First MLS home game since June 3
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact returns to its Stade Saputo home in MLS for the first time since June 3 as D.C. United visits, this Saturday at 7pm (TVA Sports [pregame show at 6:30pm], TSN, 98,5fm [pregame show at 6pm], TSN Radio 690 [pregame show at 6pm]). Excellent tickets are still available at impactmontreal.com. Moreover, the stadium’s doors will open as early as 4:30pm for this year’s first edition of the IMFC Summer, a tailgate that will put forth, among other things, a show by Étienne Drapeau along with Ludovick Bourgeois.
“After the loss in Toronto, the good news is that we have a game right away and we can refocus on the MLS season,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “We want a good performance against D.C. United. We expect a difficult game, as always in this league. Whether it’s against the top team in the standings or the last one, it is always played with a lot of intensity. We want to focus on what we must do to unbalance them and prevent them from getting space.”
“No game is easy,” mentioned defender Hassoun Camara. “Against teams at the bottom of the standings, you can sometimes think it will be easy, and then face a team that is very hard to move. It will be a tough game. We will have to take it seriously, concentrate on ourselves and do everything to win all three points at home.”
The Impact recommends that supporters use public transit and get to the stadium early. Due to transformation work at the corner of Pie-IX Blvd. and Sherbrooke St., traffic delays may occur in the Olympic Park area, notably on Charlemagne Ave., Rachel St., and Jeanne-d’Arc St.
As usual, the MLS Bag Policy will be in effect. All backpacks, camera bags and large tote bags, as well as all bags bigger than 35 cm x 35 cm x 15 cm are prohibited.
Please also note that parking entrances have changed names since last season. Entrance PB is now called P5 (orange), while entrance PA has made way for entrances P1, P2 & P4 (yellow).
An opportunity to climb in the standings
Currently six points off the red line representing the limit to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs, the Bleu-blanc-noir has an opportunity to gain a couple of places in the Eastern Conference standings against a direct rival, though D.C. United, also sitting on 18 points, has played two more games. The two following clubs in the standings, New England Revolution and Philadelphia Union, also face each other; thus, with favourable results, the Imapct could end the weekend in eighth place and get within three points of the sixth spot.
New Designated Player Blerim Dzemaili has a flying start to his career in the Belle Province: he has taken part to at least a goal in his past five games in all competitions, recording two goals and four assists in this run.
Impact Homegrown players have an importance never seen before in the team in 2017. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, away on international leave for the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Canada, Ballou Tabla and David Choinière have scored seven goals this term, a Bleu-blanc-noir record.
At home, the Impact has won its two latest MLS games and is unbeaten in four across all competitions at Stade Saputo, with three wins and a draw.
Ben Olsen’s team has troubles in front of goal this season. With 12 goals in the league since the start of the campaign, Luciano Acosta is the team’s top goal scorer, with four. In five games against MLS opposition in June, United has found the back of the net only three times. Moreover, attacking midfielder Rob Vincent and striker Patrick Mullins are both out injured.
Upcoming game
The team will once again play on the road, a fourth away game in five league games, with a trip to BBVA Compass Stadium, in Texas, against Houston Dynamo, on Wednesday, July 5, at 8:30pm EDT (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690), before a two-week break because of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, taking place in the United States.
