
Di Vaio, Ouimette score as Impact solidify playoff spot with 2-1 win over Union
MONTREAL – Marco Di Vaio got his 20th goal of the season and defender Karl Ouimette headed in his first career goal as the Montreal Impact took a big step toward making the MLS playoffs with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday afternoon.
The Impact (14-12-7), who ended a six-game winless run, are solidly in playoff position going into their final regular season game next Saturday in Toronto.
Fabinho scored in the first half for Philadelphia (12-11-10), who began the day in a three-way tie with Montreal and Chicago for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Di Vaio became the 11th player in MLS history to score 20 in a season.
A familiar pattern repeated itself as the Impact missed an early chance when Di Vaio shot Justin Mapp’s feed wide early and then the visitors scored.
Conor Casey nearly got one as he headed Fabinho’s corner off a post in the 24th minute, then the Union’s two Brazilians combined as Jose Kleberson sent a pass to a charging Fabinho, who got left Hassoun Camara looking as he blasted a high shot in from a bad angle in the 29th.
Montreal stepped up the pressure in the second half.
The crowd of 18,993 booed when referee Silviu Petrescu didn’t whistle as Andrew Wenger’s centring attempt looked to go off defender Jeff Parke’s arm.
Less than 10 minutes later, Montreal broke a three-game scoring drought when Davy Arnaud fed Di Vaio, who turned in the penalty area and scored.
Tying the game wasn’t enough, and the Impact stayed on attack as Di Vaio bounced a shot just over the bar and just missed at the left side on two more chances.
The winner came in the 84th, when Mapp curled a free kick into the area and Ouimette, a product of the Impact’s academy, was there to head it past Zac MacMath.
Notes: Alessandro Nesta was presented with a painting and given a standing ovation in a pre-game ceremony to mark his final home game. The 37-year-old former AC Milan great, a four-time UEFA all-star, will retire after this season. . . Arnaud and Matteo Ferrari returned from one-game suspensions. Karl Ouimette played left back in place of Job Brovsky (ankle). . . One of the Union’s top midfielders, Michael Farfan, sat out due to yellow card accumulation.
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