Montreal Gazette

‘Nobody on this club likes losing,’ Montreal’s Bernier says

- STU COWAN scowan@postmedia.com twitter.com/ StuCowan1

Impact captain Patrice Bernier didn’t want to talk after Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Columbus Crew at Saputo Stadium.

Bernier spent the first half on the bench, watching as the Impact fell behind 2-0. The captain came on as a substitute to start the second half and sparked a comeback as the Impact tied it up 2-2 before losing when the Crew’s Justin Meram completed a hat trick in extra time.

Bernier almost always makes himself available to the media, so he spoke volumes by not speaking after the game. When asked after practice Tuesday at Centre Nutrilait what he was most frustrated about Saturday night, the captain said: “Everything.”

“This is home,” said Bernier, who grew up in Brossard. “I can’t say that the guys don’t care about losing, but sometimes I don’t feel like answering questions because I’m pissed we lost. It’s another loss at home. I know this team, with the qualities that it has, and that we’re not necessaril­y performing for a full game to the level that we can. It’s tough. I think it’s tough for everyone. It’s tough for the club, the fans, the coach, the players. But we’re only going to get out of this together.

“After a game, the emotions are there. But now I got 24 hours to digest all that and get back to work and push these guys, push myself to have better performanc­es and to get some victories.”

The Impact desperatel­y need some victories, sitting in last place in the 11-team Eastern Conference with a 2-4-4 record ahead of Saturday’s game against the Portland Timbers at Saputo Stadium (3 p.m., TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). Montreal is five points behind the Chicago Fire for the sixth and final playoff spot.

Bernier has already announced he will retire as a player after this season to take a coaching job with the Impact Academy. This is obviously not the way the 37-year-old wanted to start his final year on the pitch.

“I want to win every game,” Bernier said. “It’s just a competitiv­e mentality. It’s not necessaril­y it’s the last season. Even when I’ll be a fan here, I’ll probably be even tougher on everybody. I just don’t like losing and I don’t think anybody on this club likes losing. It’s tough, but we have to suck it up and we have to get back to work. Yeah, it’s my last season, but I’m going to give everything I can every game.”

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