Young line-up stands tall in American capital
Finally! The Impact’s six consecutive road games to start the season have come to an end, and the Montreal club has emerged unscathed. Rémi Garde’s men are coming back to Montreal with two wins, two losses, and two draws, for a total of eight points in the standings, the same record after six away games than in 2016, the last time the club made the MLS Cup playoffs.
But it isn’t only the Impact’s record that’s impressive; Montreal hasn’t allowed a goal in its last two games and didn’t even allow D.C. United a shot on goal, last night at Audi Field.
“I saw men play on Tuesday night, no matter the age,” said head coach Rémi Garde. “It makes me happy, because that’s how high-level football is played. You need to be able to exceed your limits and learn how to surpass difficult moments. There was good movement from my players and we created good opportunities. It was very interesting.”
Youngsters impress
After seeing his team fight tooth and nail for a scoreless draw against New York City FC last Saturday, the head coach opted to make a few changes prior to facing the Washingtonians. He gave an opportunity to two of the club’s homegrown players, Mathieu Choinière and Clément Bayiha, to make their first professional start with the Impact.
The two played on the same team with the Impact U19 before signing their first professional contracts with the club.
“It was a first start for both of us,” emphasized Choinière. “He’s a very good friend, so to be able to live these moments together is amazing. But after six games on the road, we’re pretty excited to play at Stade Saputo Saturday.”
Another youngster on the backline, Zachary Brault-Guillard, also made his first start with his new team in the right-back position, with Bacary Sagna earning a game off after starting all other games this season.
The young Canadian international almost marked his first start in the best way possible, coming close to scoring the go-ahead goal, if it wasn’t for a fantastic stop from close range by goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
“We feel good about how we played,” said Brault-Guillard. “We were solid defensively and we played well in midfield. We had a few attacking opportunities, including my chance. But the young players starting did good things. At the end, we were able to show our qualities. We showed that we’re here to push and play during the entire season, so that the coach knows he can be confident in our abilities in the future.”
Home opener at Stade Saputo this Saturday
The Impact will play its 2019 home opener on Saturday, April 13 at 1pm at Stade Saputo, against the Columbus Crew SC (TICKETS – TVA Sports, 98,5, TSN 690). Live from Stade Saputo, JiC will be broadcast on TVA and TVA Sports for a special show, from 10am to noon, in order to set the scene for the first game on Montreal soil. BMO will also be on site for the #FanFini 2019 official jersey exchange for the first 250 supporters who bring an older Impact jersey. Supporters are invited to arrive at Stade Saputo 90 minutes before kickoff for a brand-new pregame ritual during which they will be able to welcome the players in the stadium like never before.
