Piette scored his first MLS goal and we’re all freaking out
You could sense it coming for a while now. All of us could. In his more offensive role under head coach Thierry Henry, Samuel Piette was starting to excel offensively, finding himself in good positions to score more often than he had in the two previous seasons.
Just a few days ago against Toronto, Piette was seconds away from finding himself one on one against the goalkeeper, a moment his head coach remembers all too well. “I told him that if he let the ball slide, he would’ve been alone against the ‘keeper,” recalled Henry, speaking to reporters after the game.
Finally, yesterday against Vancouver, it happened.
Making a run down the middle that would make any striker proud, Samuel Piette expertly redirected a pass from Saphir Taïder to put the ball into the net, scoring his first for the Impact, his first in MLS, and the eventual game-winning goal.
“It’s something we discussed at half-time,” explained Piette. “When someone makes the cross in, which happened a lot in the first half, we wanted someone at the near post, the penalty spot and the far post. I think it was Romell that had already made the run to the near post, so I decided to run down the middle. All I had to do was put my foot on the ball and redirect towards the far post, which looked a bit open. It was a good goal, but a lot of credit goes to Saphir who made the pass.”
Piette then added to his tally by getting an assist on Romell Quioto’s fourth goal of the season, serving the ball on a silver platter in the six-yard box for the Honduran to easily redirect it past the ‘keeper. It was Piette’s first two goal contributions of the season.
“He’s been excelling in this position for a while now, but as I often mention, when you don’t score, people notice a little less,” said head coach Thierry Henry. “He often finds himself in good situations. Our style of play allows him to find himself in those situations. I knew this goal was going to come sooner rather than later, which is what I told him last time.”
A deserved first
For the average Impact supporter or MLS fan, it may be difficult to understand the magnitude of what this goal represents. Having joined the Impact in the middle of the 2017 season, Samuel Piette quickly became a fan favorite, due to his friendly demeanor and his hometown appeal.
But more than that, when you speak to Samuel Piette, you always have the feeling that he genuinely cares. He remembers your first name and what’s going on in your life. He takes the time to carefully answer questions and never refuses a request. He goes the extra mile.
On the pitch, the midfielder proves his worth time and time again, sacrificing himself for the good of the club and doing whatever he could to ensure it was successful.
That’s why when Piette’s shot crossed the line, hundreds celebrated as if they were the ones who had just scored their first goal.
“I was happy to score the goal in the moment, but this is something you want to share with others,” said Piette. “Seeing the reactions of my teammates, who joined me sprinting, the coaches and players on the sidelines who were all standing, the players not dressed cheering in the stands, all the staff that follows the team that were super happy as well. It warms my heart, and it shows what a great team we have.”
