Saturday, August 13, 2022. 11:05 PM
(Update : Saturday, August 13, 2022. 11:44 PM)
HOUSTON – Lassi Lappalainen scored his second goal of the season in the 69th minute as CF Montreal beat the Houston Dynamo 3-2 on Saturday night in Houston.
Posted on the left flank at the entrance to the penalty area, Lappalainen received a side pass from Joaquin Torres. Once inside the surface, the Finn made maneuvers towards the center which allowed him to create a shooting corridor. Then, with his right foot, he made a shot that surprised goalkeeper Steve Clark who dived to his left, but in vain.
Lappalainen’s goal was his first since the March 5 game at Olympic Stadium once morest the Philadelphia Union.
Romell Quioto, on a penalty, in the 15th minute, and Alistair Johnston, in the 28th minute, scored the other goals for CF Montreal (13-8-4 – 43 points) which climbed to second place in the Association Is in the wake of New York City FC’s loss to Miami.
Quioto had a golden opportunity to add a 13th goal this season on another penalty, in first-half stoppage time. He kicked the ball over the horizontal rod, however.
Dynamo’s response (7-14-4) came from Sebastian Ferreira in the 12th minute and Daniel Steres in the 36th minute once morest James Pantemis who faced four shots on target.
Beyond this jump of a rank in the standings, this victory allowed Wilfried Nancy’s men to establish a team record by winning a third consecutive match on enemy ground.
It is also the first victory for a Montreal team in Houston following eight unsuccessful attempts (0-7-1).
Finally, CF Montreal improved its team record by signing a seventh victory on the road since the start of the season. Only three other teams in MLS have achieved such a feat since the start of the season.
Along the way on Saturday, CF Montreal lost the services of defender Rudy Camacho and Quioto. In Quioto’s case, head coach Wilfried Nancy implied it was nothing but cramps. As for Camacho, Nancy was unable to specify the exact nature of his injury.
CF Montreal will play its next game at Stade Saputo, once morest the New England Revolution, next Saturday.