Impact comes away with draw against FC Cincinnati
The Impact’s preseason schedule officially kicked off Wednesday night with a game against the league’s newest club, FC Cincinnati. Both shared the spoils as the game ended in a 1-1 draw, but we know the real purpose of preseason games isn’t winning.
The Bleu-blanc-noir was particularly effective in the first half, dominating play and almost taking a two-goal advantage to the locker room. In the second half, the Ohio team was able to gain its bearings and claw its way back, despite some very good opportunities for Rémi Garde’s men.
“In the second half they pressed us a bit higher and that’s where we found it a little difficult to build out of the back,” said midfielder Shamit Shome. “But when we were able to settle the ball down and move it side to side, we did a good job threatening them again.”
Both teams chose a completely different line-up to kick off the second half, giving almost every single player a chance to show what they can do, whether they were the younger players of the group or veterans like Nacho Piatti, who, by the way, wasted no time notching the game’s first goal in classic Nacho style
Piatti, playing alongside his compatriot Maximiliano Urruti for the first time, connected well with his fellow Argentine, the two almost creating a goal near the end of the first half to double the Impact’s lead, but Nacho’s attempt was stopped by the post.
“We found each other quite well,” said Piatti after the game. “We communicate a lot; sometimes he wants the ball at his feet, sometimes a little deeper. It’s something we need to continue to work on.”
Good effort from young players
Of course, a preseason game is a good opportunity for younger players with limited experience to gain some playing time, and more importantly, impress the coaching staff. And that’s exactly what they did, Wednesday night in Florida.
“When we’re young, we want to prove so much, so there was a little tension for those playing their first game,” explained Garde. “I told them, we’re not here to not make mistakes. You’re here to eventually make them, but more importantly, you’re here to show me character. I must say, I loved how our young players played today. It wasn’t perfect and we already knew it wasn’t going to be, but I saw risks being taken and things we worked on in training being applied, and that’s very encouraging.”
The team’s next game comes in a week’s time, against Nashville SC on Wednesday, February 6 at 7pm on the fields of Premier Sports Campus Lakewood Ranch in Florida.
