|
|
First thoughts
After a huge win in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday, the Montreal Impact will be back in league action at home on Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes in one of the few weekend matches without any MLS Cup Playoffs implications.
While both the Impact and the Earthquakes are out of the postseason picture in their respective conferences, there are plenty of reasons to expect this one to be a fierce battle. Given that both sides have underperformed this season, both clubs are expected to make significant changes over the course of the offseason, with this match and the remaining matches for both teams presenting an opportunity for players to audition for spot on next season’s rosters.
Furthermore, with Impact Head Coach Frank Klopas now fully in charge of the roster following the decision to move former Sporting Director Nick De Santis into an administrative role, the Montreal gaffer will certainly endeavor to use the Impact’s remaining games to illustrate that he deserves that type of autonomy.
Keep Thinking
While the CONCACAF Champions League is now likely the competition that most Impact supporters are following most closely, there are plenty of reasons for them to watch this game.
With DP striker Marco Di Vaio recently revealing that he is leaning towards returning to Italy following the current campaign, this match and the other three remaining home fixtures on the schedule likely present the final opportunities for supporters to see the Italian marksman and show their appreciation for his efforts during his Impact tenure.
Furthermore, with Louis Béland-Goyette recently becoming the 8th player to join the professional team from the Impact Academy, the Montreal roster is now brimming with exciting young Canadian talent that could form the core of Impact sides for years to come. With injuries mounting and the Impact playing out the string in the league, young Canadian players such as Béland-Goyette, Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé, Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Karl Ouimette and Maxim Tissot should see plenty of minutes in the matches to come. This match and the remaining matches in the 2014 league campaign are a great opportunity to blood these young Canadians and prepare them for next season.
Of course, Montreal still has one significant game to play in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League and Saturday’s match will give Klopas an opportunity to try to experiment tactically and prepare for that game while concurrently continuing to integrate Designated Player playmaker Ignacio Piatti into the Impact team and Major League Soccer.
The Impact will certainly also be looking forward to delivering a positive performance in front of their home fans at Stade Saputo and giving them hope that better days are ahead next year. In that vein, the San Jose Earthquakes, who currently only sit one point ahead of Chivas USA at the bottom of the Western Conference table, present an excellent opportunity for Montreal to claim three points at home.
In order to achieve that result, the Impact’s main task on Saturday will be to find a way to achieve something that not many sides have done recently, namely keep Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski off the scoreboard. The U.S.A. International has 8 goals and 4 assists since the World Cup break and he is currently one of the top in form strikers in the league.
Final Thoughts
Playing at home and buoyed by a big win mid-week, the Impact should have the upper hand in this game. If Klopas and company can find a way to slow down Wondolowski, then Montreal should be able to walk away with all three points.
Prediction
Montreal Impact 2-1 San Jose Earthquakes
|