There are several good reasons to travel to Cascadia: a much nicer climate than the one that Montrealers have to put up with. A booming brewing industry. An effervescent cultural scene.
And, for the Montreal Impact, wins.
The Pacific Northwest’s reputation is well-established in MLS circles: this is a hostile environment for opponents, where fans are intimidating and points tend to slip through your fingers. But the Impact has done just fine in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver since its inaugural season in 2012: three wins, two losses and two ties in all competitions.
This Saturday, at CenturyLink Field, the Impact could already notch its fourth win in the area – and a second at Seattle Sounders FC. The Impact has just won its season opener in Vancouver, as well: a 3-2 triumph against Whitecaps FC.
“The first game in Vancouver, it was the first game, so we were excited,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “It’s a rival. We had a pretty good sense of what they were trying to do, and we were right about that. When we went to Seattle and Portland, a few years ago, it was the start of the season again, so we had time to prepare for them.”
Conveniently enough, a bye week has allowed the Impact to draw lessons from its 2-0 loss at Dallas and get ready for the clash that awaits in Seattle.
The Sounders haven’t had the greatest start to this season, as they lost their first three games. But every Impact player understands that the challenge will be tough at CenturyLink Field.
“This is a very hostile environment,” said forward Dominic Oduro. “When you go to Seattle, even when you get a point, you know you’ll struggle through it. The whole stadium takes a toll on you. We have to keep focused on being disciplined.”
