Samuel Piette's crucial goal in the 66th minute led CF Montreal to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the Philadelphia Union in an action-packed Major League Soccer match on Saturday night. The match was highlighted by the dismissal of Philadelphia's Jack Elliott and Montreal's Ariel Lassiter, both receiving red cards.
CF Montreal (4-7-5) started strong, taking the lead in the first minute when Sunusi Ibrahim netted his third goal in two matches. Rookie Dominic Iankov provided his second assist of the season, while defender Ruan added his fifth assist, helping Ibrahim score his fifth goal of the campaign.
Despite holding a 1-0 lead at halftime, Montreal faced a significant challenge after Ariel Lassiter was shown a red card for violent conduct just before the break. Playing a man down in the second half, Montreal's defense was under constant pressure.
Philadelphia's Dániel Gazdag capitalized on the advantage, scoring a penalty in the 56th minute after being fouled by Montreal's goalkeeper, Sebastian Breza. This marked Gazdag's 10th goal of the season. Moments later, Mikael Uhre put Philadelphia ahead, scoring his fifth goal of the season off a pass from Quinn Sullivan, who recorded his fifth assist.
The match took another turn when Philadelphia's Jack Elliott received a second yellow card in the 63rd minute, leaving both teams with ten players. Montreal quickly responded, with rookie defender Joaquín Sosa assisting Samuel Piette's equalizer three minutes later. The goal was Piette's third in his eight-season career with Montreal.
Sebastian Breza had a standout performance in his first start of the season, making a career-high eight saves, including three in the first half to keep Philadelphia at bay. For the Union, rookie goalkeeper Oliver Semmle made one save in the second half.
Philadelphia's Kai Wagner made his 150th regular-season start, though the team extended their winless streak at home to five matches. The Union, with a 1-5-2 home record this season, haven't won at home since a 2-0 victory over Minnesota United in March.
Both teams will be back in action on June 15, with CF Montreal hosting Real Salt Lake and the Philadelphia Union welcoming Inter Miami.
