CF Montréal snapped their five-game winless streak in dramatic fashion, as Victor Wanyama's 98th-minute penalty kick sealed a 2-1 comeback win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Stade Saputo.
RBNY goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel saved two penalties in stoppage time to keep the draw alive, but two Video Review calls found the Brazilian had stepped off his line. With a third attempt, Wanyama buried his spot-kick and gave Montréal their first win since July 17 against FC Cincinnati.
The Red Bulls broke the ice thanks to a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time. Aljaz Struna took down Andrew Gutman with a diving tackle as he made his way inside the box. Referee Allen Chapman called for a spot-kick, and Patryk Klimala stepped up and beat Sebastian Breza to steal a goal away from the half.
Having to play catch up in the second half, Montréal pressed and finally equalized via a Sunusi Ibrahim header in the 71st minute. Djordje Mihailovic attempted to dribble past a defender but instead found himself on the left side of the box. Mihailovic didn't give up from there, sending a cross that the Nigerian forward headed home to open his Montréal account.
Trying to force a comeback win in the final minutes of the game, Montréal head coach Wilfried Nancy sent Bjørn Johnsen into the match to play alongside Mason Toye.
The Norwegian striker had his chance to shine, as a run inside the box caused a stoppage-time penalty. Just like Klimala had done in the first-half stoppage time, Johnsen stepped up to the spot but his attempt was saved by Coronel. The drama continued until the very end, as a Video Review found that Coronel had left his line before the shot. Coronel made yet another save, this time on Toye, but another Video Review forced a redo.
The third time was the charm for Montréal, as Wanyama tried his luck in the 98th minute. The Kenyan midfielder sent a shot toward the upper left-hand corner, which Coronel got his fingers on but was too strong and ended the comeback win.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: After a five-game winless streak, Montréal will try to take advantage of the victory to stay right in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Having led from halftime, RBNY find themselves leaving Quebec without a single point. The Red Bulls haven't won a game since July 3 and now have a seven-game winless streak.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: After two redos because of Video Reviews, Montréal found a way to beat Carlos Miguel Coronel. Victor Wanyama took matters into his own hands in the dying embers of the match.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Djordje Mihailovic put his team in position to come from behind. His second effort allowed him to find Sunusi Ibrahim and cut the Red Bulls' lead to one goal.
Next up
- MTL: Wednesday, August 18 at FC Cincinnati | 7:30 pm ET (TVA Sports, MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- RBNY: Wednesday, August 18 vs Columbus Crew | 8 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
