MONTREAL—Toronto FC returns to the scene of the crime—in this case, a mugging—when it pays a visit to Stade Saputo on Saturday evening to tangle with the Montreal Impact.
There are some bitter memories stemming from the previous time they faced their bitter Canadian rival. Last October, the Impact beat TFC 2-1 in the final game of the regular season to win home-field advantage in the post-season. Montreal then hammered Toronto 3-0, sending the Reds crashing out of the playoffs in embarrassing fashion.
TFC players haven’t forgotten about it, but they’re not dwelling on it, either. It’s in the back of their minds, while their main focus remains on their solid start to the 2016 season—a 2-2-2 record, with two clean sheets.
“First and foremost, we’re in a good spot and we feel good about where we are,” said Toronto midfielder Will Johnson, who joined Toronto in the off-season after those pair of losses at Stade Saputo.
“There’s an axe to grind from our side because of what happened last year. … Even though I wasn’t here last year I still take pride in what it means to be red versus blue.”
“That’s last year… We’re not too worried about last year; that’s in the past now,” defender Josh Williams said of the playoff loss. “We have a solid squad this season, and through six games on the road we’re happy with the results.”
Coach Greg Vanney added: “I’m sure when we [arrive] there’ll be a flashback or a reminder [of the playoff loss, but it’s important that it serves as motivation and not any other emotion to get us out there, ready to compete and battle and put our best foot forward as we step out there.”
Last season, the Reds conceded 58 goals, tied for the worst defensive record in MLS. After six games this year, the Reds’ five goals against is tied for the best in the league.
Montreal, though, should prove to be a stiff test for Toronto’s rejuvenated backline that includes a trio of influential newcomers: central defender Drew Moor, right fullback Steven Beitashour and goalkeeper Clint Irwin.
The Impact top the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Toronto, with a 4-2-0 record. With 10 goals scored, Montreal boasts the second-best attack in the conference. What’s more, they’re getting contributions from several players. Ignacio Piatti has four goals and Dominic Oduro has two. Kyle Bekker, Hassoun Camara, Anthony Jackson-Hamel and Didier Drogba each have one. Compare that to Toronto—Sebastian Giovinco has scored four of the club’s six goals.
Shutting down Montreal’s attack won’t be easy, especially because their front four players like to interchange positions and show up in different areas on the pitch. A mobile team, the Impact can also you hurt you via quick transitions, with Piatti the main orchestrator.
Team defending is the key to thwarting the Impact, according to Vanney, with diligent attention being paid to getting proper pressure on the ball.
“For us, it’s not about a man-on-man situation; we need to make sure that we’re covering the right spaces on the field and that we’re accountable to guys who come though our areas, and we minimize the amount of space that we give them on the field,” Vanney explained.
After being limited to 60 minutes over two substitute appearances, Drogba is expected to earn his first start of the season on Saturday. To Montreal’s credit, they hardly missed a beat without the Ivorian, winning four of their opening six games.
“They’ve had a great start to the season. [Dominic Oduro] is the guy who’s been playing instead of Didier at the start, and Dom does a good job of keeping a back line honest and threatening the space in behind. He does the role slightly different than Didier, but he does a good job as well,” Vanney offered.
NOTES: The Impact announced Friday that for the first time in club history its Stade Saputo home opener will be played in front of a sell-out crowd of 20,801 fans. Montreal played its previous two home matches this season at Olympic Stadium… Japanese rookie Tsubasa Endoh is available for Toronto after missing the past few games with a deep thigh contusion. TFC midfielder Benoit Cheyrou remains out with a quadriceps injury… Marco Donadel returned from injury last week for Montreal and may start as a holding midfielder on Saturday… TFC completes its eight-game road stretch to begin the season on May 1 at Portland before finally playing its home opener on May 7 vs. Dallas.
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