FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Ray Lewis . -- Marco Di Vaio burnished his Major League Soccer MVP credentials with a pair of goals as Montreal climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 4-2 victory over a short-handed New England team on Sunday night. Di Vaio also stamped his imprint on the match by drawing a penalty kick and prompting Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis dismissal after five minutes. "Marcos one of those players who, as a striker, doesnt have to be in the buildup and touching the ball fifty times like hes used to," said Patrice Bernier, who converted two penalty kicks in the first half including the one drawn by Di Vaio. "Hes paid pretty much to score the goals and make a difference." Di Vaio reduced the home side to 10 men when he floated behind the Revolution line with the ball, forcing Reis to pull him down. Referee Sorin Stoica pointed to the spot and then sent Reis off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Bernier assumed his usual duties from 12 yards and sent one past substitute goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth to place the Impact in front after eight minutes. New England responded to the early adversity, drawing level on a goal by Diego Fagundez after 26 minutes. But Bernier restored the lead five minutes later with his second penalty to pull the Impact ahead once more. Di Vaio ensured the lead by scoring twice on either side of the interval with help from defender Hassoun Camara. Camara prompted Di Vaios first goal with a diagonal ball from the middle third. Di Vaio controlled the pass and then cut inside Revolution defender A.J. Soares and scored inside the near post to give the Impact a critical third goal in first-half stoppage time. Di Vaio scored his second goal of the match -- and his league-leading 17th of the season -- on another diagonal pass from Camara. "He is an opportunist," Impact coach Marco Sch Kelyn Rowe produced a consolation goal for the Revolution in the 76th minute, but the Impact played out the waning stages of the match with the knowledge that the three points -- and the corresponding return to first place in the Eastern Conference on the goals-scored tiebreaker over New York and Sporting Kansas City -- were safe. "For us, it was a great result to have three points," Bernier said. "The distance is there between (us) and those fourth and fifth places. Now its really the top three teams that are really going away." Montreal will attempt to maintain its lead of the Eastern Conference when it opens a two-match homestand with Columbus at Stade Saputo on Saturday. Σllibaum said of Di Vaio. "He is a goal-maker, he is a machine, like a terminator. I told him before the game he was a terminator and we need him again. He is crazy, but I am very proud to have this guy." Jacoby Jones Jersey. -- Ernie Els hardly ever catches a break at the Match Play Championship. Sam Koch Jersey . The Denver Nuggets played as though they were already relaxing on a tropical beach. Love started practicing early for All-Star festivities, making six of 11 shots from 3-point range and totalling 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 117-90 victory over the Nuggets on Wednesday night.This time last week, Montreal was awash with nostalgia for their Expos as Olympic Stadium formed the backdrop to Major League Baseballs weekend residency in la belle ville. On Saturday afternoon, the Impact reclaim the building when they face the New York Red Bulls for the second of three fixtures scheduled at the venue this season. MLSs 19th franchise kicked off their eve of game preparations very early Friday morning with news that 2012s first overall SuperDraft pick Andrew Wenger had been traded to the Union. In return, the Impact picking up from the city of brotherly love Jack McInerney. A raw talent, who just like the Impact, got off to a flyer in 2013. McInerneys Midas touch in front of goal through spring 2013 got such rave reviews it got the attention of Americas favourite German, Jürgen Klinsman - who named the Tennessee native to last summers US Gold Cup squad. Living in this era of instant gratification, the Twitter jury needed no time to deliberate on which club got the better of the deal. It still baffles why in 2012s Super Draft Jesse Marsch took Wenger when the considered opinion was Darren Mattocks. Not meant as a slight to Wenger, its just that Mattocks ticked much more of the better prospect boxes going forward. In a chat I had with Mattocks on the eve of that draft, the young Jamaican said he modeled his game on Liverpools Fernando Torres. Having watched Wenger up close over this time Im still not sure he himself is fully convinced he can fulfill whats required of an out and out striker in MLS. However moving to his home club provides Wenger with perfect opportunity to fulfill his potential and prove all his naysayers wrong. As for the Impact, the diminutive McInerney - whose goal production dramatically dried up as the 2013 season wore on – working in tandem with Di Vaio is a mouth-watering prospect. Learn at the Italians shoulder he most certainly must. Thats for the future. As is which club ultimately reap the greatest rewards for the deal. Saturdays match brings together a pair of teams still in search of their first three-point outing of the season. For those who state the Impacts poor start is merely a continuation of their shambolic under- performing selfs from the end of 2013, how then to quantify the Red Bulls poor start? This was a club which marched quite resplendently to a Supporters Shield title on the back of a sole defeat in their last 10 matches. This season has been a mirror of 2013s 0-2-2 start for the Red Bulls thanks to a 95th minute goal from defender Péguy Luyindula during last Sunday afternoons 1-1 draw at home against Chivas. Nobody needs reminding how the Impact salvaged the late tie against McInerney et al in Chester, PA. Guilty as charged. Hands up. Not only did I think Di Vaio would take at least a few games to get in the groove and find his scoring boots afterr serving his 3 match suspension I also wondered without his school child friend Alessandro Nesta no longer in tow how that would affect. Pink Elvis Dumervil Elite Jersey. Apparently not in the slightest. Whether or not the 38-year-old gets to take the same Olympic Stadium pitch with a certain 36-year-old Frenchman stepping out for the Red Bulls is quite literally up in the air. Henry trained with his team this morning at their multi-million dollar training facility in Hannover, NJ where following lunch they were due to board a late afternoon flight to Montreal. Thierry Henrys aversion to so termed plastic pitches is well established in his time in the league. He, along with 2010 MLS defender of the year Jamison Olave, stayed home when the Red Bulls opened their season in Vancouver. My, how they missed Olave as the Whitecaps set upon their opponent with a level and intensity any club will do well to match through the season! Which begs the question - what happens if the Whitecaps host the Red Bulls in the MLS Cup? Having arrived stateside following South Africa 2010, Henry is out of contract at the end of the season. Although not ever one to have the likes of Ellen DeGeneres have him suit up as a store clerk (Henrys more inclined to take the subway to work) there is no denying the additional magic the ex-Arsenal and Barca man has provided MLS. Im told Henry has quite the goal scoring record against the Impact. Goals have been in the shortest of supplies for the Impact so far this season - whilst conversely they are still conceding the softest of goals. As they did through the course of the pre-season. Elementary defensive errors are supposed to be the easiest to iron out as a season progresses. Four of the Impacts next five games are at home – including, as they see it, their real home opener at Saputo Stadium on April 26 against McInerneys old flame the Philadelphia Union. There can be no more excuses. Unless a fully 90-minute focused team shows up and even without the services of one of the most feared strike forces at their disposal you can be sure the Red Bulls will exploit a team low in confidence and likely at its most vulnerable since Davy Arnaud led them out in Vancouver back in March of 2012. An expected crowd of 25,000 plus will be hoping that team which started 2013 so magnificently rediscover that form. As does the Impacts new recruit who will take the Olympic Stadium action in from his suburban Philadelphia home. Dont be surprised after last Saturdays unprecedented show of emotion and walk down Expos memory way if the aroma of peanuts and crackerjack is still in the air. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls live on TSN Radio 690 (TSN690.ca) Saturday 4pm et - Rick Moffat [@RickMoffat] and Grant Needham [@GrantNeedham] with your call. ' ' '
