Burke and Medunjanin score as Philadelphia shuts out Montreal 2-0

“We needed to win this game. Next game we need to bounce back.”

The Union (2-5-2) had Burke sent off in the 58th minute only to see left back Daniel Lovitz of the Impact (3-8-0) ejected in the 67th. The Impact have lost two in a row and six of their last seven games.

Montreal had hoped to put pressure on a fragile Union side that had lost four of its previous five games, but instead saw Philadelphia take the initiative from the outset.

The Union entered play having lost all four road games in shutout fashion, being outscored 9-0 overall. But Philadelphia’s first-half domination made their first away goal inevitable.

Burke, who just missed a chance from inside the penalty area in the 31st minute, made no mistake in the 43rd by heading a pass from Raymon Gaddis that Evan Bush couldn’t reach. It was Burke’s first of the season.

Coach Remi Garde said his squad started badly and spent the rest of the afternoon chasing the game.

“We were missing a lot of things,” he said.

Montreal had chances of its own, including a curling Ignacio Piatti shot off the outside of the right post in the 13th minute, but couldn’t avoid being shut out for a second straight game.

Burke saw the red card for an overzealous tackle on Samuel Piette, but that was nullified when Lovitz was ejected after he and Fabrice-Jean Picault went down together in front of the Montreal 18-yard box while chasing down a long ball. Referee Kevin Stott originally showed the yellow card but changed it to red after consulting the VAR and seeing the Montreal fullback pull his opponent down.

“Fafa (Picault) made it uncomfortable for him and you could see he does a kind of NFL football tackle,” said Union coach Jim Curtin. “I think he got it right.”

Philadelphia struck again in the 88th when centre back Jukka Raitala let a ball hop over his foot inside the penalty area. Substitute David Accam pounced on it and fed Medunjanin for a goal off the left post.

The road win and the goals shook the monkey off the Union’s back.

They also jumped past Montreal in the standings, although both remain out of a playoff position.

“It’s good for confidence.,” said Curtin. “You go in the locker room now and there’s more belief.

“The guys have had some decent performances on the road but today we put together a full 90 minutes. It’s important that the teams around us in the standings, we have to take as many points from them as possible because we’re all competing for those playoffs spots.”

Lovitz was the third Impact player sent off this season after Saphir Taider and Victor Cabrera.

Montreal used the same starting 11 as in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss in Chicago which, because of injuries, Garde said were his best players available.

Cabrera was expected to return to the lineup but the centre back was injured in training this week. Centre backs Rudy Camacho, Kyle Fisher and Zakaria Diallo were already injured, leaving Rod Fanni as their only true central defender who was healthy.

Philadelphia started with one of its top off-season signings, Accam, on the bench in favour of Burke. The Ghana winger hasn’t scored this season.

C.J. Sapong, who took a knock Wednesday at Columbus, did not dress.

Bill Beacon, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Burke and Medunjanin score as Philadelphia shuts out Montreal 2-0

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