The game in 100 words (or less): Attention, folks: the Montreal Impact are really, really good, with or without Didier Drogba, as they showed once again in Saturday’s 3-0 hammering of the reigning Supporters’ Shield-winning New York Red Bulls. Dominic Oduro, Ignacio Piatti and Anthony Jackson-Hamel provided the goals, while the Red Bulls failed to find the back of the net for the second straight game after leading the league in goals scored last season (just four shots on target through two games). Piatti (three goals and two assists through two games) looks the player likeliest to challenge Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco for Golden Boot and MVP honors this year.
[ MORE: Previewing the rest of Week 2 ]
Three moments that mattered
58' — Oduro gets in behind, finishes past Robles — With Drogba once again unavailable on Saturday, Oduro got his second straight start and center forward and scored for the second straight game.
Revoyez le but de @Freakyfast8!
— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) March 12, 2016
Watch Dominic Oduro's goal again! >> https://t.co/wIPrgBxinh #IMFC #MTLvNY
71' — Piatti gets in behind, makes it 2-0 — Gideon Baah made his MLS debut in generally impressive fashion last week for the Red Bulls. This week, he was the Impact’s whipping boy, having committed the fatal turnover on Oduro’s opener, and then getting caught in acres of space as Piatti waltzed into the penalty area and fired Montreal to a 2-0 lead.
Evan Bush face save ➡️ Nacho Piatti goal. 15 seconds. #MTLvNY https://t.co/okueZTyzys
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2016
90+4' — Jackson-Hamel slots it past Robles to complete the rout — Harry Shipp’s delicately chipped through ball put Jackson-Hamel into all kinds of space inside the Red Bulls penalty area, where the 22-year-old coolly poked his first-time effort past Luis Robles for the emphatic exclamation point goal.
The slip from Shipp. The finish from Jackson-Hamel. #IMFC https://t.co/ttOB3zi0gh
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2016
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Man of the match: Ignacio Piatti
Goalscorers: Oduro (58'), Piatti (71'), Jackson-Hamel (90+4')
The game in 100 words (or less): If you spent two hours of your Saturday afternoon soldiering through the Real Salt Lake 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders, I am truly sorry. Hopefully you allowed me to watch this one so you didn’t have to. Osvaldo Alonso scored an unattractive goal — his first in 96 games — just before the half-hour mark, Sunny Obayan equalized just before halftime, and Jamison Olave scored the most “Jamison Olave” goal to snatch all three points in the 86th minute. The Sounders are without a single point through two games to begin the 2016 season, while RSL were mere seconds last week from taking all six points to open the season.
[ MORE: Previewing the rest of Week 2 ]
Three moments that mattered
28' — Alonso pokes home a rebound to make it 1-0 — Nick Rimando made an extremely Rimando-like reaction save to stop Nelson Valdez’s initial effort off the cross from Joevin Jones, but the ball sat up ever so nicely for Alonso at the back post, where the Cuban poked home with ease.
First goal in 96 games? Go on, @OzzieAlonso. #RSLvSEA https://t.co/vxMB2GMb3a
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2016
43' — Sunny heads home from a corner, makes it 1-1 — Perfectly placed corner kick by Joao Plata, perfectly executed header from 11 yards out by Sunny. Textbook stuff from RSL, and poor marking from the Sounders.
Sunny day, Sunny goal.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2016
The Nigerian opens his @RealSaltLake account with a thumping header. #RSLvSEA https://t.co/V5QuOH0uGi
86' — Olave wins the jump ball, heads home for 2-1 — From Plata’s overhit free kick, Juan Manuel “El Burrito” Martinez did the simplest things: he sent the ball back into the penalty area with his first touch. Olave clashed with goalkeeper Tyler Miller in mid-air, and the Colombian brute came out on top, as he often does in aerial duels.
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Man of the match: Juan Manuel Martinez
Goalscorers: Alonso (28'), Sunny (43'), Olave (86')
