Fire shock struggling Impact 3-0 for first away win in more than two years

MONTREAL – There was booing at Saputo Stadium as the Montreal Impact trudged off after conceding the Chicago Fire a first road win in more than two years.

The last-place Fire played a near-perfect counter-attacking game and jumped on a listless and disorganized Montreal defence to post a 3-0 victory over the Impact before a full house of 20,801 on Saturday night.

Impact coach Mauro Biello apologized to the fans for the performance, while Chicago bench boss Veljko Paunovic was ecstatic that a 36-game run of misery on the road was finally over.

Luis Solignac scored in the first half while David Accam and Matt Polster added goals in the second as Chicago won away from home for the first time since a 5-1 victory in San Jose on July 23, 2014.

“We finally broke that rock of winning on the road,” said Paunovic. “You don’t know what it’s like in that (dressing) room.

“The guys are very excited.”

They also ended a five-game winless run overall.

“It felt like we have not won in ages and, for us to win, something (heavy) came off us,” said Accam. “Everyone is happy.”

On the Montreal side, there was a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

The Impact (8-7-9), who were shut out at home for the second time this season, suffered a second defeat in a row after a 3-1 setback last week against the New York Red Bulls.

“I apologize for myself and the team,” said Biello. “It’s unacceptable.

“I wasn’t happy with the way we played from start to finish. They worked harder than us. They won every ball.”

He acknowledged that while the team spoke of not taking Chicago lightly before the game, it appeared that was what happened and he said the fans had every right to boo.

“Chicago for sure has difficulties in the standings but there’s no way it was going to be an easy game,” said defender Hassoun Camara. “They fought and we weren’t able to fight against them.

“Now we have to use this to rebound because it’s not good at all.”

The Impact need to find answers quickly as one of the teams chasing them for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, D.C. United, visits on Wednesday. Then there’s an away showdown next Saturday with rival Toronto FC, one of the league’s hottest clubs.

Chicago was able to tie up Montreal’s attacking stars and sting them on the counter.

In the 16th minute, Accam raced upfield after a Montreal corner and fed Solignac on the left side to score his fourth goal of the season.

Nine minutes later, Accam drilled a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box that goalie Evan Bush did well to tip off the bar.

At the other end, Sean Johnson leapt to push a Didier Drogba free kick over the crossbar and made a sharp save on a blast from directly in front by Ignacio Piatti. Drogba came close in the 56th but couldn’t quite reach Matteo Mancosu’s headed pass as the Impact pressed for the equalizer.

The Fire stuck on another counter in the 73rd as Michael de Leeuw slipped a pass to Arturo Alvarez, whose shot went off Accam and rolled slowly over the goal line.

The Impact were in total disarray when Polster scored from the left side in the 89th.

With Ambroise Oyongo serving a one-game suspension for taking a red card last week, Donny Toia moved in at left back. Centre back Victor Cabrera was also out of the starting 11 in favour of Wandrille Lefevre.

Camara made his 100th MLS start for the Impact, tops on the club.