PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – FC Montreal will face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds this Saturday, at 7pm, at the Highmark Stadium.
Last year, Pittsburgh and Montreal faced off twice. The Montreal Impact’s second team lost 1-0 at Highmark Stadium in the first game but got its revenge in the second game in Montreal, winning 4-2 with a brace from Jackson-Hamel.
“We can expect a lot of positive things in attack for the next game,” said Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla. “Offensively, we’re good, but we need to stop making technical mistakes. They are not far from us in the standings, so if we take three points, it will be good for us.”
The Riverhounds have a 1-7-3 record and lost their last three games. Last month, the team terminated the contract of its top scorer, Romeo Parkes, after he viciously hit Karl W. Ouimette in a game against the New York Red Bulls II. He had scored five goals before leaving. Corey Hertzog is now the scoring leader for Pittsburgh, with three goals.
“This is a homogenous league,” said head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “When you look at the results, some teams win more than others, sure, but every team has a chance. Pittsburgh is a team that moves the ball well. Despite its position in the standings, it’s a team with quality. In terms of preparation, no matter who is the opponent, we prepare ourselves to win. The field is not so long, so we will need to adjust. Technically, we need to be better than in our last game. We put ourselves in trouble on unprovoked technical mistakes. If we improve this, we’ll be more efficient.”
In its last game, the Bleu-blanc-noir tied 1-1 on Toronto FC II’s ground. After taking the lead in the second half with a goal from forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel, the Reds came back from behind to get one point.
Montreal is in the middle of a series of four games in 11 days, having played the first two games in Cincinnati and Toronto. After Saturday night’s game, the team will face the Harrisburg City Islanders on Tuesday at 7pm at FNB Field.
FC Montreal will then be back at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex to host Orlando City B on Sunday, June 26, at 3pm.
