Impact Starts Playoff Run this Thursday in Washington
Published on October 26, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club de Foot Montreal News Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Montreal Impact kicks off its MLS Cup Playoffs run this Thursday night at 7:30pm when it takes on D.C. United in a Knockout Round game at Washington's RFK Stadium (RDS2 [pregame show at 7pm], TSN1/5, UniMas, 985sports.ca & CJAD 800 AM [pregame show at 7pm]).
The winner of this game will then take on the New York Red Bulls or New York City FC in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, starting on Sunday, October 30.
"We've already played in the Knockout Round last season, so we know what to expect in such games," said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. "Our intensity, our execution and our focus have to go up a notch. Anything can happen, and we're ready for everything. In the end, everyone will be ready to fight to get a result on that field."
Bleu-blanc-noir fully ready for playoff challenge After some squad rotation last Sunday in Foxborough, the Impact is determined to do well in its third MLS Cup Playoffs run in five seasons. Its Knockout Round game takes place on the road, but the Bleu-blanc-noir achieved in 2016 its best away results since joining MLS. All four road wins this season occurred in cities where the team had never won in MLS: Vancouver, Chicago, Toronto and Orlando.
"We're truly satisfied that we have made it to the playoffs," said forward Matteo Mancosu. "The regular season is tough, but we've made it. D.C. United picked up one more point than we did, but it's a negligible gap. This game will be open, and we're confident."
Since the inception of a Knockout Round in 2011, 58 percent of games have been decided by only one goal. This season, the Impact has posted its best-ever record in such tight games, with seven wins and three losses in one-goal games.
Team captain Patrice Bernier is the club leader for MLS Cup Playoffs goals, with two tallies. Nacho Piatti, Didier Drogba and Johan Venegas have all scored one. Defender Ambroise Oyongo has the most postseason experience in the Montreal squad, with 483 minutes played in eight games for the Red Bulls and for the Impact. Veteran midfielder Dominic Oduro, for his part, has played 394 minutes in eight career playoff games.
Two tight games against D.C. United The matchup between the Impact and D.C. United has been all square this season, as both games finished 1-1. Midfielder Hernan Bernardello, in Washington, and defender Hassoun Camara, in Montreal, scored the Bleu-blanc-noir goals. The Impact will be looking for a first-ever win at RFK Stadium; its overall record against United stands at three wins, five losses and five draws.
"On the road, we always stay compact, get chances and take advantage of them," said Dominic Oduro. "We have to be strong. I can't emphasize this enough. It's win or go home, and we don't want to go home. We want to come back here and train for the next game. D.C. United might have finished the season strong, but it'll be a whole different ballgame on Thursday."
Oduro has picked up three goals and two assists over the course of his career against D.C. United. Patrice Bernier, meanwhile, has tallied two goals and delivered two assists against that team, while Harry Shipp has scored once and notched three assists.
Playoff tickets The Impact will move on to the next stage of the MLS Cup Playoffs with a win on Thursday. Tickets for the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal on October 30 are currently on sale. In the event that the team does not advance past the Knockout round, tickets purchased for the Conference Semifinal home game will be refunded. Impact supporters can visit 9f88fe969ff4a5f2fe14a71e0 impactmontreal.com for all details on playoff tickets.
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