It
wasn't the Union's night in Montreal, where the Impact avenged their
late-game loss at PPL Park last month, beating Philadelphia by a 2-0
count. The match was chippy most of the way, but never more so than when
Impact defender Nelson Rivas unleashed a nasty headbutt on Antoine
Hoppenot. The Union forward became entangled with Rivas and threw him
off his back, to the ground. Rivas responded by viciously headbutting
Hoppenot in the face, drawing an immediate red card and what we presume
will be a few extra games of suspension.
Unfortunately (and understandably), Jack McInerney
responded by pushing Rivas to the turf as a scuffle ensued. The
unfortunate part is that Jack Mac was given a red card, so he'll miss
next week's match hosting the Chicago Fire.
I thought the red card to McInerney was excessive
based on his action on its own, but it's somewhat more understandable in
the context of a referee trying to regain control of a match that saw
rough activity leading up to Rivas' headbutt. Still stings to think
about what might have happened with 20 minutes of 11 vs 10.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Union weren't without their chances, but
finishing eluded them. Montreal saw goals from PA native Andrew Wenger
in the 44th minute and Felipe Martins in the 78th. Just before halftime,
former Unioner Justin Mapp sent a short corner to Patrice Bernier, who
crossed it in to Wenger. The super rookie put a header on net that froze
Zac MacMath as it crossed the line.
The U came out fired up in the second, but missing
McInerney wasn't the ideal way to solve their finishing and fortune
woes. At the other end, one of the more beautiful finishes of the season
came off the foot of Martins, who launched an arial scissor kick to
slam home a cross by Hassoun Camara. Worth a look:
Not the best exchange by MacMath and Freddy Adu there, and the Impact made them pay.
Here's the full highlight package: