Impact's 4-2 win over D.C. United gives hope for the season

After losing its first pre-season game against the Chicago Fire, the Montreal Impact pick up the pace and gets a huge 4-2 win over D.C. United. It was the club's first preseason game during the 2017 Suncoast Invitational tournament.

Against Chicago, Mauro Biello fielded 2 different teams for each half, giving every player substantial minutes as the team is getting away from the intense physical fitness oriented preparation to actually playing meaningful games against other MLS clubs.

Outside Oyongo , who just came from AFCON celebrations in Cameroun, Biello fielded the potential starting XI that will kick-off the 2017 season against the San Jose Earthquakes in California.

Three take-aways

• Piatti, Oduro and Mancosu are on fire already. The scoresheet should not be that important during a pre-season game but all 3 players seemed to be ready and eager to terrorise MLS defenders and goalkeepers. The chemistry between the 3 offensive players is delightful to witness.
• The Young Guns are eager to have a meaningful impact during this season. Both Louis Beland-Goyette and Balou Jean-Yves Tabla have showed they have the talent and the will to become good alternatives for the coaching staff. Though the imminent arrival of Adrian Arregui might take a chunk out of Beland-Goyette's hope to accumulate tons of minutes.

On the other hand, Anthony Jackson-Hamel is also in good shape during the pre-season and the club needs him to be injury-free to be a good substitute for Mancosu.

• Interesting depth for the Impact in many positions that is confirming the club's strategy to keep the core of the team intact while adding a few pieces.

LINE-UPS

MTL – G- Evan Bush; D- Daniel Lovitz* (Anthony Wallace*, 62’), Laurent Ciman (Wandrille Lefèvre, 62’), Víctor Cabrera (Kyle Fisher, 62’), Chris Duvall (Hassoun Camara, 62’); M-Ignacio Piatti (Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, 62’), Patrice Bernier (Calum Mallace, 62’), Marco Donadel (Louis Béland-Goyette, 39’), Hernán Bernardello (Michael Salazar, 62’), Dominic Oduro (Andres Romero, 62’); F- Matteo Mancosu (Anthony Jackson-Hamel, 62’)

Unused substitutes: G- Maxime Crépeau; D- Aron Mkungilwa*; F- Nick DePuy

DCU – G- Travis Worra (Eric Klenojsky, 45’); D- Nick DeLeon (Jalen Robinson, 65’), Steve Birnbaum (Bobby Boswell, 65’), Taylor Kemp (Alhaji Kamara, 81’), Sean Franklin (Kofi Opare, 65’); M- Marcelo Sarvas (Rob Vincent, 58’), Lloyd Sam (Lamar Neagle, 65’), Jared Jeffrey (Ian Harkes, 65’), Luciano Acosta (Chris Dunkin, 65’), Patrick Nyarko (Sébastien Le Toux, 65’); F- Patrick Mullins (Jose Guillermo Ortiz, 58’)

Unused substitutes: None

* Player on trial

GOALS

MTL – Oduro 6’

DCU – Birnbaum 14’

MTL – Piatti 21’

MTL – Mancosu 53’

DCU – Cabrera (OG) 56’

MTL – Jackson-Hamel 90’

CAUTIONS

DCU – Kamara 90’