Asad’s goal earns D.C. United draw at Montreal

MONTREAL: Yamil Asad’s goal in the 70th minute gave D.C. United a 1-1 draw against the Montreal Impact at the Stade Saputo in Montreal.

Montreal (9-13-2, 29 points) took a 1-0 lead on a fifth-minute goal by Matteo Mancosu before United (4-96, 18 points) rallied on Saturday.

D.C. had been denied by the post and Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush before levelling the score as Luciano Acosta served Asad at the six-yard box for his team-best ninth goal.

“We deserved the point,” D.C. coach Ben Olsen said. “A month or two ago, we (would) lose this game.”

An entertaining first half was as notable for the goals that should have been scored as the one on a fortunate bounce by Mancosu that put Montreal ahead. He was the recipient of a deflected shot by Ignacio Piatti that slipped by two D.C. players in the middle of the box for a no-doubter strike and his third goal.

Then it got interesting over the next 40 minutes, with each team hitting the frame twice.

Montreal’s Alejandro Silva hit the post in the seventh minute, but beginning in the 18th minute, D.C. had three rapid-fire chances.

First, Acosta was denied at the near post by Bush. Two minutes later Russell Canouse came within inches of the equaliser but hit the underside of the crossbar. In the 21st, Bush reached to the upper left corner for a save of Asad.

Montreal immediately went the other way and Saphir Taider ripped a 22-yard shot that smacked the crossbar. Finally, Wayne Rooney completed D.C.’s half of frustration with a 23-yard free-kick off the right post.

Rooney, playing with a broken nose sustained last match against Colorado, was at it again in the 65th minute when his partially blocked shot was tipped by Bush onto the crossbar then over.