Impact kicks off week with intense training session, plays Columbus Saturday
It wasn’t a happy weekend for Impact players and supporters. Losing at home to the rival leaves a bitter taste in the mouth but, luckily, the Impact was back in training Tuesday morning, and the disdain from the weekend’s loss was quite evident on the pitch.
“The guys were pissed. I love it. We should all be pissed,” said full-back Daniel Lovitz. “We get so much out of those training sessions, it’s great. We had moments like this last year and I think we came out in a much better place mentally. I know guys are fired up and pissed off right now, and that’s the way it should be.”
“We need intensity in training sessions,” said head coach Rémi Garde. “When we train without intensity, we play without intensity. Today, my players were intense. It was better.”
For the players, this intensity is a good sign. It means there was a lack of satisfaction following the previous performance, but most importantly, it indicates a desire to bounce back and perform well in the following game.
“It was a little more tense than usual today. But that’s part of being with the same group all the time,” said midfielder Saphir Taïder. “I think it’ll do us good and help us for this weekend’s game.”
Rémi Garde’s men are currently going through a rough patch, suffering three consecutive losses for the first time this season. They still remain fifth in the Eastern Conference, four points up on the seventh and last playoff spot, with seven of their 12 remaining games to be played at Stade Saputo.
Their next opponent, the Columbus Crew SC, whom the Impact will face this Saturday at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690), has been struggling this season and lost its last six games in all competitions, placing them in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. It’s the perfect opportunity for Montreal to gain a result on the road and establish a record in the club’s MLS era for the most away wins in a single season, before coming back home and hosting the leader in the East, the Philadelphia Union, on Saturday, July 27 at 8pm (TICKETS – TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690).
“We have a lot of soccer left to be played and a lot of it is going to be in front of our fans,” added Lovitz. “We are in the driver’s seat. The best thing we can do right now is focus on 90 minutes at a time, regardless of where it is or who it’s against.”
