago right back Logan Pause and curled a beauty to the top right corner for the 57th-minute opener.
• The game then took a turn in the 64th minute, when Fire midfielder Jeff Larentowicz was sent off for tripping up Pisanu on a run toward goal.
• Impact striker Di Vaio wrapped up the game with a low, delicate finish in the 76th minute after newcomer Daniele Paponi served him a ball in the area.
• MONTREAL IMPACT (4-4-2): Troy Perkins - Jeb Brovsky, Alessandro Nesta (Wandrille Lefevre 54), Hassoun Camara, Dennis Iapichino - Andres Romero, Felipe Martins (Patrice Bernier 61), Davy Arnaud, Andrea Pisanu (Justin Mapp 72) - Daniele Paponi, Marco Di Vaio.
• CHICAGO FIRE (4-2-3-1): Sean Johnson - Logan Pause, Austin Berry, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares - Jeff Larentowicz (sent off 63), Daniel Paladini - Patrick Nyarko (Dilly Duka 84), Chris Rolfe, Joel Lindpere (Alex 77) - Sherjill MacDonald (Maicon Santos 66).

CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire extended their undefeated streak to three games, closing their two-game road swing with a 2-1 victory against Philadelphia Union at PPL Park on Saturday evening. The Fire are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points from 21 matches.

LAST MATCH

• The Fire took the lead on the road in the ninth minute. A low Joel Lindpere cross sailed across the box was met by Patrick Nyarko with a rocket of a shot that beat Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath to the far post.
• But the home side pulled even at the hour mark in a bizarre goal. Following a Sebastien Le Toux cross, defender Sheanon Williams went for a header but ended up using what appeared to be the back of his foot while on the ground to beat Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
• The game-winner came in the 75th minute. After receiving a sharp ball from Nyarko in the left side of the area, Mike Magee beat a sliding MacMath with a top-shelf blast while one-on-one with the 'keeper.
• Fire head coach Frank Klopas made one change to the team that, reached a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. Sean Johnson returned from international duty in goal in place of Paolo Tornaghi.
• CHICAGO FIRE (4-4-2): Sean Johnson - Jalil Anibaba, Bakary Soumare, Austin Berry, Gonzalo Segares - Patrick Nyarko, Jeff Larentowicz, Alex (Daniel Paladini 74), Joel Lindpere (Dilly Duka 67) - Mike Magee, Chris Rolfe (Quincy Amarikwa 67).

TEAM NEWS

• The Fire start the final third of the season five points out a playoff position, in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, with two league losses since mid-May.
• “We knew there were a lot of important games coming up and we dropped a lot of points on the road early on so all these games are massive right now,” said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. “ (B)ut I give all the credit to my players, they came out, they competed, everyone left everything on the field and we got three points in a difficult place.”
• Said Patrick Nyarko: “Before the start of the game, everybody kept saying we need the three points, and we were going to settle for nothing but the three points. When we conceded that goal, we didn't panic, we came straight out and went back on the offensive.”
• Mike Magee scored for a third consecutive game, and continued his remarkable run of form with the Fire. It was his eighth league goal in 10 games since coming to Chicago, and his 11th goal in all competitions.
• “We knew he was a quality player but you see a night like tonight and that is what a forward has to do. He gets that opportunity, very composed, he waits for the ‘keeper to go so it was just a class goal,” said Klopas. “Patrick (Nyarko) made a great pass, but when you get him in spots in front of the goal it is just very good.”
• Patrick Nyarko recorded an assist for a second consecutive match by stripping a defender deep in the attacking zone, and also scored his fourth goal of the campaign.
• “I was 99 percent sure he was going to bury that. That's the quality that he has,” Nyarko said. “Mike is unbelievable with the runs he makes. I saw him initially but then I knew he was going to make the right run … I stayed patient and picked out the pass. It was an unbelievable finish too because he still had a lot to do.”
• Magee also moved back atop the MLS Golden Boot standings with 14 goals this season, one more than Vancouver’s Camilo Sanvezzo.
• “Absolutely he has to be in the [MVP conversation],” Nyarko said. “The guy cannot miss, he puts himself in great positions and he's making the plays for us … The funny thing is it's not individual, it's nothing individual, it's all about the team. I think that's what is helping him achieve those individual accomplishments.”
• Joel Lindpere collected his sixth assist of the season, all coming in the last seven league matches. Lindpere was in the starting lineup for a third consecutive game.
• On Wednesday, the Fire were bounced out of the U.S. Open Cup in a 2-0 semifinal loss to D.C. United at Toyota Park. Dwayne De Rosario (44) and Nick DeLeon (47) scored the United goals.
• Here’s the Fire team: Sean Johnson; Jalil Anibaba, Austin Berry, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares (Quincy Amarikwa 74’); Patrick Nyarko (Joel Lindpere 36’), Jeff Larentowicz, Alex, Dilly Duka; Mike Magee, Chris Rolfe (Juan Luis Anangono 57’)
• “Definitely it’s going to hurt us tonight and for tomorrow we have to regroup and now really focus on the league because we’re right there and some big games are coming up to put ourselves in a spot in the playoffs,” said Klopas.

