Win over Crew keeps team in MLS playoff hunt
Coming off an embarrassing 5-0 loss to D.C. United the previous weekend in Washington, the Impact put on a great show for 19,015 fans at Saputo Stadium on Saturday, beating the Columbus Crew 3-0. Saphir Taider (penalty kick, 32nd minute), Alejandro Silva (44th minute) and Ignacio Piatti (59th) scored, while goalkeeper Evan Bush made nine saves for the clean sheet.
The win improved the Impact’s record to 13-15-4 and moved them five points ahead of D.C. United in the battle for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, D.C. United cut the Impact’s lead to two points with a 2-1 home victory over the Chicago Fire on Sunday afternoon with Wayne Rooney scoring two second-half goals. D.C. United (11-11-8) holds two games in hand on the Impact and will play three of their final four games at home, where they have a 10-2-2 record. The Impact’s final two regularseason games are at home against Toronto FC on Sunday, Oct. 21 and at New England on Oct. 28.
The Impact sent out season-ticket renewal notices last month and there will be a significant increase on some seats.
Richard Legendre, the Impact’s executive vice-president, spent 24 minutes recently speaking with Tony Marinaro on TSN 690 Radio to explain the team’s ticket strategy for next season. He said the club has to find ways to increase revenue and “we’re doing this for the future of the club.”
“Our president (Joey Saputo) said two years ago, at the beginning of the second-year cycle, we need this club to become profit- able, viable, to actually break even, which hasn’t been the case at all in the last seven years,” Legendre told Marinaro.
Goalkeeper Bush was impressed by Saturday’s turnout at Saputo Stadium.
“They were fantastic,” Bush said about the crowd. “To go back to last week’s game, where you get destroyed in an important game, and then have 19,000 to 20,000 people show up today to cheer us on, it shows the commitment that they have for us and it was nice to be able to reward them.”