Montreal players visiting a stadium that doesn’t favour them
There’s no time to dwell on Saturday’s loss: the team is already preparing for its short trip to the Boston suburb to take on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium, Wednesday night at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5, TSN 690). This second game in five days will be followed by a second home game at Stade Saputo this season, when the Chicago Fire visits, this Sunday at 12:30pm (TICKETS – TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690).
It’s definitely a busy week for the Impact, and it’s probably better this way. The players learned their lesson following the loss in Philadelphia but won’t have too much time to focus on the negative with another East rival on the schedule. It won’t be easy, however, since Montreal hasn’t won at Gillette Stadium since 2015; that’s a sequence of four straight losses to which the Impact will want to put an end, and here’s how.
1. Focus
Every loss is an opportunity to reassess and return to the basics. The truth is, the Impact somewhat dug its own grave, giving the opponent two goals on Saturday, one off a giveaway and another from the spot, goals that are easily avoidable and uncharacteristic of the team’s defensive quality. The players will need to demonstrate the fighting spirit they had in the three previous games.
2. Win the physical battle
The word “battle” comes up often when it comes to professional sports, but this time it’s truer than ever. In a difficult and almost always windy environment, on a field where mistakes are paid for dearly and against a team with physicality in its DNA, the Impact must not let itself get intimidated in the face of duels.
3. More determination in the final third
To succeed, you need to try. There’s attacking talent within the Impact, despite the absence of magician Nacho Piatti. The team’s technical leaders need to step up and cause problems by breaking down the opponent’s lines, erasing defenders with a good dribble or by taking advantage of available space. The right side of New England’s defense represents the Achilles heel of Brad Friedel’s team, whether it’s in one-on-one situations or regarding passes made in behind.
