If someone told me at the beginning of the MLS season that the Montreal Impact would be contending for a playoff spot, I would laugh in their face and say you’re crazy, but now, I would say otherwise. Ever since their 3-0 home win against Orlando on June 13, the Impact have been on a run not many expected, and their form and team chemistry are at a sky high, and everything could not come at a better time for the team.
With stunning performances from goaltender Evan Bush, the non-stop work ethic of Samuel Piette and the magic of swingman Ignacio Piatti as usual, it seems they are starting to inspire those around them. Newcomers Saphir Taider and Alejandro Silva are beginning to get their groove and have started to look like solid additions to the team, all in thanks to Remi Garde.
It was evident before the season begun, that there would a great deal of pain before everything could come to fruition, and some fans even said that Garde would not last long as coach of the Impact, but now, he is starting to win them over. Between Garde and his players, this could end up being a team that’s special, something the fans and owner Joey Saputo have not seen since that historic CONCAAF run in 2015.
Garde has installed a system that wins games and that’s what really counts. He’s a coach who tells his team to keep the ball and do something. He doesn’t want the opponent to touch the ball once. He plays a tough counter-attacking system with a touch of stellar offence, and right now it’s working.
With incoming striker Jimmy Briand set to land in Montreal this week, he should make the Impact’s offence a much bigger threat when the playoffs come around. If Briand can get settled quickly, and start producing like he did in France, this Impact could go far, and hopefully, make the MLS Cup Final.
JV Sports Blog 