FOXBOROUGH — In this age of expansion, with 24 teams expected to play a total of 34 league matches over the course of seven-plus months with a two-week break in the middle of June tossed in for good measure, you’re going to have a few midweek matches thrown into the mix. A midweek contest means quick turnarounds from the last game, and will also mean a quick turnaround for the next.
In some ways, it’s the ultimate test of stamina. In other ways, it’s the test of a team’s depth — or lack of either. Or both.
That being said, welcome to the first of a minimum seven midweek contests for the Revolution in 2019.
First up is Montreal, a team which has played all but one match on the road so far, and has done fairly well. But L’Impact are a team that, while it had been stout defensively leading into this past weekend, is having some difficulty in scoring without its playmaker.
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Ignacio Piatti is not expected to take part in tonight’s contest, as he’s recovering from a knee injury and has missed the last handful of matches. Even without him, L’Impact do have some talented players.
Midfielder Saphir Taider has picked up some of the slack in Piatti’s absence, as he has three goals on the season. Taider is dangerous, especially if left unmarked. Maxi Urruti, too: we all know the pace and power that the Argentine has, given his performance against the Revolution in the 2016 US Open Cup Final (two goals in a 4-2 FC Dallas win). He’s with L’Impact now, Montreal buying him for a song. Expect the wingers to look for him in the box for a deep volley, but I’m expecting the Revs’ center back pairing to do what they did against Bradley Wright-Phillips at the weekend: pinch down and deny him service.
But the thing I would like to concentrate on right now is Montreal’s defending, which we expect will be bunkered-in given no Piatti. The Revolution can have a great amount of joy Wednesday, given the amount of space the outside backs give up.
Against Philadelphia this past weekend, a 3-0 Union win, 36-year-old Montreal right back Bacary Sagna gave up plenty of space on two Philly goals. The week prior against Columbus, left back Zakaria Diallo yielded plenty of dancing room for the Crew in attack, but goalkeeper Evan Bush was up to the task of keeping a clean sheet.
The key? Attack the corners, and do so with regularity.
Not only that, expect the center backs to give space: against Philadelphia, they yielded plenty of it to Cory Burke, and the Union managed to find seams, preferably to the left of Jukka Raitala. So being patient and drawing L'Impact out of their formation will be key to opening up holes.
A few things to expect from Montreal:
- A high line of pressure early, as they like to counterattack
- L’Impact have built their offense from the wings; there is speed there
- Possession-based, even without Piatti; expect them to draw Revolution players out to provide space
- Keep your eyes on Samuel Piette in the defensive midfield; many things start with him, he can control play and calm things down
- L’Impact won’t shoot from the outside much, but be aware that Sagna will have a go
- Weather Check: Not bad for the tailgate as it will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny in the low to mid 60s; kickoff will see sunny skies and a temp of about 55, and it'll be about 51 and clear when you leave Gillette. In short, hoody weather.