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The playoffs are 3 points away, or less, for the Montreal Impact as it gets ready to face Toronto FC , at BMO field. With Alessandro Nesta injured, Les Bleus prepare the biggest game of its season , without the Legend. Can the Impact afford not to win at Toronto?
Potential Playoff Adversaries: Just Talking
|
# |
Club |
PTS |
GP |
PPG |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
GD |
HG |
HGD |
RG |
RGD |
|
1 |
56 |
33 |
1.7 |
16 |
9 |
8 |
53 |
39 |
14 |
29 |
15 |
24 |
-1 |
|
|
2 |
55 |
33 |
1.67 |
16 |
10 |
7 |
45 |
29 |
16 |
29 |
14 |
16 |
2 |
|
|
3 |
49 |
33 |
1.48 |
14 |
12 |
7 |
50 |
48 |
2 |
31 |
11 |
19 |
-9 |
|
|
4 |
49 |
33 |
1.48 |
14 |
12 |
7 |
45 |
47 |
-2 |
29 |
8 |
16 |
-10 |
|
|
5 |
48 |
33 |
1.45 |
13 |
11 |
9 |
48 |
38 |
10 |
29 |
13 |
19 |
-3 |
|
|
6 |
48 |
33 |
1.45 |
13 |
11 |
9 |
39 |
40 |
-1 |
24 |
7 |
15 |
-8 |
|
|
7 |
46 |
33 |
1.39 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
41 |
42 |
-1 |
22 |
6 |
19 |
-7 |
|
|
8 |
41 |
33 |
1.24 |
12 |
16 |
5 |
42 |
45 |
-3 |
19 |
7 |
23 |
-10 |
|
|
9 |
26 |
33 |
0.79 |
5 |
17 |
11 |
29 |
47 |
-18 |
22 |
0 |
7 |
-18 |
|
|
10 |
16 |
33 |
0.48 |
3 |
23 |
7 |
21 |
57 |
-36 |
15 |
-12 |
6 |
-24 |
As it sits in 3rd in the Eastern Conference, the Impact finds itself at the best position for many reasons. With the club's and players' current form, Montreal has to avoid the do-or-die game between the 4th and 5th seeded teams. Whoever survives that deathmatch faces off against the New York Red Bulls.
Since joining the MLS in 2012, the Impact have a record of 2 wins and 4 losses against Thierry Henry and co. That also includes 14 conceded goals and 8 goals for. May I suggest to avoid the Red Bulls, especially if you are playing as the 4th or 5th seed in the East.
If the playoffs started today, as we speak, as the 3rd seed, Montreal plays against Sporting KC, who in my opinion, has been the most consistent team in the Eastern conference. Always in the top 3, all year long, KC did not find it easy against the Impact: ask Blake Smith.
Conclusion: By finishing 3rd in the East, Montreal has a better chance to be successful in the playoffs , while being the Cinderella story for the 2013 MLS playoffs.
Should fans be worried one game away the playoffs?
To be honest, i'm a bit concerned about the Impact's form lately. For the entire season, we have not figured out what kind of football the Impact is playing.
All we know is that ,at the beginning of the season, Troy Perkins and the back four were solid and perfect, while Marco Di Viao was a scoring machine. The problem still stands:
if the future 2013 MLS MVP doesn't score, can the Impact win?
In the last 10 games, since that 4-2 win over the New England Revolution, the Impact has a record of 3 wins, 1 tie and 6 losses. With a total of 11 goals scored and 16 goals conceded, the scoring chart was as follows
- 2 Goals have come during the CCL game against C.D. Heredia.
- 2 Goals were scored by Academy graduates, Maxime Tissot and Karl W. Ouimette
- 2 Goals came via Patrice Bernier on penalty kicks
- 5 Goals from Marco Di Vaio, just under 50% of the goals scored.
In other terms, if Marco Di Viao doesn't score, the Impact will not win, and that is starting to become a trademark. Especially when you look back at the last 2 home games, the energy displayed was poor, in front of your own fans.
Knowing the importance of those last 2 games, it was slightly disappointing. Against the Union, every time Di Vaio touched the ball close to the 18-yrad box, the crowd was on its feet, knowing that it's Italian Designated Player could make things happen.
Conclusion: Some players will have to step up the same way Davy Arnaud did against Philadelphia , if the Impact wants to succeed, especially against Toronto FC.
Nesta and the 2013 season : One too many?
A lot of people will say that he has had a great career but he might have played one year too many.
He has lost a lot of speed over the years and has been caught up by many injuries. But what people seems to forget is that, the young guns of the Impact defense (Tissot, Ouimette and Lefevre) will have Nesta helping them out during their developement.
Even older players , like Hassoun Camara and Jeb Brovsky, took advantage of the presence of such a legend. Of course, he's far from the form he had a couple of years ago, but he has been a guide and a leader for the young players throughout the season.
I think Nesta had a good time playing in Montreal thanks to the passion of the fans and the professionalism of the organization. Maybe after Nesta and Di Vaio, the Impact can get more ex-legends and ex-stars that can help the club right away and the future. There is nothing better than word of mouth marketing.
Conclusion: In my opinion, it's a honor that the city of Montreal had such a legend like Alessandro Nesta and that he retired here in Montreal. Grazie Nesta ! Ciao Sandro