Question of perspective

After four straight losses and a brief return home, the Impact had to do three difficult games in barely a week. This streak came to an end on Sunday in Philadelphia and the Impact can take stock from more than one point of view.

First, he can see these three games from a negative angle since the Bleu-blanc-noir will only have managed to collect four points out of a possibility of nine: a draw against Chicago, a victory in Columbus and a defeat against the Union last Sunday. But this way of thinking would obscure the fact that Thierry Henry’s men were competitive and that it came close to getting them more points.

In the same vein, don’t forget to specify that they still faced two of the best teams in MLS and that they gave them a hard time. Facing Columbus and Philadelphia, the Impact has never seemed impressed or downgraded sportingly. In short, this week teaches us that if ever the Impact can count on a healthy squad, without the many injuries that have afflicted it so far, it could be in a position to fight for the top of the standings. ‘East.

Tighten behind

Hard observation: the Impact is the worst defense of the Eastern association. We come back to that again. The Montreal eleven is capable of scoring goals, but his defense takes water far too often. In Philadelphia, despite the relatively low score, I didn’t feel that defense was a priority for both teams. For the show, it’s good, but it can irritate a trainer. Last Sunday, the midfielder at Subaru Park was completely open. A highway or almost! Amar Sejdic also took the opportunity to score his first career goal in MLS. Without being bothered, the young Montreal midfielder traveled almost 30 yards before arming and hitting behind the goalie, a gift from the opposing defense in the circumstances. At the other end of the field, the Montreal defense has also erred at more than one moment. On the Union’s first goal, Luis Binks let the player go inside, a deadly sin in professional soccer. Rod Fanni and Rudy Camacho were obsessed with the moment and remained motionless until the strings of Clément Diop’s net were shaken by the ball.

The business

In the end, we can say that without playing an extraordinary game, the Impact came very close to snatching a point on the field of one of the best teams on the circuit. That is the positive side. Unfortunately, points were never awarded for the style or quality of a club’s performance. Sooner or later, we’ll have to find a way to win.

In Sunday’s game you might have noticed a lot of technical errors. Bad passes, rough checks … teams have rarely been able to string together a series of passes.

In fact, the game was mostly played in transition, with each team taking turns stealing the ball to organize a counterattack. We had very few very organized defensive or offensive streaks. Sometimes I feel like it’s the trademark of MLS. With its rapid expansion, the league has failed in my opinion to attract enough good level players. As a result, several matches are riddled with technical errors.

Over the years, this reality will certainly be swept aside. But for now, coaches have to make good heart against bad luck.