D.C. United midfielder Luis Silva (11) dribbles the ball around Montreal Impact defense during the first half at Stade Saputo on June 11, 2014.Eric Bolte
Luis Silva's first-half hat trick gave D.C. United a 4-2 road victory over the Montreal Impact on Wednesday.
Silva scored his first three goals of the season, including a stunner from distance, to propel United (7-4-4) to the top of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference standings.
Midfielder Nick DeLeon also found the back of the net in a heated first half that saw a combined six goals, two yellow cards and one spot kick.
Jack McInerney and Andres Romero scored back-to-back goals to give the Impact (2-7-4) a 2-1 lead before D.C. stormed back with three unanswered goals of their own before the break.
The win was D.C.'s seventh in its last 11 games.
Silva gave the visiting team the 3-2 lead in the 39th minute with a breathtaking strike from about 30 yards out, curling a shot just past a diving Troy Perkins' fingertips.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who had gone nine games without a goal prior to Wednesday, completed his hat trick from the penalty spot mere seconds before the half-time whistle by sending Perkins the wrong way with a well-placed shot in the top right corner of the net.
Montreal came into the match hoping to build off their Amway Canadian Championship victory and looking to enter the two-week World Cup break on a high. The Impact were unbeaten at home in their last three games in all competitions and hadn't conceded at Saputo Stadium in 206 minutes.
But D.C. needed only six minutes to end Montreal's bid for a third consecutive clean sheet, with Silva finding a hole between the Impact centre backs for his first of the evening.
McInerney equalized in the 12th with a tight-angle shot that grazed the post to goalie Andrew Dykstra's left. Romero gave the Impact a short-lived lead in the 21st with a great individual effort in front of the net.
Impact captain Patrice Bernier had a golden opportunity to ignite a comeback in the 76th minute, but his penalty shot hit the post, went off Dykstra's back and trickled out of play.