Montreal Impact: Ignacio Piatti leads charge for high finish in MLS

Argentine playmaker Ignacio Piatti is having a stellar season for Montreal Impact as the Canadian team maintain their push for the top spots come October.

Ignacio Piatti has been ruthless in front of goal this season and he highlighted that fact by scoring his 10th goal of the season in Montreal Impact’s 3-2 defeat of the New England Revolution. The midfielder has slotted in extremely well at the Canadian club since joining from San Lorenzo in 2014, following the Argentine club’s Copa Libertadores win.

Ignacio Piatti displays ruthlessness

With 23 goals in 47 appearances over the past three seasons, Ignacio Piatti is really beginning to stamp his authority as one of the best in his position in the MLS. His tally of 10 goals in 15 MLS games already betters his record in the previous campaign, which saw him score nine in 26 matches.

After adding three assists to the above and also considering that he has missed only one MLS fixture this year, the 31-year-old seems to have hit a purple patch in his career.

Generally used by his coach Mauro Biello as a left sided midfielder or behind the striker, Piatti’s best performances so far in 2016 have been in the 3-2 win over Vancouver Whitecaps in Gameweek 1 and in an exciting 4-4 draw against a highly fancied Columbus Crew in Gameweek 10. Managing braces in both games, he displayed his accomplished dribbling skills and his will to salvage points for his team at any cost.

Another honorable mention is a man of the match display in a 2-1 away win at Chicago Fire in Gameweek 6, where he stole the game for Impact in injury time.

The number 10’s recent form is even more worrisome for opposition club’s defenders. Since May, the attacking midfielder has scored six goals in six matches, and is on a scoring run of four consecutive games.

If he keeps this up, he could be a potential golden boot winner come October. Only NYCFC’s David Villa (12 goals in 18 games) has more goals than Piatti this season, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him give the Spanish veteran a run for his money in the remainder of the year. He has also scored a few stunners which are surely candidates for MLS goal of the season.

Piatti’s surprisingly clinical nature in front of goal has been a massive boon for Montreal Impact in 2016, as they look to finish in the top spots of the Eastern Conference.

Montreal Impact maintain impressive form despite Drogba absence

Montreal Impact’s current position (3rd in Eastern Conference) is a testament to their fairly consistent form in 2016. Having played 16 games this season, Mauro Biello has made his club one of the hardest to beat in the league; they have only lost four matches this season (least in the Eastern Conference, tied with Orlando City) and are one of only four teams in the Conference with a positive goal difference (+3).

With six wins and as many draws, the men in black and blue stripes look comfortably set to improve on their standing in the 2015 season, which saw them finish in 3rd in the Eastern Conference and 7th overall. New York City FC, who lead the Eastern Conference with 27 points, are only three points ahead of Montreal after 18 games whereas second-placed Philadelphia Union are also only two points ahead, having played two more games than Montreal.

Besides possessing the talented Piatti, Montreal Impact have their main man in former Chelsea player and legend Didier Drogba, who also happens to be their designated player. The Ivorian has been struggling with a few injuries in 2016 and hasn’t exactly hit peak form since inspiring Montreal Impact last season with 11 goals in 11 games, but he has still been at the centre of all the good stuff going forward.

Five goals and five assists in 10 matches makes for brilliant reading and these numbers should only be on the rise with striker on his way back to the team, given that Impact average 1.5 goals per game with him in the team. The aforementioned statistics could also be a little deceptive; when he is not in the team, Impact notch 1.9 goals per game and also dominate possession with better passing in the final third.

Next: New England Revolution hope to hold off streaking NYCFC

Forward Dominic Arduro has chipped in with 4 goals this season and Michael Salazar has also proved his worth to coach Biello with his two goals against New England Revolution, showcasing that Impact have decent goal scoring options besides Drogba.

While defensively they can be a little leaky (7 goals conceded in the last five games), Montreal Impact will be looking to outscore their opponents more than anything if they want to keep churning out results. And with a couple more additions in the ongoing transfer window, they could be a very strong contenders for both the Supporters Shield and the MLS Cup.