No margin for error as Impact drive for final East playoff spot
Players look to sweep final three contests starting with crucial match against Crew
Midfielder Saphir Taider believes the Montreal Impact need to win their three remaining games this season if they have any hope of making the MLS playoffs.
With the season on the line, Taider says Montreal can’t drop a single point — starting Saturday at Saputo Stadium (3 p.m., TSN1, TSN4, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio) against the Columbus Crew — if the team wants to play playoff soccer in November.
The playoff race in the Eastern Conference is effectively down to two teams — Montreal (12-15-4) and D.C. United (10-11-8). Montreal is sixth in the East with a two-point lead over D.C., which has two games in hand. A 5-0 loss to United last week has seriously hurt Montreal’s playoff chances.
Fifth-place Philadelphia (1412-5) and fourth-place Columbus (13-9-9) are all but guaranteed a post-season berth, barring a collapse over the next three weeks.
“The end of the season is approaching, so we’re obviously a little nervous,” said Taider, one of Montreal’s designated players, on Thursday. “And because we need to win, it’s a stressful time. But we need to take that stress and turn it into something positive. We have to play with that feeling and try to win those three games. If we don’t, we’ll be filled with regret at the end of the season. It’s up to us to show what we can do, starting this weekend against Columbus.
“We have to win this weekend and the other two games, too, just to have a chance to make the playoffs.”
Everything changed for the Impact last week when they suffered their worst defeat since joining Major League Soccer in 2012. D.C. United scored four secondhalf goals — two each from Paul Arriola and former England star Wayne Rooney — to snap Montreal’s three-game unbeaten run.
The Impact had several chances to equalize in the first half after Luciano Acosta’s 17th minute opener, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Then the visitors collapsed in the second half, unable to stop D.C. United’s counter-attack.
“That was a big letdown,” said veteran defender Bacary Sagna. “We were playing well. We were consistent. We were imposing ourselves at home and on the road. That dynamic was broken after the loss, especially by that score.”
Montreal might have to face Columbus without Ignacio Piatti, its top scorer and playmaker. The Argentine midfielder suffered a thigh injury in last week’s crushing defeat. He was at practice this week, but didn’t train with his teammates.
Piatti leads the Impact with 13 goals, 13 assists and 83 shots. He has six career goals versus the Crew.
Gyasi Zardes leads Columbus with 16 goals this season. Zardes scored twice, including the stoppage-time winner, when the Crew defeated Montreal 3-2 in the second game of the season back on March 10.
“They have talent everywhere on that team,” said Impact coach Rémi Garde. “They have a strong midfield with very talented wingers. They’re not in a playoff position by accident. They’re ahead of us in the standings because they’re better than us, there’s no doubt about that. But if we play at our highest level, we can compete with them.”
It’s a stressful time. But we need to take that stress and turn it into something positive. We have to play with that feeling and try to win those three games.