D.C. United-Montreal Impact: Tailgate Edition
By Sean Maslin
There is no such thing as a meaningless match. While there are certainly some matches that mean more than others, any time a supporter pays to go see his or her favorite that match bears some meaning.
Aside from giving their fans the chance to bid adieu to legend Marco Di Vaio, Saturday’s tilt between D.C. United and Montreal Impact (6-18-9, 27 points) still carries some playoff significance. If D.C. Untied (17-9-7, 58 points) can win at the Stade Saputo and the Los Angeles Galaxy lose to the Seattle Sounders then D.C. United will be the #2 seed in the overall playoff standings.
With one team looking to send their best player ever out in style and the other looking to seal a strong playoff seed this match should be a real cracker. But who will win? Let’s find out:
When: Today at 4pm.
Where: Stade Saputo, Montreal, Canada
TV: MLS Live here in the United States and TVA Sports in Montreal. For D.C. United fans, the game will also be shown on D.C. United’s website since it is not available on COMCAST Sportsnet.
Head-to-Head in 2014: Despite being on completely opposite ends of the Eastern Conference standings, D.C. United and the Montreal Impact played in one of the closest games in MLS this season.
At RFK Stadium in May former D.C. United product Justin Mapp ran rings around the United defense helping Jack McInerney score his first goal in royal blue. But Eddie Johnson evened the game up in the 84th minute to give D.C. United the draw.
But in the club’s second match things were not nearly as close. D.C. United forward Luis Silva scored his first-ever hat trick. Midfielder Nick De Leon would another to give D.C. United the 4-2 victory.
D.C. United’s victory over the Impact was their first victory ever in Montreal. In the previous two matches, Montreal won both at Stade Saputo.
In terms of their all-time history head-to-head D.C. United hold a slim 3-2 advantage with two draws.
Outlook:
If D.C. United are to get the three points in this match they are going to need to hit the young Impact center-back combination of Karl Ouimette and Maxim Tissot. The duo, having already played earlier in the week in the CONCACAF Champions League against the New York Red Bulls, have already exceeded their career highs in games played and minutes played. Although they have looked promising, forwards Fabian Espindola (10 goals) and Eddie Johnson (7 goals) should find space and be able to break them down.
Montreal will be without defenders Hassoun Camara and Heath Pearce due to Red Card suspensions and Mateo Ferrari due to yellow card accumulation. Expect to see Generation Adidas defender Eric Miller as Impact coach Frank Klopas begins to see how Tissot, Ouimette, and Miller work together,
Without leading goal-scorer Luis Silva (hamstring) D.C. United needs to use this match to solidify their forward position. Due to injuries and suspensions, United coach Ben Olsen has shifted between Johnson, Espindola, and Silva throughout the entire season using a 4-4-2, a 4-5-1, and a 4-4-1-1 at various junctures of the season.
With winger Chris Pontius back, Olsen has settled with a 4-4-2 but the results have been uneven. Johnson and Espindola had trouble working with one another earlier in the season and must figure out a partnership on the fly before the playoffs start.
The key for Montreal in this match is keeping possession in the midfield. In the 1-1 draw, Mapp held possession for long periods of the match and was able to jump-start the attack from the periphery of the pitch. If Mapp can provide a similar performance in this game and midfielder Dilly Duka can get past defender Sean Franklin, then that should open up opportunities for Di Vaio.
The other matchup to watch out for is United midfielder Perry Kitchen against Montreal midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran. Nakajima, who did an interview earlier this week with MLS Fansided writer Marco D’Onofrio, used his speed earlier in the season while playing for Toronto F.C. to get past Kitchen and help set up Jermain Defoe in space. If he can provide the same level of service with the Impact, they may just shock D.C.
This is going to be a very difficult match for D.C. United. Montreal have lost just twice in their last ten matches and have used the CONCACAF Champions League to set themselves up well for 2015. But D.C. have shown a resolve to play every match like it is a title game. They should be able to match the Impact’s intensity and get a result.
Prediction: Montreal Impact 1, D.C. United 2