Forward Thierry Henry had a goal and two assists while Eric Alexander, Tim Cahill and Peguy Luyindula also found the back of the net, as the New York Red Bulls rolled past the Montreal Impact, 4-0, at Red Bull Arena Saturday evening.
The win over the Impact, which was leading the Eastern Conference heading into this weekend, lifted the Red Bulls (9-7-4 record) to 31 points, putting them in a second place tie with Montreal (9-5-4). Both teams are two points adrift of first place Sporting Kansas City (9-5-6, 33 pts.).
Alexander gave the Red Bulls the lead in the 10th minute with a spectacular individual effort. After receiving the ball from Henry on the right side of midfield, Alexander drove towards goal and got past several Impact players before putting a low left-footed shot past goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
Six minutes later, the Red Bulls doubled their advantage. Brandon Barklage slipped Fabian Espindola through along the right sideline. Espindola cut in and chipped it to an onside Henry, who buried it from eight yards out for his seventh goal of the year.
Alexander again was a threat to the Impact defense and was inches from scoring his second of the match in the 32nd minute, making a direct run with the ball, controlling it with his right foot and blasting it off the woodwork.
Goalkeeper Luis Robles kept the Impact scoreless three minutes into the second half, going down to block a Justin Mapp attempt. Soon after, Robles came up big again for New York, parrying an on-target Marco Di Vaio shot out of danger.
Henry had a hand in New York’s third goal in the 63rd minute, curling a corner kick that Cahill dove to head in by the near post. Cahill nearly had a second in the 84th minute, nodding a Henry cross off the crossbar.
The Red Bulls earned a penalty kick with three minutes to play when Lloyd Sam was tripped in the box by Jeb Brovsky. Luyindula stepped up and converted the spot kick for his first MLS goal.
