MONTREAL — Rocco Placentino and Roberto Brown scored first-half goals five minutes apart to lead the Montreal Impact to 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in USL First Division action Saturday.
Montreal's victory on an overcast day at Stade Saputo was their second straight over the Whitecaps, and secured the regular-season series against its Canadian rival.
Marlon James scored Vancouver's lone goal.
Placentino scored in the 34th minute on a left-footed strike that went off the inside of the far post and into the net.
The goal breathed energy into the Impact and Montreal doubled the lead in the 39th minute when former Whitecaps midfielder David Testo slipped a through ball to an unmarked Placentino on the left flank.
Placentino cut the ball back in front of the goal to Brown, who turned to beat Whitecaps goalie Jay Nolly to make it 2-0.
James scored his fourth goal of the season in the 63rd minute.
Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos made seven changes to the side that started Thursday's 6-1 home defeat to Major League Soccer's Toronto FC in the final match of the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
Matt Jordan returned to the Montreal goal in place of former Whitecaps 'keeper Srdjan Djekanovic, while captain Nevio Pizzolitto and Stefano Pesoli replaced Elkana Mayard and Kevin Sakuda on defence.
Felix Brillant, Sandro Grande, and Placentino came into a five-man Montreal midfield, while Brown played as a lone striker.
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