Montreal Impact hand Orlando City seventh straight MLS loss

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:29 am

Ignacio Piatti delivered a late clincher, and the Montreal Impact capitalized on an own goal to hand Orlando City its seventh straight loss in MLS play, 2-0 on Saturday in Orlando, Fla.

In the 13th minute, Montreal's Matteo Mancosu sent a mid-level, right-to-left cross into the box that deflected off Orlando City defender Ludovic Lamine Sane's head and squirted past a diving effort from Lions keeper Joe Bendik to put the Impact up 1-0.

Montreal took the 1-0 lead into halftime but could have been up by more. Piatti and Mancosu each had quality opportunities but were denied by Bendik, who finished the night with five saves.

In the seventh minute, Piatti blasted a bending ball that appeared headed inside the right post before a diving Bendik punched the ball out of the box.

Mancosu got his head on a cross right in front of the net in the 34th minute, but Bendik kept his composure, backed up behind the line and kept the ball out to keep Orlando City down only one goal.

The Lions were held without a shot on goal in the first half.

Ignacio Piatti
Ignacio Piatti
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Sane had a chance at redemption midway through the second half, when he got a solid right foot on a corner kick, forcing a quick-reaction, diving save by Montreal keeper Evan Bush. It was the only shot on target Orlando managed.

Piatti finished off the Lions in the 84th minute, scoring his eighth goal of the season on a play that was initially ruled offside but was changed after review.

It's been that kind of stretch for Orlando City, which parted ways with coach Jason Kreis after losing to Montreal 3-0 on June 13. Assistant Bobby Murphy was handed the reigns on an interim basis. The Lions won Murphy's debut on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw against D.C. United in U.S. Open Cup play Wednesday.

Montreal, which won for the third time in its past four games, returns home to host Sporting Kansas City on June 30.

Orlando City travels to Atlanta to take on the first-place United on June 30.