2007 May 20

Montreal Impact 2 - 0 Seattle Sounders
Claude-Robillard Sports Complex, Montreal, QC

Montreal: Matt Jordan; Mauricio Vincello, Gabriel Gervais, Simon Gatti, Andre Arango; Mauro Biello (Zé Roberto 40'), Patrick Leduc, Martin Fabro (Frederico Moojen 69'), Leonardo DiLorenzo; Charles Gbeke (Seth Trembly 81'), Matthew Palleschi. Substitutes not used: Andrew Weber, David Fronimadis, Hicham Aaboubou, Sita-Taty Matondo.

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson, Noah Merl (Jacob Besagno 66'), Zach Scott, Adam West (Andre Schmid 45'); Kevin Sakuda, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (Kenji Treschuk 75'), Sebastien Le Toux, Roger Levesque; Greg Howes, Nathan Knox (Josh Gardner 66'). Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon.

Goals:
12' MON: Palleschi (Biello)
54' MON: Fabro (DiLorenzo)

Additional match reports: Impact.

Match report from the Sounders:

The Seattle Sounders' struggles continued on Sunday as they lost 2-0 to the Montreal Impact in the Canadian club's home opener at the Claude Robillard Sports Complex. Seattle has gone winless in its last four games and fell to 1-4-3 on the season.

Montreal (3-0-2) improved to 10-1-3 in home openers and controlled the pace and possession all game. shutting down nearly every Seattle attack while creating many chances of their own.

The Impact scored first in the 12th minute. Montreal's Mauro Biello played a cross in the Sounder penalty box and forward Matt Palleschi headed the ball past goalkeeper Chris Eylander for the 1-0 lead.

Early in the second half, Montreal extended its lead. In the 54th minute, Martin Fabro headed home a corner kick from Leonardo Di Lorenzo to make the score 2-0. Just minutes before the score, Eylander was shaken up after apparently taking an elbow to the face from teammate Nathan Knox.

Seattle avoided disaster just minutes later, as Fabro nearly made it 3-0 in the 56th minute. His shot on the breakaway went just over the net. Eylander had to make save after save in the closing minutes to keep the Impact from scoring its third of the match.

In the first half, Seattle had very few scoring opportunities. In the 24th minute, midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar's bending free kick was saved in a diving effort by goalkeeper Matt Jordan. Just two minutes later, Alcaraz-Cuellar fired another shot that was just inches over the crossbar.

After an early score in the first half, Montreal next best opportunity nearly doubled its lead in the 15th minute when Fabro drilled a 25-yard free kick that went just wide.

Montreal is unbeaten after five games so far this season, four of those matches were on the road. Coming into to Sunday’s contest, the Impact hadn't played a game in nine days.

Seattle fell to 0-3-2 on the road this season and will host the Carolina RailHawks on Wednesday, 7 p.m., at Qwest Field.

Notes: Leighton O'Brien still hasn't returned from a hamstring injury. Josh Gardner, the USL-1 leader in shots taken, still has not found the back of the net.

Statistics:
          Montreal   Seattle
Shots:       18        10
Saves:        3        10
Corners:     10         3
Fouls:       13        19
Offsides:     7         1

Misconduct:
47' SEA: Merl cautioned
67' SEA: Levesque cautioned

Referees: Drew Fischer; Angelo Gertzakis, Pierre Cantave; Carol Anne Chenard

Attendance: 10,143