Victor Wanyama watches from the bench as CF Montreal throw away two-goal lead to lose in dramatic fashion

CF Montreal midfielder Victor Wanyama (2) takes the field before the game against the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on August 27, 2022.

STARS ABROAD Victor Wanyama watches from the bench as CF Montreal throw away two-goal lead to lose in dramatic fashion

Joel Omotto 08:03 - 17.03.2024

Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama was an unused substitute as CF Montreal succumbed to late pressure away to Chicago after leading by two goals.

Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama watched from the bench as CF Montreal lost their first game of the season in dramatic style on Sunday morning.

Montreal suffered a heartbreaking defeat away to Chicago Fire, squandering a two-goal lead to lose 4-3 in dramatic fashion.

Montreal came into the match with confidence, boasting an unbeaten record in their first three away games of the season and fresh off a victory over Inter Miami. Conversely, Chicago Fire were seeking their first win of the season after a slow start.

The game took an unexpected turn as Montreal found themselves leading 3-1 in the 82nd minute, courtesy of early penalties converted by Matias Coccaro and a second-half strike from Dominik Yankov, assisted by substitute Josef Martinez.

However, their hopes were dashed when Canadian wing-back Raheem Edwards was sent off for an arm-related incident, leading to a converted penalty by Brian Gutierrez for Chicago Fire.

Fuelled by the home crowd's support, Chicago Fire mounted a relentless assault, culminating in Belgian forward Hugo Cuypers scoring a late equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time. With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Chicago Fire delivered a stunning blow in the dying seconds.

In a moment of sheer unpredictability, Chicago's offseason acquisition, Acosta, launched a long aerial ball into the box. The swirling winds of the Windy City played havoc with Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, causing him to misjudge the trajectory of the ball, which ended up finding the back of the net.

The result marked a historic achievement for Chicago Fire, as no team in MLS history had ever won a game after trailing by two goals in the 84th minute or later.

Wanyama had to watch all proceedings from the bench as he was an unused substitute for Laurent Courtois’ men who had come into the match on the back of two wins and a draw.

The Kenyan international has yet to start a game this season, having been a substitute twice, despite assurances by new coach Courtois that he will get an extended stay in the side after turning into a bench warmer in the last months of last season.

The result left Courtois fuming: "Twenty-two added minutes, red card on the (Chicago) goalkeeper that isn't given... third goal came from a corner that shouldn't have been, first goal was offside. Something was taken away from my guys."

Montreal slipped to third on the table with seven points, three behind both Inter Miami and Columbus Crew.

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