Playoff race is well underway for Bleu-blanc-noir
FOXBOROUGH, Massachussetts – The Montreal Impact is going to Boston this Saturday to play against the New England Revolution, at 7:30pm, at Gillette Stadium (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). It is a crucial game for both teams in this MLS Cup playoff race, as the Revs, sitting in eighth place in the East, are only four points behind the Bleu-blanc-noir.
“It’s the playoff race now, the table is very tight,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “For us, this is an important away game. We will need to be focused for 90 minutes and more. We have to make sure that we take care of the little details, offensively and defensively.”
The Impact only has eight games to play in its regular season and is currently sixth, tied with Atlanta United FC, for the last qualifying spot for the fall tournament.
“If we want to grab points over there, we will need to be at our best and be focused from start to finish,” said centre-back Laurent Ciman. “We have to give our all to bring points back from this away game, as we dropped some at home, if we want to make the playoffs. We know it will be complicated, but nothing is impossible. We have the quality. We cannot doubt, but we have to give more mentally. By working together, we will go over this threshold.”
The attack needs to restart
After a four-game winning streak during which the Montreal attacking unit scored 11 goals, the Impact has only found the back of the net once in the past two games. International players from Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Jamaica are all back with the squad.
“We have qualities, but sometimes, we play too slowly,” said midfielder Blerim Dzemaili. “We have to try and give the ball quicker to our forwards and to our wingers, who are good players. Our play will improve if we do this. It will be important for us to play well in the last eight games so that we can qualify.”
Dzemaili in record hunt
Midfielder Blerim Dzemaili could beat two MLS club records this Saturday: he could beat the record for the most consecutive games with an assist, with four, a feat also done by three other players, and for the most consecutive games with a goal or an assist, with six, which would beat the record set by Didier Drogba and Nacho Piatti. During this run, the Swiss has scored three goals and added four assists.
Upcoming games
The Impact has its work cut out after this trip to New England and will start a sequence of four games in 12 days with the very first visit of Minnesota United FC to Stade Saputo, on Saturday, September 16, at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690 – TICKETS), before adding another page to the rivalry with Toronto FC, on Wednesday, September 20, at 7:30pm at BMO Field (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, CJAD 800).
