The following is a press release from the Montreal Impact:
Montreal Impact Takes on Crew SC in Columbus on Saturday
IMFC looks to take winning ways at home to MAPFRE Stadium
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Montreal Impact travels to Columbus to take on the Crew SC at MAPFRE Stadium, this Saturday, at7:30pm EDT (TVA Sports 2, TSN Radio 690), in hopes of building off of another home victory after topping the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-1 Wednesday night at home.
“It’s going to be important to go there and get a result, one point or three. With the parity in the league, we are only a few points [out of playoff spot],” explained defender Wandrille Lefèvre. “We have to make sure we have the same attitude that we had on Wednesday to avoid the problems we experienced last Saturday in Chicago.”
Wednesday night’s 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC was a third straight win at home. With that, IMFC has won three out of its last four games, but is still looking for a result on the road in MLS play. In addition, the club’s 3-4-2 start is the second best in its four years in MLS.
Ignacio Piatti lit up the black and gold the only time he’s faced them, scoring two goals, while goalkeeper Evan Bush is lighting up his opponents this season, leading the league with an average of 4.5 saves per game.
Columbus, however, is a bit of a different animal as they present a distinct challenge to the Bleu-blanc-noir than recent opponents.
“Columbus is a team that likes to play from the back,” said Patrice Bernier. “They have players like Federico Higuain, who drives the offence. They are a good team who will most likely have more possession, so we have to be patient and good defensively. We have to be alert and organized, like we are at home. If we can defend in a block like we did on the road in Champions League, we will see success.”
In addition to the Argentine in midfield, the Crew SC (4-5-4) has the league’s leading goal scorer in Kei Kamara (10G, 2A – 13GP) and the MLS’s leading assist man in Ethan Finlay (tied at 7). The team has a record of 4-1-1 at home, but has shown inconsistency in its play, losing to the previously struggling Philadelphia Union 3-0 on the road last Wednesday.
“Saturday will be a different game, a different opponent,” said head coach Frank Klopas. “We are coming from a win and they are coming off of a loss. It will be a good challenge for us. With the short week, for sure we are going to have to make some changes.”
The Impact will play its next game the following Saturday, in New York, for a first ever matchup with New York City FC at Yankee Stadium, at 7pm EDT (TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690).
