Best team in MLS limited to just two shots on net
In every season, there are turning points. Sometimes they’re positive, sometimes they’re negative. The Montreal Impact’s 3-0 win over the top team in the MLS table last Saturday was definitely a positive one, for a few reasons.
One, the team bounced back in the biggest of ways following a tough loss in Toronto the previous week. Two, with six games remaining in the season, the Bleu-blanc-noir proved why it deserves to stay in that sixth and last MLS Cup playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s something we needed to reassure ourselves that we were a good team,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “We’re in a sprint in these last few games, and we need to perform very well. I really liked the team spirit. The togetherness we showed was very important. I insisted before the game that without it, we wouldn’t be able to compete against this team. We knew we had to be at our best level.”
Truth be told, the Impact was at its absolute best on Saturday, limiting the Red Bulls, a team that’s scored 50 goals this year already, to just two shots on target.
“We did a good job working both sides of the ball,” said midfielder Micheal Azira, who made his second consecutive start. “We went forward with conviction and defended as a team. That was really good for us. When you play a team like that, you need to be good on both sides of the ball.”
Starting off strong
A difficult start against the Reds last week at BMO Field seems to have taught the Bleu-blanc-noir a very important lesson; although New York tried to break through early with intense pressure, similarly to Toronto’s game plan, the Impact was much sturdier defensively this time around, managing to halt New York’s attacking waves, especially in the first quarter-hour.
“We suffered together, because we knew we would suffer against a good team. We took pleasure in defending as a unit, attacking as a unit, and doing everything together, as a unit,” added Garde. “I know we can play games like this one. This was certainly one of our best performances of the season.”
And it could not have come at a better time. The Impact’s final six games of the season will all be against opponents from the East, starting with a key matchup in Pennsylvania against the Philadelphia Union, on Saturday, September 15 at 7:30pm (TVA Sports, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). Currently in fifth place, the DOOP sits just four points ahead of Montreal in the standings.
“This was a benchmark game,” said midfielder Saphir Taïder. “We put in all the ingredients to win and we worked hard. When we play like that, we’re difficult to beat.”
