Montreal Impact top Fire 1-0 as Browne scores in debut

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:23 am

Omar Browne scored in the 83rd minute of his MLS debut, and the Montreal Impact beat the visiting Chicago Fire 1-0 on Sunday to post back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

With the result in doubt, Browne dribbled along the endline and into the box past Chicago defenders. His first shot was deflected off the converging pair of Fire keeper David Ousted and Bastian Schweinsteiger, but Browne followed up and tapped in for the winner.

It was just the second home game for the Impact (5-3-2, 17 points), who won 3-0 at New England on Wednesday. The Fire (2-4-3, nine points), meanwhile, have dropped two straight and are 0-12-4 on the road since winning at Orlando City last May 26.

Chicago nearly got on the scoresheet within the first six minutes as Nico Gaitan's left-footed strike was saved by a diving Evan Bush of Montreal. The rebound attempt by Nemanja Nikolic hit the post.

Ten minutes later, Montreal offered its first and best chance of the half as Max Urruti went high off a pin-point cross from Saphir Taider. In the 22nd minute, Taider was also high on a shot of his own from just outside the box.

In the second half, Montreal got a good look in the 58th minute by Taider. His point-blank shot was saved by Ousted, but Taider was offside on the play. Samuel Piette also had a quality chance in the 67th for the Impact, but pushed it well wide and high of the goal.

Nikolic, meanwhile, gave Chicago its best chance of the second half in the 66th minute, but Bush was up to the task with a diving save. Over the next 10 minutes, the Fire could not connect on two solid crosses that whizzed by Bush.

Though the Fire seemed to have the better chances in the second half, Montreal managed to break through and ultimately prevail.

Chicago played without head coach Veljko Paunovic, who was serving a one-match suspension after being ejected in Wednesday's 1-0 loss at New York City FC.