A veteran of the league, goalkeeper Evan Bush has always spoken of the parity in MLS and how the tables can turn for anyone over the course of a season. Just a few weeks ago, the Impact had suffered a fourth straight loss, without hitting the back of the net in that span. Fast forward to the present, and the Bleu-blanc-noir has now won three out of four by shutting out its opponent, and sits just three little points behind that important sixth position in the Eastern Conference.
Needless to say, things move pretty fast in Garber’s league.
“You need to have a short memory in MLS,” said Bush. “There’s a lot of ups and downs, and it’s the teams that can figure out how to stay the most even-keeled that usually figure it out towards the end of the season.”
Montreal’s improved play culminated in its most recent victory, a 2-0 win in Florida against Orlando City SC, where the team put up one of its most complete performances this season, allowing the Lions to take just one shot on net.
“In terms of team cohesion, this was by far our best game, because I felt, amongst the players, a need and desire to play and make efforts for each other,” said head coach Rémi Garde. “It’s a prerequisite before each game and something we need to lean on moving forward.”
The players have noticed a shift in mentality as well. After all, the group managed to break out of a difficult sequence of games by tightening up defensively as a unit, which often requires a large amount of sacrifice from everyone on the pitch. But it has been paying off: not only has it brought the players closer, but it’s also been 252 minutes since the Bleu-blanc-noir has conceded a goal.
“We’re more united than before,” said midfielder Samuel Piette. “Everyone wants what’s better for the team before themselves. So, the work we put in is better for the team as a whole now. Players are taking more responsibility and realizing that we are the actors that decide how a game will be played out. We control our destiny much more.”
This change has shined a light on a much more confident Montreal side, while the battle for a playoff spot is far from over, with half the season still left to play. The important part now will be to keep that team confidence at a high, no matter the results on the field.
“We need to be strong and resolute in everything we do,” added Bush. “We can’t only gain confidence from winning games, but from training the right way and from playing the right way. You need to gain confidence in any small way that you can. If things go negatively, you wipe that away and learn from it. When you’re learning the right way, you can take confidence from that too.”
That will be how the Bleu-blanc-noir will approach the second half of the campaign, which starts when Sporting Kansas City visits Stade Saputo on Saturday, June 30 at 7pm (TICKETS – TVA Sports, TSN, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690).