MONTREAL IMPACT
The Montréal Impact couldn’t make it back-to-back victories, D.C. United claiming at 3-1 victory on Saturday evening at RFK Stadium. The Impact are in third place in the Eastern Conference with 35 points from 21 matches.

LAST MATCH

• United opened the scoring after just 19 minutes, again through Luis Silva. Nick DeLeon had his shot blocked, but the ball bounced directly to Silva. He then held the ball in the box before blasting a right-footed shot that hit the far post and bounced in.
• The Impact leveled the score in the 52nd minute on a nifty give-and-go by Jeb Brovsky and Davy Arnaud, the fullback neatly finishing from inside the area.
• But United regained the lead in the 68th minute. Defender James Riley flighted in a perfect cross and Conor Doyle finished off a strong run with a flicked header past Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
• Then, in stoppage time with the Impact pressing for the leveler, Doyle and Jared Jeffery broke toward Perkins on a 2-on-0 and Doyle set Jeffery up for the empty net tap-in.
• Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum made two changes to the team that took a 1-0 victory against Sporting Kansas City at Stade Saputo. Dennis Iapichino came into the back four for Alessandro Nesta, and Andres Romero started in midfield for Felipe Martins.
• MONTREAL IMPACT (4-1-4-1): Troy Perkins - Dennis Iapichino, Matteo Ferrari, Hassoun Camara, Jeb Brovsky - Patrice Bernier (Daniele Paponi 70) - Sanna Nyassi (Blake Smith 69), Andres Romero (Felipe Martins 74), Davy Arnaud, Justin Mapp - Marco Di Vaio.

TEAM NEWS

• The Impact have won just once over their last seven league matches, and now sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, their lowest position in the league since late May.
• “Winning on the road is a hard thing. Especially in the first half, we concede the first against a team that has endured bad results. Then we scored to make it 1-1, but as a phase we should not have conceded the second one,” said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. “It was at the wrong time and then it was difficult to come back.”
• Said defender Jeb Brovsky: “Any team in this league is capable of going on a long run, and we didn’t want to let them in the door today, but we did. And now, we have to close it. It’s a gift that we have to play them in two weeks again. We’re all looking forward to getting back to Saputo.”
• For a fifth time in the last 11 league contests, the Impact conceded three goals or more. They have allowed a season-high four goals on two occasions.
• “The way that the second goal comes is too easy. It’s an easy ball in and then the guy’s all by himself. That’s happened to us too many times now and the reaction was not good. Too many guys quit,” said goalkeeper Troy Perkins. “ … We have to be mentally tougher, it’s as simple as that. We’ve got to be stronger and we can’t have these kind of lapses. And when we do, we have to be able to get through it.”
• Brovsky scored his first professional goal, in his third MLS season, after 73 appearances. “I would have traded that goal for three points. Hell, I would have traded it for one point. I’m happy that I got my first goal, but that goal didn’t get us any closer to the playoffs, so I’m not satisfied,” he said
• After seven consecutive matches in the starting lineup center back Alessandro Nesta was out with an injury.
• “It’s hard to win 34 straight games. What should be there, what should consistently be there is a willingness as a group in good moments and bad moments and to have the same attitude and approach and the same commitment and attitude to go about things in the right way,” said Davy Arnaud. “It doesn’t mean you’re always going to get the result but that consistency needs to be there. You’re not going to win every game, I think everybody knows that. But in terms of us and the way that we approach the game, from the first minute to the last, we have to become more consistent in that department.”
• On Wednesday, the Impact opened their CONCACAF Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes at Stade Saputo. The game’s lone goal came through Hassoun Camara on 17 minutes.
• Here’s the Impact team: Evan Bush, Hassoun Camara, Alessandro Nesta, Matteo Ferrari, Jeb Brovsky, Justin Mapp, Collen Warner, Hernan Bernardello, Andres Romero (Patrice Bernier 81), Marco Di Vaio (Sanna Nyassi 89), Daniele Paponi (Blake Smith 69).
• “We were solid tonight. Defensively, we did really well and we scored that one goal we needed that made the difference," said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. “We created a few scoring chances, but the important thing is the result. The team was ready for this game and we did well, even though we had a number of players with their first taste of Champions League.”