Wiki Carmona recorded a brace against his former club, scoring a goal in each half as visiting CF Montreal shocked the New York Red Bulls 3-0 on Sunday in Harrison, N.J.
Montreal was outclassed in each of the first two weeks of the young season, losing by a combined 8-0 to San Diego and Chicago.
Sunday’s match against a Red Bulls side that won its first two figured to be more of the same, but it was the hosts that found themselves down early.
Montreal’s Ivan Jaime had the ball inside the box and tried to cut between two Red Bulls defenders when New York’s Justin Che nicked enough of him to bring him down for a penalty.
Prince Owusu converted the eighth-minute penalty as Montreal became the last MLS team to score this season.
New York responded immediately, and Emil Forsberg’s ninth-minute shot from just outside the box tested Thomas Gillier, but he was able to parry it wide.
In the 32nd minute, 17-year-old wonder Julian Hall, who scored three goals in New York’s two wins, sent a hard shot right at Gillier.
Nine minutes later, Hall’s teenage teammates nearly equalized. Adri Mehmeti’s header off a corner kick cross from Matthew Dos Santos was deflected wide.
The Red Bulls claimed momentum and possession and looked to equalize before the half, but again, a quick Montreal response put New York on its heels.
In the 43rd minute, Carmona, who scored five goals with the Red Bulls over the last five MLS seasons, was taken down outside the box on the right side by Jorge Ruvalcaba.
Carmona opened his Montreal account on the ensuing free kick. He sent in a hard and low shot that Owusu let through, catching New York goalkeeper Ethan Horvath by surprise. The ball found its way inside the far post, and Montreal doubled its advantage, leading 2-0 at the break despite New York holding a 67.1%-32.9% possession advantage in the opening 45 minutes.
The Venezuelan international doubled his tally in the game thanks to a poor decision by Horvath, who looked to build quickly out of the back.
He played the ball to Mehmeti, who lost possession, with Carmona finishing for a devastating three-goal deficit for Montreal.
The clean sheet was Montreal’s first since a 1-0 decision over New York City FC on June 28 last year, a span of 17 league matches.
Gillier finished with five saves for Montreal, with Horvath making one stop for the Red Bulls.
–Field Level Media
