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28 March 2024

Mancosu scores twice as Impact eliminate United

Montreal Impact defender Hassoun Camara, top, and Dominic Oduro (7) and others celebrate a goal by Laurent Ciman, second from right, during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match against D.C. United, Thursday. (AP)

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By AFP

Matteo Mancosu, who has been starting in place of injured star Didier Drogba, scored twice as the Montreal Impact defeated DC United 4-2 in a winner-take-all MLS playoff contest Thursday.

Laurent Ciman and Ignacio Piatti also scored for fifth-seeded Montreal, which advances to the Eastern Conference semi-finals for the second consecutive season.

"We knew that DC was playing well, they have a lot of confidence and rhythm scoring goals at home," coach Mauro Biello said. "It was important for us to establish our shape early and not give them space. We were able to control different moments of the game with our midfield."

The Impact starts the two-game, home-and-home series Sunday against the New York Red Bulls at Montreal's Stade Saputo. The return leg will be played in New Jersey on November 6.

In the only other MLS game Thursday, Nelson Valdez scored on a diving header in the 88th minute to lift the Seattle Sounders FC to a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

As expected, forward Drogba was not in Montreal's lineup against the United and Mancosu made sure the Impact didn't miss him.

The 38-year-old Drogba hasn't played since the end of September partly because of a back injury but also due to a feud over his playing time with Biello.

The former Chelsea striker sat out most of training again this week and US media reported that he did not make the trip to Washington with the team.

Drogba's contract ends at the close of the season. He scored 10 goals in 22 games, but Montreal is now 7-3-3 this season when he doesn't play.

And late in the season, Biello made a point of starting the 31-year-old Mancosu at forward and bringing Drogba in off the bench. Mancosu, who joined the Impact on loan from Bologna in July, has five goals in eight starts.

Against DC, Mancosu made it 3-0 in the 58th minute on his second goal of the contest.

Ambroise Oyongo got free on the left and fired in a cross toward Mancosu near the penalty spot. Mancosu sent a header that skipped off the ground and beat goalie Bill Hamid inside the right post.

Mancosu then set up Piatti for Montreal's fourth goal in the 83rd-minute.

Lamar Neagle and Taylor Kemp scored late in the contest for fourth-seeded United.

The loss was United's first in its second knockout-round appearance.

Winning header

Valdez's dramatic goal earned the Sounders a meeting with top-seeded FC Dallas in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Seattle have never missed the playoffs since the franchise's incorporation eight years ago but it didn't look good for them earlier in the season.

Seattle was ninth in the 10-team Western Conference after a loss to Kansas City July 24 and two days later longtime coach Sigi Schmid was fired.

Under interim coach Brian Schmetzer, Seattle caught fire by finishing 8-2-4 to claim fourth place and a home game in the knockout round contest against Sporting.