Travel issues, altered line-up motivate Impact to victory
The Impact sure does know how to bounce back, something that’s been quite evident nine games into the 2019 campaign. Every time the Impact suffered a loss this season, they answered by taking points in the following game, often staying stingy defensively and shutting out the opponent.
That was the case once again on Wednesday night, in Massachusetts. After suffering a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, the Impact travelled to New England and made Gillette Stadium seem like Stade Saputo, dominating the hosts in every category en route to a 3-0 win.
Not only did the Impact earn its fourth clean sheet of the year, it also broke out of its offensive slump by scoring three goals in a place where they did not have success in recent years.
And if you consider the fact that the team only got to Gillette Stadium four hours before kickoff, it makes it all the more impressive.
“We caused problems because we were very aggressive on whoever was in possession,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “We were disciplined and rigorous defensively, as we usually are, but we put more intensity into our runs. The speed up front with Orji [Okwonkwo], Maxi [Urruti], and Clément [Bayiha] really hurt them. We had a game plan and it worked out. We should be very happy, but not for too long because we need to do it all again this Sunday.”
Changes in the line-up
As is common in a midweek game, and with a few players unavailable due to small injuries, the Impact fielded a younger line-up, head coach Rémi Garde making five changes to the starting 11 we saw just a few days ago in Pennsylvania.
Somewhat similar to the 11 we saw against D.C. United two weeks prior, Rémi Garde’s men were dominant from start to finish, and it showed on the stat sheet. The Impact had 10 shots, five of those on target after the first 45 minutes, giving the opposition none in return. Luckily for Montreal, the breakthrough came in the second half, and the team didn’t look back.
“We wanted to bounce back after last week’s loss,” said full-back Zachary Brault-Guillard, who started his second game for the Impact on Wednesday night. “But this time, we did very good things throughout the entire game. We tried to instill our game plan, we didn’t rush anything, we started play properly and we created an enormous amount of chances. As the game went on, we managed to finish our plays. That’s what’s most important.”
Now, for the first time in 2019, the Impact will have the opportunity to play two consecutive games at home, starting with a matchup against the Chicago Fire on Sunday, April 28 at 12:30pm (TICKETS - TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690). Excellent tickets for Sunday's game are still available, as well as season or partial memberships on impactmontreal.com. The Impact recommends adequately planning your transport, using public transportation and arriving early. Stade Saputo's doors will open at 10:30am to allow you to enjoy the atmosphere and take advantage of numerous activities in the stadium's corridors. From 10:30 to 11:30am, the classic 2-for-1 on all drinks will be in place. Also, don't miss our new pregame ritual, during which supporters can welcome players in Stade Saputo's North grandstand, 90 minutes before kickoff. Montreal will then host New York City FC on Saturday, May 4 at 5pm, for a second game in a month against the Citizens (TICKETS - TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690).
