The Impact will officially kick off its second half of the season when it hosts Sporting Kansas City at Stade Saputo, this Saturday at 7pm (TICKETS – TVA Sports, TSN, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). If most of the first half of the season featured a lot of away games, it’ll be the other way around for the Bleu-blanc-noir in the 17 remaining games.
“It’s the opposite compared to the first half of the season, where we played just seven home games and 10 on the road, which was an important factor going against us,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “Of course, the next few games at home will be very important to us.”
On a smaller scale, three of the Bleu-blanc-noir’s next four games will be at home as well, with three teams from the Western Conference visiting Montreal in that span: Sporting Kansas City, the Colorado Rapids, and the San Jose Earthquakes. If the Impact wants to stay in the thick of things in the race for a playoff spot, earning results from these contests will be crucial.
But beware; nothing is won yet.
“It isn’t because we’re playing at home that we’ll automatically win all of these games,” added Garde. “Sure, it’s a small advantage, but I think we need to stay focused on the games themselves, while continuing to be balanced, and defending well.”
There are still excellent tickets available for the Impact’s remaining home games. And considering the fact that Rémi Garde’s team is just three points out of a playoff spot, the supporters’ encouragements at home will definitely have a big impact on the players in this playoff race push.
