Cruz's 1st-minute goal lifts FC Cincy past Montreal

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:20 am

Allan Cruz became the first MLS player to score multiple first-minute goals this season, and his early tally held up as expansion FC Cincinnati recorded a 1-0 victory over the host Montreal Impact on Saturday.

Przemyslaw Tyton made one save for Cincinnati (6-21-3, 21 points), which snapped a four-game skid and nine-match winless drought (0-8-1) since defeating Houston and Chicago in back-to-back games on July 6 and 13. The second of those games was the one in which Cruz scored his other first-minute goal.

The shutout was the expansion club's first since March 24 at New England.

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Evan Bush finished with two saves for the Impact (11-16-4, 37 points), who fell to 2-9-1 in their last 12 contests overall and were swept in their season series with Cincinnati. The expansion team posted a 2-1 victory at home over Montreal on May 11.

Cincinnati wasted little time gaining the advantage Saturday as Joseph-Claude Gyau's deflected shot caromed right to Cruz, who converted from in close to open the scoring. The goal was his second against Montreal and sixth of the season, with four of those coming within the first 10 minutes of the match.

Cincinnati squandered a prime opportunity to double its lead in the 66th minute when Darren Mattocks failed to convert a set-up from Cruz as Montreal was caught with its defenders upfield.

FC Cincinnati players celebrate
FC Cincinnati players celebrate
Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal's Maximiliano Urruti nearly forged a tie in the 40th minute after his blast from the center of the box forced a quick-reaction save from Tyton.

The physicality of the match began to escalate when the Impact's Daniel Lovitz received a yellow card for a bad foul in the 44th minute and teammate Orji Okwonkwo got the same treatment five minutes later after his tackle sent Greg Garza to the ground.

Cincinnati's Kendall Waston sandwiched yellow cards in the 60th and 88th minutes around the one Montreal's Rudy Camacho received in the 68th for a bad foul.