Impact U17 head coach Nicolas Gagnon doesn’t hide the fact that, despite many positive results in the first half of the season, his group can still do better in certain aspects.
The 9-4-1 record is satisfying and puts the team in second place of the group, but it can still improve.
“There were ups and downs,” said U17 head coach Nicolas Gagnon. “The progress made by the group and the players individually is satisfying, but we still have a lot to do. We must be more consistent and more mature. We showed better signs of this at the end of the first half of the season, mainly in the Winter Showcase in Florida. The results are a little below our expectations so far. We want to be first of the group, but some aspects of our play need to be improved if we want to reach our goals.”
With three wins in six away games, excluding the showcase, better performances away from home will without a doubt be a priority in the second half of the season if the Impact U17 wants to finish first of its group.
“In the second half of the season, we have to be more balanced when we attack and keep progressing in our defensive transition,” added Gagnon. “We also need bigger numbers offensively to diversify our attacks. We destabilize our opponents by finding our midfielders, but we need to do it more, pushing our fullbacks higher on the pitch and combining between the lines.”
The Impact U17 had some defining moments on which they will rely on for the second part of the season, including a 5-2 win at Centre Nutrilait against the New England Revolution, and a 3-3 draw against NYCFC in New York, where the players fought until the last second to tie the game.
The team is currently in a good position for the playoffs, but to maintain its position or hope to finish first of its group, the Impact U17 will have to be consistent from March to June.
