The San Jose Earthquakes vs Montreal Impact matchup on March 4th ended in a 1-0 win for the home side. Here are three takeaways from the Avaya Stadium.
A solitary first-half goal was enough for San Jose Earthquakes to defeat Montreal Impact and win their first match of the 2017 MLS season. The home team dominated proceedings from the get-go and took the lead courtesy of a sublime chip from Anibal Godoy which was set up by Chris Wondolowski in the 17th minute.
Impact looked lethargic over the 90 minutes and was forced to chase the game in the second half following the dismissal of Hassoun Camara, but their efforts were in vain as their feared front three failed to create any significant chances during the match.
The victory was also San Jose’s first against the Impact in six previous meetings; the record currently stands at 1-3-2.
1. Montreal Impact are still plagued by defensive issues
Montreal Impact‘s defensive woes seem to continue as the back-four were torn apart throughout the match. The loss of Victor Cabrera in the center of defense was highly noticeable as Hassoun Camara and Laurent Ciman struggled to play the ball out of the back under intense pressure from the San Jose Earthquakes, who could’ve easily scored more goals had it not been for profligate finishing.
Full-backs Chris Duvall and Ambroise Oyongo didn’t fare any better because of Ignacio Piatti and Dominic Oduro’s reluctance to track back on several occasions, which allowed Tommy Thompson and Simon Dawkins an almost free reign on the flanks.
After conceding 53 goals in the regular MLS season in 2016 with a goal difference of -4, Mauro Biello will need to work out the kinks in his side’s defense to prevent results like this in the future.
2. San Jose’s dynamic duo key to victory
The presence of Fatai Alashe and Anibal Godoy in the middle of the park was key to San Jose‘s well-deserved victory. The dynamic duo constantly harassed Impact’s midfield aging trio of Bernier, Bernadello, and Donadel by winning duels in the air and second challenges to break up any chance of a quick counter-attack from the Impact.
Anibal Godoy, in particular, was very effective in this match; the Panama international’s drive and tenacity allowed his team to keep possession and launch swift counters of their own. He was fouled on nine occasions and scored with his only shot on target, which was quite a surprise as the midfielder isn’t exactly renowned for his goal-scoring ability.
If Godoy and Alashe can stay fit and keep up the same level of intensity they did in the opener, then San Jose could improve on their ninth place finish in 2016.
3. Impact seem to lack a plan B
Mauro Biello doesn’t seem to have a plan B in place when the Impact encounter teams that execute a proper high press. They also have a miserable record of 11 winless games after going down at half-time, which is why they need to score first regularly or risk missing out on crucial points later in the season.
10 - Montreal is winless in their last 10 games when trailing at the half (7L-3D). Disadvantage.
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) March 5, 2017
The players need to be more patient in possession and wait for chances to release the ball rather than put it over the top for Mancosu, Piatti or Oduro whenever they get the chance. While hoofing the ball up to the front three is a tactic that could work when the game gets stretched out a bit, this definitely didn’t work against a well-drilled San Jose defense who mopped up any loose balls to set up counters of their own.
Next: Three Takeaways from Real Salt Lake vs Toronto FC
The transition from defense to attack is also one that needs to be looked at because it all seems too one-dimensional at the moment.