Struggling Impact head to Washington for key match
A point or a win on the road would prevent further dissection of all that ails Montreal squad
Injuries, failure to hold on to leads, irresponsible defending and conceding from set pieces. Such is the reality and shortcomings of the Montreal Impact. Will it ever end? That’s what Impact supporters want to know.
A 2-1 home loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday did more than just frustrate the fan base and players. The defeat left the Impact second from the bottom in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference and dropped them further behind Eastleading Orlando City SC, which has 18 points compared with the Impact’s seven after eight games.
The two goals the Impact conceded were definitely avoidable.
Take nothing away from Andrew Jacobson’s sweet volley from just outside the Impact’s penalty area, but if Impact defender Kyle Fisher hadn’t panicked and pushed goalkeeper Evan Bush out of the way as the ball arrived, Bush would have been positioned to make the save near the goal line. On the winning goal in the 79th minute, Whitecaps winger Cristian Techera must have done his homework and knew Impact defender Laurent Ciman would attempt a slide-tackle on the play, especially because he was making a recovery challenge on the ball.
Ciman overcommitted on his slide and effectively took himself out of the play as Techera patiently baited the Belgian and cut back inside to his more lethal left foot, and Bush didn’t stand a chance.
That all occurred after midfielder Marco Donadel had given the Impact an unlikely lead in the ninth minute, which got the home crowd firmly behind the team. The Impact played well in spurts, but Vancouver certainly had no intention of sitting back and conceding possession as we’ve often seen from visiting teams. The Caps came to play and they played themselves into earning three massive road points.
The Impact’s attack against the Whitecaps can be summed up in one word: individuals.
Playmaker Ignacio Piatti was kept in check by a well-organized system of two, and often three, Vancouver players confronting Piatti when he got the ball. And Ballou Tabla, who led all players with seven shots and willingly dribbled at players all afternoon, was unable to find the back of the net on his two shots on target.
Striker Matteo Mancosu sustained an injury three minutes into the game, was forced off minutes later and was replaced by Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
The red-hot striker, with three goals in the previous two games, failed to influence the game in large part because towering Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston won nearly every duel between the two. Jackson-Hamel was also forced to leave the contest, in the 73rd minute, after suffering from cramps.
It was a memorable past two weeks for Jackson-Hamel, 23, who was awarded the MLS Goal of the Week after his clever back-heel strike against Atlanta United FC. But it’s difficult to ignore the fact that despite three solid months of training under his belt, the striker is unable to play 70 minutes in perfect conditions and mild temperatures. Quite frankly, there won’t be a better opportunity for the fourth-year player to stake his claim as the future star striker of the Impact.
On Saturday (6 p.m., TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio) the Impact visits Washington to face a D.C. United side that has frustrated them often during the past few seasons.
On the road against Atlanta last Sunday, the home team held a 74 per cent possession advantage after completing 408 more passes than D.C. and finished with a 26-9 advantage in shots.
Yet D.C. rallied for a 3-1 victory.
The Impact know the frustration Atlanta felt all too well, having been on the losing end of games when they accumulated dominant numbers similar to those of Atlanta.
The name at the centre of all discussions when it comes to D.C. is goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
The American international has regularly performed what can only be considered circus tricks in stifling the Impact’s attack in the past. But D.C. is more than just Hamid. Coach Ben Olsen has assembled a group of well-travelled MLS veterans who have achieved success in their previous stops. From hard-tackling Bobby Boswell in the back, to the creative Luciano Acosta in the middle alongside Marcelo Sarvas, and Sébastien Le Toux and Lloyd Sam in attack, they have players who know what it takes to win in MLS.
Coach Mauro Biello has a few personnel decisions to make, including whether to use Dominic Oduro up top and bring Jackson-Hamel off the bench, or vice-versa. It might also be time for Biello to consider shaking up the trio of Hernan Bernardello, Patrice Bernier and Donadel, in the centre of midfield. There has been a definite lack of tactical possession throughout the team and it usually begins and ends with the trio in the middle.
This is an extremely important game for the Impact. A positive road point could help keep the frustrated heads somewhat cool and a victory would be just what the doctor ordered for the team as a whole. But a loss would be justifiably dissected to no end. Let’s see what the boys are made of in difficult moments.