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MONTREAL – After four weeks away from Stade Saputo, MLS returns to the Montreal Impact’s home this Saturday at 7:30pm EDT, as the team takes on Sporting Kansas City. This game presented by Oasis will be broadcast live on TVA Sports (pregame show at 7pm), 98,5fm (pregame show at 6:30pm) and TSN Radio 690 (pregame show at 6:30pm).
Excellent tickets are still available for this game on impactmontreal.com. The Impact advises supporters to get to Stade Saputo early and to use public transit. Pie-IX Blvd. will be partially closed in the northbound direction, from Pierre-de-Coubertin Ave. to Mont-Royal Ave., preventing vehicles from turning right on Sherbrooke East St. Traffic disruptions are also scheduled on Pierre-de-Coubertin Ave., between Viau St. and Pie-IX Blvd., until the end of the season.
“This is an important game,” said head coach Mauro-Biello. “We’ve been able to put ourselves in a good situation in terms of our results on the road. Now, we’re coming back to Stade Saputo, and we want to get the results. If we’re able to execute, we’re going to be in a good position.”
Looking for balance
Beyond the point won on the road, last Saturday’s 0-0 draw in Columbus brought some defensive stability back in the Impact’s play. The team only conceded one shot on target to Crew SC, who only completed a handful of passes in the penalty area in front of Evan Bush – the goalkeeper kept his third clean sheet of the season. This shutout followed another, in the previous game against Toronto FC in Amway Canadian Championship play.
“Defensively, we’ve been better,” said Dominic Oduro. “We’ve been working on our shape, and it’s coming together. It’s gotten better in the last two games. If you can really defend well, you’re going to find ways to score goals in games.”
Ignacio Piatti, who underwent surgery on his left hand in early June, will be available for selection by head coach Mauro Biello on Saturday. Building on the recent improvements in defence, Piatti’s return should help the Impact strike a certain balance. Piatti remains among the best in MLS in several stats categories: goals scored (third in MLS with eight), game-winning goals (fifth with two scored), goals per game (third with a 0.62 average) and shots on target (sixth with 17).
Other reinforcements are coming for the Impact as midfielder Calum Mallace has recovered from a foot injury that kept him off the field for more than two months. Should he play in Saturday’s game, Mallace would make his 60th MLS appearance for the Impact. His next start will be his 40th in MLS.
Sporting KC picking up form
After winning 2 out of 12 games from April 2 to May 27, Sporting Kansas City is coming to Montreal having picked up four of six available points in June. In its last game, Sporting KC won 2-0 at home against Dallas thanks to goals from Lawrence Olum and Benny Feilhaber.
This will be the only game between the Impact and SKC in this regular season. The Bleu-blanc-noir has posted a record of three wins, six losses and a draw against Peter Vermes’ men. The last game between these two teams, last season, was a 2-1 loss for Montreal in Kansas.
Nacho Piatti then scored the Impact’s goal in what remains his only game against Sporting Kansas City to date. Dominic Oduro, for his part, has scored three goals and given four assists against Kansas City, while captain Patrice Bernier has tallied two goals and an assist against SKC.
“It’s been a bit tough for Kansas City this year, but let’s remember that they are a very good team,” said Ambroise Oyongo. “They play with the ball. But we’re home. We know how to play, too. We’ll respect the opponent, but we want the three points.”
Sporting Kansas City will enter Stade Saputo without its two Designated Players. Midfielder Graham Zusi and centre back Matt Besler are away with the United States national team, which will play the Copa América Centenario third place play-off against Colombia on Saturday night.
The stadium will also welcome a familiar face as Justin Mapp, who wore the Bleu-blanc-noir from 2012 to 2015, will return to Montreal for the first time since he signed with Kansas City as a free agent during the off season.
Following game
The Impact’s following game will also take place at Stade Saputo, as the New England Revolution and Kei Kamara will take on the Impact on Saturday, July 2, at 5:30pm EDT (RDS, TSN2, 98,5fm & TSN Radio 690). Excellent individual tickets are still available for this game on impactmontreal.com.
