After playing the last two MLS games at home, Philadelphia Union will head north, across the Canadian border to battle Montreal Impact on the road Saturday, July 23. This weekend will also feature not one, but two All-Star head-to-head matchups between the Union’s stellar defense and the Impact’s explosive offense.
Where They Stand
When these two clubs met earlier this season, each team walked away with one point following a 1-1 draw, but when three points are the difference between climbing into third and falling to the red line, dropping points at home is not an option for Montreal.
The Impact (6-5-8, 26 points) are a team with great balance on both ends of the field, and currently occupy fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Lead by MLS All-Stars Ignacio Piatti and Didier Drogba, Montreal’s offensive attack is one that thrives on its debilitating accuracy. Despite taking the fourth-fewest shots per game, the Bleu-blanc-noir are still tied for the fourth-highest scoring team in MLS.
Rather than launching shot after shot toward the net, the Impact strike with cruel efficiency. Only one other team in league averages more shots on goal than Montreal, and more than 40 percent of every shot taken by the Impact this season has been fired between the posts.
Players to Watch
Ignacio Piatti, midfielder: (17 GP,17 GS, 11g, 3a) When it comes to pure scoring ability, Ignacio Piatti could be the most talented midfielder in the country. Despite taking fewer attempts than all 10 of the league’s highest scorers, Piatti has recorded the second-most goals in the MLS so far. More than half of Piatti’s shots have been taken on-goal this season, and more than a quarter of them have found the back of a net.
Didier Drogba, forward: (11 GP, 9 GS, 5g, 5a) In only his second season with Montreal, Drogba has become an irreplaceable catalyst for the Impact offense. Already a well-known scoring threat, Drogba has also shown vast improvements to his assist numbers in 2016. The forward’s total of five through 11 games this year is already four more than he finished with last season.
Dominic Oduro, forward: (19 GP, 17 GS, 4g, 5a) Oduro is the third and final piece of the Impact’s scoring trifecta. Oduro, Piatti, and Drogba have combined to account for two-thirds of Montreal’s goal production this season. He may not be the most infamous of the offensive trio, but Dominic Odura is quick to punish any defense that pays too much attention to his All-Star counterparts.
Possible Lineup
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper:
Evan Bush
Defenders:
(left to right) Ambroise Oyongo, Wandrille Lefevre, Victor Cabrera, Hassoun Camara.
Midfielders:
(left to right) Ignacio Piatti, Eric Alexander, Michael Salazar, Harry Shipp.
Forwards:
Dominic Odura, Didier Drogba
Last Five MLS Results
Record: (1-1-3)
Goal Differential: -1
L 3-1 vs. NYC
T 1-1 vs. POR
T 1-1 vs. RSL
W 2-3 vs. NE
T 2-2 vs. SKC
