Projections? Nacho Piatti doesn’t care much for those.
The Argentine has read and heard analysts suggest that the Impact is an outsider in the quest for MLS Cup. He also knows that many of them expect the challenge to be too overwhelming for the Bleu-blanc-noir in Harrison, New Jersey, for the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the New York Red Bulls, this Sunday at 4pm (RDS, TSN, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, 98,5fm & TSN Radio 690).
But Piatti’s career has taught him that beating odds can be done. Only a year and a half ago, Piatti and the Impact were reaching the CONCACAF Champions League final, an accomplishment that came shortly after another feat of Nacho’s.
“When analysts look at the MLS standings, they say that the Impact is an underdog for the cup. But they were saying the same thing about San Lorenzo, that we had the worst chance of winning the Copa Libertadores,” said Piatti. “This gave us a boost of strength that carried us through it. And we won the competition.”
In 2014, Piatti’s San Lorenzo was in a precarious position before the last match day of the Copa Libertadores group stage, but a 3-0 win against Botafogo – with two Nacho goals – got the team to squeak through to the knockout round on goal difference. Seen as a clear underdog against Grêmio in the Round of 16 and against Cruzeiro in the quarters, San Lorenzo won both ties and lifted the cup after a tough final against Nacional.
Optimistic ahead of the return leg, Piatti sees in this Impact team the same determination to create surprises that his San Lorenzo teammates displayed all over South America.
“Here, we all have the same mentality, and we want to move forward,” said Piatti. “Games are tough. It’s knockout, just like a final. The regular season is long, but in the cup, we have to leave everything on the field to come out on top.”
