Bleu-blanc-noir still in playoff position with three games to go
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact continues its run to the MLS Cup playoffs, this Saturday at 3pm, when it hosts the Columbus Crew SC at Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5fm, TSN 690). Excellent tickets remain available on impactmontreal.com.
“It’s a very well-honed team, that isn’t where it is by accident,” said head coach Rémi Garde. “It’s a balanced line-up, that’s gifted all over the field. They’ve only won one more game than us, but lost six less, so that’s where the main difference is. We need to especially find our best level. If we’re at our best individually, our unit can compete against theirs, and we can hope to come away with all three points.”
Despite the arrival of the month of September, IMFC Summer will once again shine bright in the stadium’s corridors, from the second the doors open at 1:00pm. The 2-for-1 special on all drinks will be in place until 2:00pm, and a DJ, accompanied by a host, will set the atmosphere. Also, by arriving early, supporters can take advantage of a plethora of activities offered by our partners in the BMO Celebration Zone.
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-Coubertin/Viau area. The Impact strongly suggests using public transportation to get to the stadium (exit Viau) and to arrive early. Drivers are welcome to use P1 parking lot, on Pierre-de-Coubertin, P3 on Pie-IX, and P4 on Sherbrooke.
Looking for victory
D.C. United’s victory over Montreal last weekend puts the Washington team two points away from the Impact in the Eastern Conference standings, with two games in hand on the Bleu-blanc-noir. The situation leaves Rémi Garde’s men no room for error in this last sequence of games to close out the season.
“We know what we’re capable of, and we all know that we have a quality team,” said defender Daniel Lovitz. “When we get good results, it’s easy to validate what we do, and when we get bad ones, it’s easy too look back and see what we did wrong. For us, it’s about using this as a learning experience. We have three more games, and they’re all going to feel the same.”
A consistent opponent
Gregg Berhalter’s men have been one of the more consistent teams since the beginning of the season, and now find themselves fourth in Eastern Conference standings with just three games left to play. The team is on a good run of its own having lost just once in its last six games.
Against the Impact, the Ohio team has been successful as of late, winning the past three matchups between the two clubs, including a 3-2 win at MAPFRE Stadium in the beginning of the season. Columbus’ leading scorer, Gyasi Zardes, scored the winning goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time after having opened the scoring early in the game.
New offensive level
Despite not scoring against D.C. United last weekend, Rémi Garde’s men have found another level offensively over the last few games, and will be looking to continue on that run this weekend. The Impact still tried 25 shots against the Black and Red, setting a club record for most shots during a road game, and 15 shots in each of their past three games before that, managing eight goals.
Up front, the trio of Taïder-Silva-Piatti has been lethal, combining for 17 goals and 20 assists in the last 16 games, in which the Impact has gone 8-4-4. That bodes well for the Argentine forward, who has scored six goals and added two assists in eight career games against the Columbus Crew SC.
“Our goal is to be more efficient,” said midfielder Alejandro Silva. “Last game, there was a lot of chances to we should have finished. Sometimes it goes in, sometimes, it doesn’t, but it’s an important aspect we need to improve. On our end, we need to continue to work.”
Upcoming games
The Impact will have a bye week for the international break, before hosting its biggest rival, Toronto FC, at Stade Saputo, on Sunday, October 21, at 3pm (TICKETS - TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5fm, TSN Radio 690). The team will then travel to Massachusetts to play its last game of the season on Sunday, October 28 at 4:30pm, against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5fm, TSN 690).
