Impact vs Revolution : Q & A with The Bent Musket

With the season winding down the Montreal Impact are inching ever closer to their second ever appearance in the MLS playoffs. Mount Royal Soccer has turned towards our friends at The Bent Musket to ask Steve Stoehr three questions in the lead up to this weekends match against the New England Revolution.

What to Watch For:

1. The Revolution have not been able to score against the Impact this season, how do the Revs' plan to break down the Impact backline on Saturday? Who is most likely to score for New England?

I'm not convinced that the Montreal backline is really what shut down the Revs, at least not in the last contest. New England traveled North on very short rest and just couldn't get anything going, and I honestly don't think they would have gotten something going against even one of the worst teams in the league. That said, it doesn't mean the Impact defense isn't worth the Revs' respect. New England is going to have to do something they haven't done in a couple weeks if they want to score goals: move well off of each other for a full 90 minutes.

2. Didier Drogba has been on fire since joining Montreal, will the Revolution be able to shut down the newest DP on the Impact?

Uh, probably not. That's the honest truth. Shutting him down is impossible. Containing him is the goal. Try to keep him off the scoresheet and try to make him do everything he does under pressure. Last game the Revs afforded Drogba acres of space and as much time as he wanted, and he punished them. They can't do that again. The Ivorian has the class to produce even in the worst of situations, but if New England can keep that production to a minimum, they should be able to do enough to win despite it.

3. What do the Revolution need to focus on in order to get back on track and take the three points this weekend?

I alluded to it above, but the overarching theme Saturday night is going to be concentration. Focus, really, for a full 90 minutes. If there's ever been a problem the Revs have struggled with during the Jay Heaps era, it's been 90-minute focus. There's enough talent in the midfield and attack in this squad that if they can just cut out the mental mistakes and concentration lapses, they're going to win most matches. A team that sports Jermaine Jones, Lee Nguyen, Juan Agudelo, Diego Fagundez, Teal Bunbury, Charlie Davies, Kelyn Rowe...that team will score by accident, let alone by design. They can score when they don't even want to score. The trick is to stay focused. If they can do that, they can get back to their winning ways and clinch a postseason berth.

*A big thanks to Steve Stoehr at The Bent Musket for taking the time to contribute to this article