clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Dissect-A-Goal : Blake Smith's Winning Goal against Sporting Kansas City

After struggling to consistently build clean offensive plays against Sporting Kansas City, the Montreal Impact put on display a beautiful last-minute play to get the game winning goal.

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Smith's left-footed shot was taken with such poise and precision that you would forget that the MLS rookie...is a rookie. But the team effort ,displayed on that play, showed quality passing, dribbling, vision and finishing. It was a showcase of all the different individual talents within the Montreal Impact that were able to sync up.

Nesta to Camara: Stretch me if you can

Nesta-to-camara-vs-sporting-kc-o_medium

The first pass is the most important play of the game. Everything starts there and nothing is better for the Montreal Impact fans to see Alessandro Nesta deliver it.

The Italian defender is pressured by the Sporting Kansas City forward and is able to get off the pressing long enough to deliver a precise pass.

With the Montreal Impact going for the win, Hassoun Camara is half-way between the midfield and the Kansas City box. In Camara fashion, he cuts to the middle and breaks free of the marking of 2 KC players.

Note the run of Andres Romero that forces one of the Kansas City for half a second, just enough for Camara to find space to look up and make his pass.

||

Bernier: I am no Dummy

Bernier-dummy-vs-sporting-kc-o_medium

Patrice Bernier was making a run towards the box with Marco Di Vaio. As soon as he sees Camara cut to the middle, Bernier identifies his right back's intention and runs towards him, calling for the ball.

The next play is another display of great communication between 2 players as Bernier lets the ball pass through his legs for Di Vaio.

Di Vaio: You should have marked me on that one

Di-vaio-pass-vs-skc-o_medium

As soon as Bernier let the ball pass him, Di Vaio instantly breaks off the marking of the Sporting defense (Lawrence Olum I think) that gives him that half-second to look up and see Blake Smith make a run. Note that Bernier continues to run towards the box forcing Ike Opara to follow him, giving more space to Di Vaio.

Chandler, Sporting KC's right back, is suckered in by Di Vaio's play which gives enough time for Smith to get the ball and control it.

Smith : I used to score in College yo!


At this point, all the hard work done is done or almost. What seems to be a complicated play as a whole is composed of simple individual feats with a high level of technical skills to get the ball so quickly to the box.

Blake Smith has already shown his goal scoring touch against the Philadelphia Union. He definitely showed poise and precision in that goal against one of the best goalkeepers of MLS, Jimmy Nielsen.

Share with us your Dissect-A-Goal thoughts in the comments below and relive what was a game winning goal that ended the Impact's winless and scoreless drought,.

More from Mount Royal Soccer: