Impact host Toronto FC, look to avoid 0-3 start (Mar 16, 2018)
The Major League Soccer season is still in its infancy yet already the Montreal Impact are feeling the pressure.
With two road losses to open the 2018 campaign, the club looks to the comforts of home to get on track when it hosts Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon at Saputo Stadium.
Montreal (0-2-0) is coming off a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Crew in its most recent outing in which it erased a two-goal deficit before conceding a penalty in stoppage time.
The Impact also fell behind by two goals in Vancouver before getting one back in a 2-1 loss.
"We can't hit the panic button. It's a long season," midfielder Samuel Piette told the Montreal Gazette. "We're not in a panic mode, but obviously it's a must-win. Or at least we have to get something out of this game."
One positive the team is focusing on is the strong second-half efforts in both losses. Part of that can be attributed to new head coach Remi Garde's focus on running and conditioning in training camp.
Montreal came close on several occasions early in the second half before Ignacio Piatti got them on the board in the 59th minute and then controlled the play from that point forward.
"We attribute it to our fitness," fullback Daniel Lovitz told the team website. "I think we've seen two games now that we've been fitter than the other team and that gives us the confidence to push the game late when we need to.
"Obviously, we wish we didn't have to push for the game, we'd like to be playing from in front, not behind, but to know that we have that in our back pocket is huge."
A once dominant club at Saputo Stadium, home-field advantage has declined of late. Montreal heads into Saturday's match with five straight home losses dating to last season and in 2017 was an average 8-8-1 on its pitch.
Toronto FC (0-1-0) enters the match with just one MLS game under its belt thus far, falling 2-0 to the Crew in its season opener two weeks ago.
Since then, however, Greg Vanney's group has been making noise in CONCACAF Champions League play. Despite a loss to Tigres UANL in Monterrey, Mexico, on Tuesday, Toronto won the two-game set on away goals to advance to the semifinal.
Sebastian Giovinco's free kick goal sealed it for the Reds.
"He's creating. He's finishing things off. I feel like he's in top form," Vanney told the Toronto Sun of Giovinco. "His ability to impact our team is probably greater than any (other CONCACAF) player's ability to impact their team."
Toronto won two of the three matches against Montreal last season and has won three of the past five meetings overall. The Reds were the best road team in MLS in 2017 at 7-4-6 and were especially strong down the stretch, going 4-1-3 while outscoring opponents 19-10.
Montreal's defense will have its hands full as usual with the potent Toronto attack paced by Jozy Altidore. The 28-year-old forward has scored in four straight against the Impact and has seven goals in 11 games against Montreal, the most against any any of his MLS opponents.
