Lions head coach James O’Connor apologized for his team’s behaviour after the game
By now, we all know of the scuffle that occurred in the final minutes of the game between the Montreal Impact and Orlando City SC, on Saturday. With seconds to go in second-half stoppage time and with Montreal in possession, referee Timothy Ford stopped the play because midfielder Harry Novillo went down with an apparent head injury.
Instead of giving the ball back to the Bleu-blanc-noir who was in possession when the whistle was blown, as is custom in the beautiful game, the Lions opted to launch a surprise attack, something the Impact players didn’t particularly enjoy. However, Orlando head James O’Connor addressed the matter immediately after the game, something Rémi Garde very much appreciated.
“I listened to James O’Connor’s press conference later that night and I heard what he said to apologize on behalf of the club in regard to what they did late in the game,” said Garde. “I contacted him later on to thank him personally. The case is now closed. Like I told him, it is sometimes difficult to control everything your players do on the field, although I was under the impression that what they did wasn’t very fair play.”
The Impact players took no exception to the matter, and a melee ensued almost immediately in the Impact’s final third, leading to Zakaria Diallo’s eventual expulsion.
“What they did contributed to the scuffle, because the way my players reacted wasn’t for nothing,” added Garde. “It was an angry reaction because we had never seen such a thing. It isn’t an excuse for Diallo’s card, but it’s a good explanation regarding what happened.”
With the win, the Impact improves its record to two wins and one loss in its first three MLS regular-season games, all on the road. Now with a weekend off due to the international break, the Bleu-blanc-noir will be back in action on Saturday, March 30, at 3pm EDT, to take on Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park (TVA Sports, TSN, CTV, 98.5, TSN 690).
