Team looking to build on win against the Dynamo
There’s no denying it: the first task on Saturday for the Impact was to put the ball in the back of net. Too long had the team gone without scoring a goal, which contributed to the four-game skid it was on before Saturday’s game. When Jeisson Vargas’ strike hit the net’s top corner near the end of the first half to put the Impact in the lead, the sigh of relief was almost audible within Stade Saputo’s walls.
“I was happy,” said midfielder Samuel Piette. “I screamed very loud. It was a relief. We had the ball for long periods of time in their defensive third and we controlled the game. We had a bit of a hard time breaking through, but seeing that ball go in, especially to give us the lead, felt great.”
Head coach Rémi Garde reiterated Sam’s thoughts, while praising Jeisson’s striking capabilities.
“I think everyone welcomed the fact that we scored a goal,” said Garde. “Everyone worked very hard for that. Jeisson scored a fantastic goal, like we know he can. He has an amazing capability of striking the ball. The speed of his turn on his first touch was great.”
The strike was Jeisson’s fourth goal of the season, and his third game-winner, which ties him for second in the league in that category. Vargas’ previous game-winning goals also came in two 1-0 victories back in March, against Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders respectively.
Working as a team, for the team
The Impact accomplished no easy feat on Saturday, shutting out one of the league’s best offenses. One of the reasons it was able to do so was because of the work done on forward Alberth Elis, who leads the Dynamo with eight goals this year. The Bleu-blanc-noir’s tandem in central defense frustrated him throughout the game, limiting his time and space on the ball and forcing him to take a yellow card early.
“As a defender, I’m very happy we got the clean sheet,” said defender Jukka Raitala, who led the team with seven interceptions. “I thought it was very important. We did good as a team today. Mentally, it’s very important for us. We have something to build on for next week.”
But it wasn’t just the Impact’s duo in central defense shutting down the opposition. The team came together in the second half to stifle the orange wave, allowing the slight one-goal lead to be retained until the final whistle was blown.
“The team spirit was high today,” added Garde. “Every player worked hard for each other, which is very important. It proves to me that when we’re all focused on the task, and we’re ready to put in the effort for each other, we can do great things.”
The key for the Impact now is consistency. Saturday’s victory was essential in turning things around for the Bleu-blanc-noir, but one victory isn’t going to change the overall picture. But the effort is a good base to build on moving forward, starting with a tough game against one of the Western conference’s best teams in FC Dallas (TVA Sports, 98.5fm, TSN Radio 690).
“We could let ourselves be happy, but not satisfied,” added Piette. “We need to build on this, focus on the positive and correct the negative. We can’t let our guard down just because of one win.”
