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A nice home win to open the season is just what FC Dallas needed to get the season off the ground. This weekend sees the Montreal Impact come to town fresh off their own opening day win against New England.
When Montreal comes to Texas, you can count on the Hoops pocketing a win and three points. The Canadian team has never won a game in the Lone Star state, only once getting a draw in 12 tries (against Houston). But with a new coach and front office on board, will things be different this go around? The Impact made a huge signing this week, getting Victor Wanyama across the Atlantic from Tottenham Hotspur. The Kenyan international could be a major boost to the middle of the field as an all-round midfield destroyer. Though he failed to make the grade at Spurs this past season, his history surely perks up a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016. Fortunately, Wanyama won’t be available this week as his paperwork hasn’t come through. (Side note - how is this possible in 2020? Do all leagues need paper copies? Was the file too large for their email server? Did the ship carrying the mail hit a head wind? Did the pigeon get lost in route? Honestly…smh…) Even without their new signing, there is still plenty new to check out.
Sporting Kansas City and Montreal Impact officially reveal leaks Friday, February 10, 2017 2 min read Demetrius Bell While five other MLS clubs may have ended up seeing their new kits for 2017. Sporting Kansas City and Montreal Impact officially reveal leaks Friday, February 10, 2017 2 min read Demetrius Bell While five other MLS clubs may have ended up seeing their new kits for 2017. United opened their 2020 preseason with a 3-1 loss to the Montreal Impact this afternoon in a game played at the University of South Florida’s Corbett Stadium. Ballou Tabla had a brace for. Montreal Impact vs Toronto FC Betting Tips. Montreal seem to have played out some really closely contested fixtures in the recent weeks which have ended on a low-key note. 4 of their last 5 games have seen less than 2.5 goals scored combined by both the teams.
First off, in case you missed it, Thierry Henry is now manager! One of my favorite players of all time! But unlike his former teammate Patrick Vieira, Henry’s first go at managing was a complete disaster in France. In his 20-game stint at the club, Monaco won four games, drew five, and lost 11. There’s no point in comparing tactics and styles with that team; besides the talent gap, team situation, and pressure of running a historically significant French club, coach Henry will have (hopefully for Montreal fans) learned a book’s worth of lessons since then. So, let’s look at how he’s setup Montreal in their first few games of this nascent season.
Montreal got things going early this season in Concacaf Champions league play, having their first two competitive matches against Costa Rican power Deportivo Saprissa. In their two-leg bout, Montreal were tough to break down for most of both games, showing a solidity in the back that was not present last season. In fact, had tired legs and injuries not hit so hard in the first leg, they may well have pulled out a 2-0 away win rather than 2-2 draw. Montreal’s set-up then and now appears to have settled into a somewhat unique formation, at least by MLS standards. The formation is a 5-2-3/3-4-3 variation that asks a whole bunch from the wing backs. Basically, the “two” central midfielders are tasked with protecting and shielding the back line rather than contributing meaningfully in the attack. This allows the full backs to get forward and stay forward, because they should, theoretically, always have cover from a midfielder or one of the center backs. With the full backs providing width, the three attackers are more central and can play off each other across the front three. Indeed, with attacker Bojan positioned in the central spot, he can act as a false 9, allowing Maxi Urruti and new signing Romell Quito to attack from all manner of places on the field. This is where Dallas will have to focus hard on determining the greatest threat in the moment. Tracking Quito making a slicing run through the middle, holding Maxi at bay while he presses the back line, or pressing back at Bojan before he can get possession will be an every minute calculus problem.
That also leads into our introduction of players Montreal is set to run out. Signing Bojan last season was a risk worth taking. The talented Spaniard didn’t set the world on fire in his eight-game cameo. He registered three goals and no assists in his time, but he also didn’t have loads to work with either. This season will be the real test of whether the investment was worthwhile. Partnering with him is our dearly beloved Maxi Urruti. In typical Maxi fashion he ended the season with more assists (six) than goals (four) but endeared himself to another fan base all the same. New in for this season is Romell Quioto of Houston Dynamo fame. First, congratulations Mr. Quioto are for getting out of the swamp down south of Dallas. Quioto had a down year last season with only two goals and two assists but is a known threat when on the field. Maxi and Quioto both got on the score sheet last week, so there is a risk of meeting two streaky scorers starting the season on a hot streak, which Dallas will obviously want to avoid.
The two midfielders to shield the back line will most likely be Samuel Piette and Saphir Taider. Piette is the classic holding midfielder who takes his defensive responsibility more seriously than getting forward. He’s a tough tackler who takes the ball quickly and moves it to someone else just as fast. Taider, on the other hand, fly’s in the face of my analysis up above. While he’s in a holding midfield position, he is not a holding midfielder. He’s a box-to-box mid only in the sense that he runs that distance. Taider is a pure attacker. He led the team in goals and assists last season with nine and seven, respectively. He makes runs from the midfield deep into attacking territory and can set up anyone who gets open, including himself. He is the reason, I believe, Montreal is bringing in Victor Wanyama. Having someone in midfield who can do the work of two players, especially defensively, frees up a player like Taider to become an even greater threat. Henry has stated he wants Montreal to become a more possession-oriented team. Wanyama and Taider are the key players for that transition. That may leave Piette on the bench most games, but it also allows Montreal to kill off a game if they get a comfy lead by putting both defensive mids together.
