DC United hopes to start winning streak vs. Impact (Aug 02, 2018)
D.C. United knows there's nowhere to go but up.
Languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, D.C. looks to build off a key win when it visits the Montreal Impact on Saturday night at Saputo Stadium.
The club is coming off a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Star forward Wayne Rooney scored his first MLS goal and an own-goal by Colorado helped United (4-9-5) overcome a late equalizer for the three points.
"Psychologically, this is huge for our group," coach Ben Olsen told reporters after the game. "A tie would have been a tough result today and that's the reality. For us to have that kind of mentality where come back from the other team scoring a late goal which has been our Achilles heel all year to turn that around and get a winner."
A tall task awaits Olsen's squad. Not only will they face a side that has played itself into a playoff spot during the past two months, but they'll do so with the worst road record in MLS.
United is 1-8-4 on opposing pitches this season. Its lone win came May 19.
It's a struggle that goes beyond the current campaign, with a 2-18-5 record in the last 25 MLS road games, conceding 2.4 goals per game during that stretch with just one clean sheet.
"I think the next 16 games, every game is important, but obviously any time you get a win you want to start a run and build on it," midfielder Russell Canouse told reporters. "That is our goal going forward and (Saturday) on an away game we want to try and get three points, it does not matter who it is. I think we can build on a performance like tonight."
D.C. will have Rooney available to help them do that. He suffered a broken nose in last week's win, but the team declared him available to face Montreal after clearing two concussion tests.
The Impact, meanwhile, are looking to rebound after league-leading Atlanta snapped the club's five-game home winning streak. The loss closed out a stretch of four games in 10 days for Remi Garde's group, including trips to Portland and Vancouver, the latter as part of Voyageur's Cup play.
Montreal (9-13-1) has won seven of its 11 home matches so far this season, and while the club suffered a setback against Atlanta, the team is grateful for a full week of preparation ahead of Saturday's matchup.
"It's been hard for us, but I think that we played a good game in Portland and we won a lot of games at home," striker Matteo Mancosu said. "Now we have time to recover a bit and keep up this quality of play."
One player who had less time to recover is team-leading goal-scorer Ignacio Piatti, who is coming off an appearance in Wednesday's All-Star Game. Piatti's 11 goals are more than double his nearest teammate, Saphir Taïder, who has five.
D.C. is one of just three teams against whom the Argentinian has yet to score (in five career appearances).
The Impact have won three straight against D.C. United -- the last two by shutout -- and are unbeaten in their last six overall (four wins, two draws) against the club.
