CF Montreal break out of rut, blast Timbers

Updated: Oct 8, 2023, 03:15 am

CF Montreal kept their playoff hopes alive and ended a seven-match winless run with a 4-1 victory against the visiting Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Montreal (12-16-5, 41 points), which was 0-4-3 in its previous seven matches, won for the first time since Aug. 26.

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Portland (11-12-10, 43 points) had its seven-match unbeaten streak end.

Montreal spent much of the first half in the attacking third, benefiting from space opened to them by the Timbers.

In the 13th minute, Sunusi Ibrahim's header off a corner went wide on the far side. Seven minutes later, Ibrahim sent a pass to Kwadwo Opoku at the edge of the 18-yard-box, but Opoku was denied by an on-rushing Santiago Moreno, who got to the ball first.

Opportunities for Portland were minimal in the opening frame, but the visitors did get a quality chance in the 25th minute. Antony directed a cross from the left side into the box for Felipe Mora, but Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois came off his line to make the save.

Ibrahim gave the home side a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute. Opoku ran up the right wing and took the ball into the box before dishing to Ibrahim in front for the tap-in.

Opoku made it 2-0 Montreal in the 35th minute when he took a short pass from Ibrahim at the arc for a strike.

Dairon Asprilla had a chance to cut the deficit in half in the 50th minute from outside the 18-yard box, but his shot aiming for the far top corner just missed.

Portland again came close in the 61st minute off a Moreno corner toward the back post, but Sirois made the save. Larrys Mabiala nearly connected on the rebound at the edge of the 6-yard box but kicked it wide.

Mathieu Choiniere's shot from outside the 18 found the middle of the net to extend Montreal's lead to 3-0 in the 64th minute.

A rebound bounced right to Mason Toye at the edge of the goal area to make it 4-0 in the 76th minute.

After being denied a goal on an offside earlier in the half, Franck Boli broke the shutout in the 86th minute when he got his foot on a Yimmi Chara shot into the goal area.