D.C. United draw with Montreal Impact without missing Rooney

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:23 am

The Montreal Impact held D.C. United without a shot on target for the entire evening at Audi Field to earn a second consecutive 0-0 draw on Tuesday and complete a successful six-game road trip to begin the season.

Montreal (2-2-2, 8 points) is already three points away from its entire total earned on the road during the 2018 season, in which it finished seventh in the Eastern Conference, one spot out of the postseason.

With attacking midfielder Ignacio Piatti out due to a knee injury and Maxi Urruti missing the game due to a red-card suspension, Montreal appeared plenty content to soak up pressure against a D.C. United side without star forward Wayne Rooney, also due to a red-card ban.

Having also drawn New York City FC 0-0 last weekend, the Impact open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday against the Columbus Crew.

Meanwhile, D.C. (3-1-2, 11 points) will hit the road for the first time in April on Saturday in Colorado having been held scoreless in consecutive home matches, following their 4-0 blowout loss to Los Angeles FC last Saturday.

Already without outside back Joseph Mora due to a broken jaw, D.C. saw veteran defenders Chris McCann and Leonardo Jara also depart with unspecified injuries after half-time.

It was 53 minutes before the match's first shot that wasn't blocked, a long-distance effort from the Impact's Samuel Piette that went over the bar. Two minutes later, D.C. United goalie Bill Hamid made the match's only save, reacting well to push away Zachary Brault-Guillard's attempt.

D.C.'s best look at goal came deep into second-half stoppage time, when substitute Quincy Amarikwa got free inside the area but smashed a bicycle kick attempt wide of the left post.

Had he scored, it would've been his first goal since signing as a free agent for D.C. before the season, against his most recent former club.