The Columbus Crew reserve team were defeated by their Montreal Impact counterparts 2-1 on Saturday evening in their first MLS Reserve League match of the season. Lamar Neagle and Miguel Montaño scored for Montreal while Aubrey Perry tallied the lone Crew goal.
The match started with both teams sizing each other up. Montreal almost got on the board in the 21st minute when forward Andrew Wenger played a through ball to Mike Fucito who collided with Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer forcing him to deflect the ball into corner. Just two minutes later the Impact took the lead after Wenger squared a ball to Neagle who shot it past Hesmer into the back of the net.
The Crew’s first chance came in the 27th minute with a straight shot by midfielder Cole Grossman saved by Impact net minder Greg Sutton. In the 35th minute Crew forward Aaron Schoenfeld saw his shot from the top of the box hit the post.
Montreal doubled its lead in the 55th minute when Montaño fired a shot from the top of the box to the left of Matt Lampson, who had subbed in for Hesmer at the half. The Crew tried to mount a comeback but shots by Josh Williams in the 66th and by Grossman two minutes later, sailed barely above the crossbar. Columbus’ lone goal came in the 89th minute when Perry fired a shot from 25 yards out to beat Sutton.
Sutton was tested again in the dying seconds of the match when he made a game-saving dive to stop a booming shot by Crew defender Eric Gehrig.
Both teams return to MLS Reserve League action next week as the Crew faces Toronto FC at BMO field on Saturday March 31, at 4:30 p.m., while the Impact travels to New York to face the Red Bulls on Sunday, April 1 at 11 a.m.
Montreal Impact reserves 2, Columbus Crew reserves 1
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Crew Stadium
Scoring Summary
MON – Lamar Neagle (Andrew Wenger) 23
MON – Miguel Montaño 55
CLB – Aubrey Perry 89
Misconduct Summary
CLB – Cole Grossman (Caution) 84
Lineups:
Columbus Crew: William Hesmer (Matt Lampson, 46), Aubrey Perry, Eric Gehrig, Josh Williams (Alex Crognale,74), Nemanja Vukovic (Rhodes Moore,71), Korey Veeder, Cole Grossman, Tony Tchani, Justin Meram (Omar Mohamed,62), Ethan Finlay, Aaron Schoenfeld (Aaron Horton, 46)
Substitutes not used: Rylee Woods, Blas Iribarren
*Crew Soccer Academy player
Guest player
Montreal Impact: Greg Sutton, Gienir Garcia (Francesco Augustin^, 77), Shavar Thomas, Karl Ouimette^, Calum Mallace, Lamar Neagle (Wandrille Lefevre^, 62), Brian Arguez, Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Anthony Jackson-Hamel^, 71), Miguel Montaño, Andrew Wenger, Mike Fucito
Substitutes not used: Maxime Crepeau^
^ Impact Academy U-21 player
