Midfielder Samuel Piette on being a father for the first time
It was about two weeks ago, on August 28, that the Impact hosted its second game of the year at Stade Saputo, taking on Toronto FC in the second of six games against Canadian opponents. Everything was set for another classic between the two rivals, but you could sense something was off: no Samuel Piette in the starting 11, no Piette in the 18, and no Piette watching from the stands.
At this point, the Canadian international has become a part of the club’s fabric, starting almost every single game for Montreal since he joined during the 2017 season. So, for Piette to not even be at the stadium, you knew something had to be up.
In the middle of what’s been a tumultuous year and season, to say the least, the Impact family learned some good news on that day: a new member was born. Piette had become a father, after his girlfriend gave birth to a baby boy the same day his team took on Toronto FC.
“Your life changes a lot when your first born arrives,” explained Piette. “It’s been great, to be honest. I have to give credit to my girlfriend, who does most of the job in terms of breastfeeding and all, which obviously I can’t do.”
In an odd coincidence, the day before, midfielder Saphir Taïder’s wife also gave birth to their fourth child, meaning he was also unavailable that night against TFC. The two were back in training two days later, their smiles slightly bigger than on any other normal day.
“It just feels special to have something else to live for,” added Piette. “Before, obviously I tried to do well for my girlfriend, my family, but now there is this extra boy, in my case, that I have to care and provide for. It really puts life into perspective, and it’s been tremendous so far.”
Piette and the Impact will now travel to Canada’s West Coast for two consecutive games against the Vancouver Whitecaps, to close out this second phase of the MLS regular season schedule. The first game comes this Sunday, September 13, and 9:30pm EDT, followed by the second one on Wednesday, September 16, at 9:30pm EDT as well (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5, TSN 690. You can consult the rest of the Impact’s September schedule here, as announced earlier today by MLS.
