For the third straight game, Ali Gerba scored two or more goals for the Montreal Impact as they defeated the Puerto Rico Islanders Wednesday 2-1 at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, PR in a USSF Division 2 Pro League match.
After Noah Delgado put the Islanders up 1-0 in the 50th minute following a scoreless first half, Gerba scored in the 59th and 74th minute to lead the Impact to victory.
Gerba, who came to the Islanders after being cut in Major League Soccer by Toronto FC, has scored seven goals in Montreal’s last three games, including the team’s first-ever hat trick, and has become the team’s leading scorer this season.
The Impact improve to 9-10-7 with 34 points and are in third place in the NASL Conference standings and in sixth place in the overall league standings toward a possible playoff berth. The winners of the league’s two conferences — NASL and USL — and the next six best teams, regardless of conference, will qualify for the USSF D-2 playoffs.
Montreal next faces the Miami FC Blues at Fort Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium.
Puerto Rico is 8-9-9 with 33 points and is in fourth place in the USL Conference standings and in seventh place in the overall standings. The Islanders face the USL Conference- and league-leading Austin Aztex Saturday in Bayamon.
