MONTREAL — Ignacio Piatti scored twice to become Montreal’s all-time MLS goals leader and Kyle Fisher got his first career goal as the Montreal Impact downed the 10-man Portland Timbers 4-1 before 19,138 at Saputo Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Ambroise Oyongo also scored for Montreal (3-4-4), which avoided a third straight defeat at home.
Diego Valeri scored for the Timbers (5-4-3). Portland is winless in four games and has been outscored 10-4 in that span. The four goals conceded was a season high.
The Impact may have got a gift when Blerim Dzemaili went down in the penalty area in the 13th minute and referee Jair Marrufo pointed to the spot. Piatti made no mistake in opening the scoring with a low drive to Jake Gleeson’s right.
Piatti’s fifth of the season gave him 35 in his career, one more than Marco Di Vaio’s MLS team record in league play.
Eight minutes later, Montreal got another break when Portland’s Diego Chara was sent off for a slap to Piatti’s face.
Dzemaili picked up his second assist in his second MLS match when his corner to the far post found Fisher’s bandaged head. Fisher had gone for repairs moments early after knocking heads with Fanendo Adi.
The Timbers caught Montreal napping in added time when Alvas Powell lifted a precision pass into the area for Valeri to head past Evan Bush.
Four players combined to pass through the Portland defence in the 50th minute on a play that went Patrice Bernier to Dzemaili to Anthony Jackson-Hamel to Piatti for the Argentine’s 36th career goal.
Ballou Tabla recovered a ball and slipped a pass across the area for Oyongo to score in the 77th.
The Impact made lineup changes from a week ago, putting Bernier into the midfield in place of Adrian Arregui and forward Jackson-Hamel for Dominic Oduro. Midfielder Marco Donadel returned from injury and took Hernan Bernardello’s spot.
Bernier was presented with the medal of the Quebec National Assembly before the game to honour his work in the community.
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