Prince Owusu scored the lone goal for visiting CF Montreal in a 1-0 win against New York City FC on Saturday, snapping Montreal’s season-opening winless streak.
For Montreal (1-8-3, 6 points), it’s their first road victory against New York since Aug. 1, 2015.
The loss was just the second at home this season for New York (5-5-2, 17 points) in six matches as the host.
Owusu gave Montreal its first lead of the season in the 48th minute. Owusu collected the ball along the right side above the box and cut to the inside, stopping at the top edge before firing a left-foot strike that beat New York goalkeeper Matt Freese to the far side of the net.
The goal was the German forward’s team-leading third of the season, half of Montreal’s total on the campaign.
Nathan Saliba came close to doubling the lead in the 51st minute with a shot from the right side of the box that grazed off the crossbar.
Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois preserved the advantage in the 72nd minute when he came off his line to the top of the goal area to get in front of a quick strike from Alonso Martinez.
The visitors dominated the first half offensively, logging 11 shot attempts, four on target, and earning six corners, but the club’s season-long struggles to convert continued as they failed to get one past Freese.
In the 22nd minute, Freese got a piece of Giacomo Vrioni’s header on a cross from Dawid Bugaj to deflect it over the net.
New York had an opportunity to open the scoring in the 12th minute. New York headed a Montreal corner out of the box, and Martinez was fed for a breakaway. Sirois came out to the top of the 18-yard box to get the ball away from Martinez, who then missed wide left on a rebound opportunity from the right side.
Martinez was denied again in the 20th minute on a centering feed from Andres Perea, but Montreal defender Joel Waterman slid to push the ball wide of the left post.
–Field Level Media
