The best defense is a good offense. Time and time again, that old saying has popped up in different scenarios, etching itself onto the brains of sports enthusiasts around the world. But what if we played on the words and said that the best offense is a good defense. The Montreal Impact is giving it a go, by putting on another solid defensive display Wednesday night against the Chicago Fire, and receiving the fruits of its labour offensively.
“It’s very important to be organized and in the right place defensively,” said midfielder Samuel Piette. “In the first half, we didn’t concede, and we played our cards rights on the counter-attack. We have elements in attack that are very quick with Piatti, Mancosu, and Raheem on the right side. Saphir is also great in supporting the attack. I really believe that if we’re well positioned defensively, it could create more chances in attack.”
An organized back four
The one goal the Impact did concede came off a set piece, which, as mentioned by Daniel Lovitz in the postgame comments, is not something the team has focused too much on in preseason training as of yet. The Impact also remained perfect defensively on Saturday night when they shutout the Las Vegas Lights FC. Center back Zakaria Diallo explains that this is all part of having an organized back four that is on the same page.
“Defensively we try and play as a block, and have all four defenders aligned,” said Diallo. “Once the opposing team retreats into its own zone, we try to move up the field by a few meters. We’re always ready to press or to retreat. Defensively, it’s very important to remain in a block and have all four defenders aligned. It can change the game, and I think we did that very well against Chicago.”
The same thought was reiterated by left back Daniel Lovitz.
“Figuratively and physically, I think it’s important that we’re all on the same line, moving as a unit and making sure we’re attached and that the distances are good,” explained Lovitz. “Preseason is tough because there are a lot of different line-ups. It’s difficult to really have that solidarity and make sure that it looks good. After saying that, I think we looked very good. We didn’t give up a lot of chances because we were moving as a unit defensively.”
The possession game
Organization in defense is an important factor in retrieving the ball and controlling possession. Rémi Garde’s postgame comments stressed that although it’s important to have the ball, it’s doubly important to be organized and realistic. Although the Impact didn’t particularly dominate possession in its game against Chicago, it certainly didn’t let the Fire dominate either, and produced more with its possession through 90 minutes.
“If you’re solid at the back, you’re going to retain the ball more and have more of it going forward,” added Lovitz. “I think that also speaks to our team’s ability to move forward. More than anything, we’re going to do a really good job at being sound with the ball, and defensively making sure that we’re making the game predictable.”
