Montreal Impact Vs New England Revoluion: 3 things to watch for

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Montreal Impact, New England Revolution, Saphir Taider (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

On Thursday, as MLS returns in the MLS is Back Tournament, two familiar foes, the Montreal Impact and New England Revolution. square off in an Eastern Conference clash. Here are three things to watch for.

Two clubs that kicked off their 2020 Major League Soccer seasons against each other will now face off in their opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament. On Thursday, the New England Revolution and Montreal Impact meet in an all-important Group C match-up. Both of these clubs are capable of making the knockout round which means they won’t be holding back in the first fixture of the competition.

Having already played each other back in February, they do have prior knowledge of what to expect. This makes for an intriguing affair as both managers at least have a glimpse of information to set their teams up.

With a lot on the line for both these clubs, including regular-season points, here are three things to watch for when the Revolution and Impact meet on Thursday.

MONTREAL, QC – MAY 29: Maximiliano Urruti #37 of the Montreal Impact kicks the ball against Real Salt Lake during the MLS game at Saputo Stadium on May 29, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Impact defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

3. Will Maxi Urruit continue his impressive start?

Only two matches have been played in the 2020 season, but the name at the top of the current Golden Boot race is a bit of a surprise. Maxi Urruti scored three goals in his first two appearances, leading the Impact to four points.

Urruti scored the winning goal against the Revolution in their February fixture. He caused problems for the Revolution backline that day and should be a factor in this match as well. He then scored twice in a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas. The Impact have found a surprise goalscorer in Urruti, who has always been a dangerous attacker but never the most prolific. He scored only four goals in 2019.

If Urruti can continue to find the back of the net, he could in for another double-digit goal-scoring season. He has only done that twice in his career, in 2014 and 2017, he scored 10 goals. He appears to be in for another big year, which will excite Thierry Henry who is looking to extract the most out of a limited attacking unit.

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