Third and last game between both clubs in 2017 MLS regular season
CHESTER, Pennsylvania – The Montreal Impact will play its only away game in August, this Saturday at 8pm, at Talen Energy Stadium, against the Philadelphia Union (TVA Sports 2, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). This will be the third and last regular season game between the two teams this year.
“This is an important game against Philadelphia,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “We played a good game against Orlando last week. Our confidence is growing and we now have to perform well against a team ahead of us in the standings. We will have to watch their important players, but most of all, we need to focus on the aspects of our game that allowed us to be successful in our last game.”
Yet another crucial game
This trip to Pennsylvania is another important one for the Bleu-blanc-noir. The Union, two points ahead of the Impact, is a direct rival in the MLS Cup playoff race. This season, in two games, Montreal is undefeated by Philly, after a 2-1 win at Stade Saputo and a 3-3 draw in Chester, when Nacho Piatti and Anthony Jackson-Hamel, with a brace, allowed their team to erase a three-goal deficit.
“We need points in Philadelphia, it’s an important game for us,” said Impact midfielder Nacho Piatti. “The last time out at their ground, we started badly, but this time, it has to be different. We just won against Orlando and we hope to bring back three points to Montreal.”
Against Philadelphia, in five career games, Piatti has three goals and two assists, while Blerim Dzemaili has scored in his only game against the Union, and ranks sixth in the league with three game-winning goals.
The Impact has had the upper hand over the Union recently: the Bleu-blanc-noir has not lost against the DOOP since August 2015, a four-game series that declines in two wins at home and two draws at Talen Energy Stadium. Nonetheless, Montreal is yet to win on the Union’s grass, with two draws and five losses since joining MLS.
Upcoming games
The Impact will have four consecutive games at home after this fixture, starting with a visit by Chicago Fire, on Wednesday, August 16, at 7:30pm at Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, TSN, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690 – TICKETS), before hosting Real Salt Lake on Saturday, August 19, at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, CJAD800 – TICKETS).
