Important game in the MLS Cup playoff race
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will play a crucial game in the race to the MLS Cup playoffs, this Saturday at 7:30pm at Stade Saputo against D.C. United (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). Excellent tickets are still available on impactmontreal.com.
“They’re in a better place. What a player like Wayne Rooney brings to the table is very important, because it psychologically reassures the players around him,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “He’s a reason D.C. is becoming a better team. It would be a mistake for us to look at where they are in the standings. We need to look at D.C. United as a team in the process of getting better. We have a lot of respect for him, but I don’t think the players should be impressed. To respect and admire what he’s achieved is normal, but on the other end, we have no fear in facing Wayne Rooney.”
IMFC Summer will once again shine bright in the stadium’s corridors, from the second the doors open at 5:30pm. The 2-for-1 special on all drinks will be in place until 6:30pm, and DJ Miss Shelton will set the atmosphere. Also, by arriving early, supporters can take advantage of a plethora of activities offered by our partners, and you can try your luck against LyesMTL, the Impact’s eSports player, in a game of FIFA 18 on PS4 in the BMO Celebration Zone. Also, by presenting their game ticket, supporters will be able to access the Montreal Tower Observatory free of charge by going to the Montreal Tower box office, on Saturday from 3pm to 6pm.
The MLS bag policy will be in place for this game. Backpacks, camera bags, and big tote bags, as well as any bag larger than 35cm x 35cm x 15cm will not be accepted inside the stadium.
Also, please note that more traffic than usual is expected in the Sherbrooke/Pie-IX/Pierre-de-Couberton/Viau area, as Viau Street will be closed southbound between Beaubien Street and Rosemont Boulevard. The Impact strongly suggests using public transportation to get to the stadium and exit at Viau metro station. Drivers are welcome to use P1 parking lot, on Pierre-de-Coubertin, P3 on Pie-IX, and P4 on Sherbrooke.
In good position to kick off August
The Bleu-blanc-noir, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, is in a good position to kick off a month of August that’s typically vital in the race to the playoffs, during which Montreal will face three direct rivals, starting with D.C. United of course, but also Chicago Fire on August 18 at home, and Toronto FC on August 25 at BMO Field.
“D.C. has had a season somewhat similar to ours,” said midfielder Samuel Piette. “They started off poorly, but now, they’re slowly righting their ship. The arrival of a big player like Wayne Rooney, who’s already made his quality shine on the pitch, has helped the team a lot. It’s a difficult game for us, despite the fact that they’re last in the East. We especially can’t take them lightly. We need to focus on what we have to do. That’s what we’ve changed the most in recent games. We focus more on what we need to do and less on the opponent. We need to always impose our style of play at home to be successful.”
The Impact is coming off the most congested part of its schedule, in July, having played seven games in 22 days.
As of late, the Impact can boast one of the best midfielder trios in MLS: Saphir Taïder, Alejandro Silva and Nacho Piatti, in their last eight games, have accumulated 11 goals and 11 assists.
Montreal’s number 10, on his end, is just back from the MLS All-Star game, in Atlanta, where he earned an assist on the only goal from the league’s representatives. During regular-season action, Piatti still hasn’t found the back of the net against Ben OIsen’s team, one of only three MLS club the Argentine hasn’t scored on yet, the others being Minnesota and Colorado, in the West.
New era for D.C. United
Following a 2-1 loss to the best team in the league last Saturday, Rémi Garde and his troops were able to take advantage of a normal work week and will be physically fresher to host Wayne Rooney’s new teammates at Stade Saputo. The club’s new Designated Player scored his first MLS goal last weekend against the Colorado Rapids.
The Washingtonians will play 12 of their last 16 games in their brand-new home stadium, Audi Field, inaugurated just a few weeks ago. With the arrival of the highest ever scorer in the history of the Three Lions, we can say that the Black-and-Red started writing the newest chapter of its history.
“They started off slow in the beginning of the year, but you can see them climbing back up the table and getting results,” said defender Michael Petrasso. “They’re going to come out fighting. It’s a big game for us too at home. After our game against Atlanta, we want to get the result and stay where we are in the table. We’re going out this weekend to win. Getting a win against them puts them further away from us, and that’s essential.”
Upcoming games
The Impact will fly to the Rockies to take on Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium, in Utah, on Saturday, August 11 at 10pm EDT (TVA Sports). Montreal will then be back at Stade Saputo on Saturday, August 18, at 7:30pm, when the Chicago Fire and Bastian Schweinsteiger visit for the Pride game (BILLETS – TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). The club will donate $1 per individual ticket purchased to the Pride Montreal organization in order to highlight this special day.
