Last match of a four-game home stint for Bleu-blanc-noir
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will put an end to its four-game stay at Stade Saputo by hosting the Chicago Fire, this Saturday at 7pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). Excellent tickets are still available on impactmontreal.com.
“We want to bounce back from the performance against Toronto,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “We are playing against a very good team and have a big challenge ahead of us. They will bring a lot of urgency to this game. We will have to be able to manage this in the right way and show the same level of performance we had during our winning run in August.”
The IMFC Summer pregame party will offer encore performances before all September games at Stade Saputo , starting with Les Jacks at 5pm. Two-for-one deals on all drinks from 4:30pm to 5:30pm will also be offered.
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 Viau St., on Pierre-de-Coubertin Ave. and Notre-Dame St. E.
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. Entrace PB is now called P5 (orange), while entrance PA has made way for entrances P1, P2 & P4 (yellow).
Nacho Piatti on a roll
Argentinean Midfielder and Designated Player Nacho Piatti put his name in another column of the club’s record books by scoring a goal in a fifth consecutive game, a feat also accomplished by Grand Needham in 1993 and by Lloyd Barker in 1995. He is the only player to have done it in the Bleu-blanc-noir’s MLS era. During this hot run, Piatti has recorded seven goals, being named the MLS Player of the Month in the process.
International absentees on both sides
Many players will miss out because of international call-ups, both for Montreal and Chicago. For the Impact, Canadians David Choinière, Anthony Jackson-Hamel and Samuel Piette will be in Toronto to face Shaun Francis’ Jamaica, who will also be at BMO Field for this 7pm friendly. Moreover, defender Laurent Ciman is with the Belgium squad until Sunday, when Roberto Martínez’s team will play against Greece. Likewise for Swiss international Blerim Dzemaili, whose selection has a meeting with Latvia on Sunday.
Fire midfielder Dax McCarthy, for his part, has been called by Bruce Arena to represent the United States tonight against Costa Rica and on Tuesday in Honduras, for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The Fire does not burn as strong of late
Veljko Paunovic’s team is going through tough moments, having recorded only one win since July 1 and losing six of its last seven games, notably on August 16, falling at Stade Saputo by a 3-0 score line. The Fire, currently sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, is five points in front of Montreal, who has a game in hand.
“They are looking to get back on track, but regardless of that, I think that anytime you play a team twice in close succession, especially after beating them, they will look to come out in a different, stronger way and to implement their game,” said full-back Daniel Lovitz. “We have to anticipate that and match their intensity.”
Upcoming games
In another important game for the MLS Cup playoff race, the Bleu-blanc-noir will travel to Foxborough to face the New England Revolution, on Saturday, September 9, at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690), before coming back at Stade Saputo on Saturday, September 16 at 7:30pm, in the very first meeting with expansion club Minnesota United FC (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690 – TICKETS).
