Skip to content
Union
Link copied to clipboard

Union defeat Montreal, 2-1

The Union are officially back in the playoff hunt. After a 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact before a sellout crowd of 18,703 at PPL Park on Saturday night, the Union are tied for the Eastern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot with Columbus.

Philadelphia Union players celebrate a goal by Philadelphia Union forward Sebastien Le Toux (11) during the first half of the match against the Montreal Impact at at PPL Park. (John Geliebter/USA Today)
Philadelphia Union players celebrate a goal by Philadelphia Union forward Sebastien Le Toux (11) during the first half of the match against the Montreal Impact at at PPL Park. (John Geliebter/USA Today)Read more

The Union are officially back in the playoff hunt. After a 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact before a sellout crowd of 18,703 at PPL Park on Saturday night, the Union are tied for the Eastern Conference's fifth and final playoff spot with Columbus.

"We are going to be a team that is a real factor in the Eastern Conference," Union interim manager Jim Curtin said. "I am not talking about fifth place. I am talking about making a run at this thing."

The Union (6-8-9) have 11 Major League Soccer games remaining.

Sebastien Le Toux scored both goals, giving him seven in his last eight games.

Le Toux had to be helped off the field after being kicked during second-half stoppage time. He had an ice pack above his left ankle afterward.

"It was hurt when I was kicked and I didn't have any feeling for like the next three minutes, so I was afraid of something bad," Le Toux said. "Right now it feels better and I hope it is [just] a deep bruise tomorrow."

Carlos Valdes, who this past week returned to the Union after being on loan to two clubs the last 19 months, was strong at central defense.

Montreal (3-14-5) played without dangerous forward Marco Di Vaio. According to an Impact official, he was resting a sore ankle.

The first goal was initiated by keeper Zac MacMath, who sent a goal kick about three-quarters of the field toward Le Toux. Two Montreal players, Krzystof Krol and Patrice Bernier, battled Le Toux for the ball. Krol attempted to head the ball back to keeper Troy Perkins. It was a weak attempt that Le Toux intercepted, and he easily beat Perkins in the 12th minute.

Le Toux made it 2-0 when he took a pass from Andrew Wenger, bought himself some space with a deke of Krol, and fired a shot past Perkins from just inside the box in the 63d minute.

The Impact, who hit the post in the 70th minute, cut the margin to 2-1 on Maxim Tissot's one-timer in the 79th minute.

@sjnard