The American striker effective despite not scoring
Last Saturday’s performance against the New York Red Bulls has since been described as a benchmark game by a few players. The Impact was perfect defensively, allowing the opposing team to put just two shots on target, and was dominant offensively, especially on the wings.
A big reason for that is striker Quincy Amarikwa and the work he did to alleviate New York’s pressure, especially in the first quarter-hour.
“I thought we responded really well to their pressure, and I think Quincy Amarikwa was a big reason for that,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “The work rate and battle that he showed in that position brought the rest of the team together, and it helped them figure out what that game would be about.”
The work consisted of gaining possession of the ball in the Red Bulls’ defensive third, holding it, and waiting for reinforcements from his teammates, usually in the form of Nacho Piatti or Alejandro Silva on the wings.
“That’s kind of my game,” said Amarikwa. “I like to play with my back to goal and give the players beneath me confidence that if they hit the ball long, I’ll be able to hold it until they join the play. After a couple of minutes, we were able to inch our way up the field, which gave our wingers opportunities to get in behind.”
For head coach Rémi Garde, that’s exactly what he expects from his strikers, because that’s the type of player his team needs up front to be successful offensively.
“Compared to the team’s global profile, the striker we need must have those qualities,” said head coach Rémi Garde. “Quincy was someone who didn’t measure his efforts, whether defensively or offensively. He made a lot of selfless effort, and it explains the result.”
