The match
LA Galaxy vs. Montreal Impact
Date and Location
Saturday May 12 at 4 p.m. ET, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium
Setting the scene
The LA Galaxy travelling circus has landed in Montreal, and while fans and media alike are going gaga over David Beckham, the Montreal Impact are focusing on one thing: winning.
After being eliminated by Toronto FC midweek in the Amway Canadian Championship, the Impact turn their attentions back to MLS where they’ve had a great deal of success lately. Last week, the expansion side upset Sporting Kansas City 2-0 to win their second straight match and extend their unbeaten run to three matches.
A victory against LA by Montreal (3-5-2) would not only solidify its mid-table position in the Eastern Conference, but also allow the Quebec side to become the first team to win three in a row in their expansion season since Seattle in 2009
The Impact could also use a boost on the heels of their loss in Toronto. After the game, coach Jesse Marsch called out his players by stating they didn’t show up to compete.
He’s hoping for a more concentrated effort from his players against the Galaxy.
“I expect us to be sharp on Saturday,” Marsch told the team’s official website. “I know the Galaxy well from playing against some of those guys, and living out in LA. They are a dangerous team in the offensive zone, and we have to make sure that we don’t give them opportunities to do the things they do well, like taking fouls near the box for David Beckham. “
Montreal is facing LA at the right time in the season.
The Galaxy (3-5-1) have been shut out in their last two games, and are on the verge of losing three straight for the first time in more than four years.
“We keep saying we’re not worried about it,” Beckham recently told reporters about the losing skid. “But there’s going to be a point where we need to be worried about it and we’re close to that now.”
News and notes
The Impact confirmed Friday that over 60,000 tickets have been sold for the game. The city’s all-time attendance record for a soccer game was set in March when the Impact drew 58,542 spectators at Olympic Stadium for their MLS home opener against the Chicago Fire… Montreal will be missing defenders Zarek Valentin (calf injury) and Josh Gardner (hamstring), and forward Evan James (fractured nose)… Expect Colombian Nelson Rivas to partner Matteo Ferrari in the middle of the defence, and Hassoun Camara to start at left fullback. Rookie Callum Mallace could also make his MLS debut at right fullback… This is the only league meeting between the clubs this season…
Player to watch for Montreal
Donovan Ricketts: The former Galaxy goalkeeper would love to put one over his old team, and he’ll need to be sharp between the posts if the Impact hope to extend their MLS winning streak.
Player to watch for LA
David Beckham: Who else? The Englishman is big reason why a record crowd is expected for Saturday’s game, and it’ll be interesting to see how he performs on the Olympic Stadium turf
Key matchup
Bernardo Corradi vs. Bill Gaudette: With backup Gaudette filing in for absent starting goalkeeper Josh Saunders, look for Corradi to fire as many shots as he can on net whenever he approaches the 18-yard box.
The Montreal perspective
“We lost, but now that we’re out of the (Amway) Cup, we have to move on. We have to concentrate on our next game and we’re lucky it’s coming fast. We can switch things around right away.” – midfielder Patrice Bernier said.
The LA perspective
“We’re by no means going to give up and by no means going to hang our heads. We’ve got a big game at Montreal … and that’s what we’re going to focus on.” – defender Todd Dunivant told the Galaxy’s official website.
What’s next
Montreal hosts the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, May 19.