After Crew SC returned from the international break with a big win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Montreal Impact are next up on the docket as the team returns to MLS regular-season play.
The two Eastern Conference clubs will meet for the third time in the last ten weeks after the Black & Gold were defeated 2-0 on the road on April 9, and played to a 4-4 draw on May 7 at MAPFRE Stadium. After this compact group of matches between the sides, Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter says that you begin to accustom to an opponent but he expects some areas of the game to be different.
“I think you have a good familiarity with the opponent, I think that makes their adjustments fresh in their mind,” he says.
“They know what to do, but there were two completely different games due to the surface and the personnel on the field, so we expect this game to be different as well, and face a new set of challenges.”
One of those challenges comes in the form of yesterday's news that playmaker Federico Higuain would miss five to seven weeks following surgery to repair a hernia. On the other side, Montreal’s Ignacio Piatti may not be in the lineup for the Impact, as he was estimated to miss three weeks after getting left hand surgery. From the Black & Gold defensive standpoint, with one of the League’s top scorers potentially out of the picture for Montreal, midfielder Wil Trapp says there will be less pressure on transition defense, but that Piatti’s replacement will be just as dangerous.
“I think (Montreal) won’t be as difficult to defend in transition because Piatti gives them so much in terms of quality in the box, quality in transition moments. That will help us out a lot, but at the same time, they always a next guy up that can hurt you,” he says.
“We just have to look at the personnel they have. They’re always a difficult team to play no matter who’s on the field, and they’re a group of guys who believe in each other, believe in what they’re trying to accomplish, and I think we are the same. So it’s just looking at their personnel, and trying to devise a plan to give us the best advantage to win.”
Crew SC goalkeeper Steve Clark racked up a season-high eight saves in the Black & Gold’s last matchup with Montreal. And after only getting one point from that draw six weeks ago, Clark says he is excited for their third meeting, in Columbus.
“(Montreal) have very good players, and we’re looking forward to the win we didn’t get at home last time,” he says. “We have a mini-rivalry with Montreal since the playoffs, then obviously we played them two times in the last recent memory, so I’m really excited for the game. I think they are a great matchup, they play us tough, and we play them tough.”
Saturday’s match against the Impact will be the first League match for the Black & Gold since falling to the Philadelphia Union 3-2 at Talen Energy Stadium on June 1. And after having the international break and time away from the pitch, Clark says the Black & Gold are revitalized and ready to earn three points at home.
"I think that right now, we need points. There are some games you have more saves, then there are some games you have less saves, you give up more goals it seems like, so we’re really looking for three points,” he says.
“We’re really building a strong core in our team here, a lot of belief going as I said in the last three days, so it was a great break and I’m very excited to get back out there. I know the whole team’s feeling energized and ready for the second half or last two-thirds of the season.”
Saturday’s kickoff from MAPFRE Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. Live broadcasts will be held on CW Columbus, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel and BCSN2, as well as audio streams available on CD102.5 and La Mega 103.1.