Along the back line we find full backs Zachary Brault-Guillard and Jorge Corrales. Captain Jukka Raitala is out injured for this one, leaving Corrales to fill in for a second week. At center back we should see Rod Fanni in the middle with new signing Joel Waterman on one side and another new signing, Luis Binks, on the other. Montreal has really leaned in on shoring up the defense. Although they left it a bit late in the off-season, signing Waterman and Binks in the back (with addition to Wanyama) should really help with Montreal keep the ball out of their net this season. In between the sticks will be Clement Diop, formerly of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who may not help keep the ball out of the net if his time in LA is remembered.
Keys to the Game:
Let’s revisit the formation and particularly Saphir Taider. As mentioned earlier, the 5-2-3 formation Montreal rolls out is typically a more defensive operation. The two midfielders are to hold down the middle of the field and protect the back line while the full backs push forward. That leaves five players devoted to attack and five to defend (generality alert). With Taider, Henry has a talented attacker masquerading as a defensive mid. Much like Bojan playing a false 9 role, where he acts more as a creator and facilitator rather than out and out striker, Taider is operating as a false 6 (or perhaps false 8). Instead of being a holding mid, it’s Taider who often drifts wide and forward rather than Jorge Corrales. This allows him to join the attack more naturally and leaves a better defender in the middle. Corrales is quick enough to push back out to the wing should he be needed, and Montreal’s shape can swing over to accommodate should Taider or the other fullback, ZBG, be too far forward.
But this is where Dallas will find its openings. Playing the ball through the middle of the field will force Taider to either stay back or get caught out of position. If he vacates the middle, he needs to cover the wing, but if he’s caught out, Michael Barrios and Fafa Picault have the speed to burn the exposed sideline and center back. Conversely, if Taider stays, it leaves Dallas with a numbers advantage in the midfield (3 vs 2) where they will be able to cut through to the Montreal back line. The perfect example of this happened just last game with Paxton Pomykal’s goal. Go back and look and you will see five defenders racing back to cover in the same general arraignment Montreal will play. Paxton and Tanner Tessman broke through the midfield with a simple one-two before ending things with another simple one-two. No, it’s not a perfect comparison, Dallas won’t get that much space all game, but the numbers and circumstances will present themselves plenty.
Predictions:
A reworked backline, a morale boosting signing, and a new coach and GM all point to an improved Montreal Impact. Just not this soon. Give me Dallas with a 2-0 win against the maple syrup snobs.
All in relation to stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the city.
- The potential for the spread of COVID-19 in Montreal has left a myriad of spaces and events to be closed, cancelled, or postponed.
- So, we've made a list of all the things in our city that are being affected.
- This list will continuously be updated as more establishments release their coronavirus prevention measure updates.
As the reality of the presence of COVID-19 in Montreal truly begins to set in, many establishments have begun to take protective measures to help stop the potential spread of the virus. Such measures are being taken as the Government of Quebec encourages everyone to stay home unless absolutely necessary. 'It's not time to panic, but time to act,' Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec's Director of Public Health stated in a press conference on March 15, 2020.
Nearly all sports leagues or events have been temporarily suspended or completely cancelled. Restaurants have been asked to only let 50% of their usual amount of customers in, while most other public spaces have been closed until further notice.
If you were hoping to be attending an event in the near future, it's very likely that it has been either cancelled or postponed. While this may seem upsetting at first, such interruptions are in the best interest of everyone.
As the Premier of Quebec reminds us, we should be practicing social distance throughout the next few weeks.
While MTL Blog will actively be updating this list as more events get cancelled or postponed, make sure to check the official websites or event pages before going to things for the next few weeks.
All Public Spaces
All museums
All bars
All pools
All gyms
All libraries
All cinemas
You can read more about the announcement of such closures here.
Sports Seasons, Games & Championships
Montreal Canadiens Season (Postponed)
World Figure Skating Championship (Cancelled)
Montreal Impact Season (Suspended)
Events
All Evenko events in Montreal — Postponed
Cats Musical — Postponed
Elton John Yellowbrick Road Tour — Postponed
Bazar Vintage Montréal — Cancelled
Saint Patrick's Day Parade — Postponed
Festival International du Film sur l'Art — films will be available online
All Place des Arts events — Suspended
All concerts of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal — until April 5
Restaurants
Time Out Market Montréal (confirmed in an email with MTL Blog)
Liverpool House
Vin Papillon
McKiernan
St-Hubert dining rooms
Méchant Boeuf
Jacopo
KYO Bar Japonais
Starbucks — dining areas closed, 'to go' format restaurants for now
Taverne Gaspar
Tim Hortons – now only drive-thru and delivery are possible (MTL Blog confirmed this in an email with Restaurant Brands Inc.)
Restaurant Gia Ba – dining space close, still open for take out and delivery
Primo & Second
Café Gaspé
Livia Café
Fiorellino Snack Bar
Stores
All Apple stores
La Baie on Sainte-Catherine and des Galeries d’Anjou – announced on March 17 that these two locations will be closed for two weeks
All Sephora stores
Others
Casino de Montréal — closed until further notice
National Assembly — closed until April 21
All Sepaq services — suspended until further notice
All schools, CEGEPs and universities – for two weeks, starting on March 16
All dentist offices have been asked to take only emergency appointments by the Ordre des dentistes du Québec (ODQ)
If you know of any other events or establishments that have been closed or cancelled, for the time being, feel free to email me at alanna@mtlblog.com with any pertinent information.
Stay safe, Montreal.
Information on hygiene practices during the pandemic is available on the Government of Canada's website here.
Montreal Impact 2020 Kits Empty Spaces The Blog 2017
This article has been updated.