MONTRÉAL IMPACT vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
STADE SAPUTO, Montréal, Qué.
Sept. 20, 2014 (WEEK 28, MLS Game #269)
7:30 p.m. ET (TVA; CSN-CA)
A pair of clubs which find themselves below the red line meet when the Montréal Impact play host to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Stade Saputo. The Impact are on the verge of playoff elimination following their 2-1 loss at New England last weekend, though they remained undefeated in the CONCACAF Champions League at midweek. The Quakes are nine points out of the final postseason position in the Western Conference, coming off a 1-1 home draw with the LA Galaxy that extended their current winless run to eight games.
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REFEREE: Daniel Fitzgerald. AR1 (bench): Greg Barkey; AR2 (opposite): Craig Lowry; 4th: Jorge Gonzalez
MLS Career: 1 games; FC/gm: 41.0; Y/gm: 5.0; R: 0; pens: 0
SUSPENDED: MTL: Krzysztof Krol (through Sept. 21) … SJ: Steven Lenhart (caution accumulation; through Sept. 21) WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: MTL: Krzysztof Krol, Karl Ouimette … SJ: Victor Bernardez, Sam Cronin,Shaun Francis, Jordan Stewart
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: MTL: Hernan Bernardello, Matteo Ferrari, Andres Romero, Dilly Duka, Wandrille Lefevre … SJ: Shea Salinas, Jason Hernandez, Atiba Harris, Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi
DISABLED LIST: SJ: Tommy Muller
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (2 meetings): Impact 1 win, 5 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 3 goals … Ties 1
AT MONTRÉAL (1 meeting): Impact 1 win, 3 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 1 goal … Ties 0
LAST YEAR (MLS)
5/4: SJ 2, MTL 2 (Jahn 59; Cronin 91+ -- Mapp 24, 47)
- This is the only meeting of the season between the two clubs.
- The teams reached a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium in their only league meeting a year ago, but they also met twice in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, each team winning on their home ground.
- The Impact won the first meeting ever between the teams, a 3-1 triumph in 2012 in the only league contest in the series played at Stade Saputo.
- Coaches record: Frank Klopas vs. SJ: P3 W1 L1 D1 … Mark Watson vs. MTL: first game
MONTREAL IMPACT
The Montréal Impact remained winless on the road for the season, falling 2-1 to the New England Revolution on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. The Impact are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with 21 points from 28 games.
LAST MATCH
- The Impact took the lead just 13 minutes in. Mamadou Danso sent a ball over the top to Jack McInerney in the box, and when he was left with just Revs goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth to beat, McInerney slid the ball square to Calum Mallace, who slotted home into a wide-open goal.
- The Revs responded in the 23rd minute when Kelyn Rowe beat Anthony Jackson-Hamel to a loose ball outside the box, pushed it to his left and stepped into it, firing a dipping strike was just hard enough to sail past the hands of Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
- Two minutes later New England pulled ahead. From a quick buildup out of midfield, Jermaine Jones lofted a pass up to Charlie Davies, who in turn flicked a header over to Lee Nguyen. He then carried into the box and after Perkins went to ground, chipped a floater over the 'keeper for the eventual game-winner.
- The Impact finished the game a man down after fullback Krzysztof Krol was sent off in the 62nd minute by referee Alan Kelly for a second bookable offense.
- Impact head coach Frank Klopas made seven changes to the team that drew 2-2 with the LA Galaxy at Stade Saputo. Only defender Eric Miller and midfielders Calum Mallace, Andres Romero and Dilly Duka maintained their places.
- MONTREAL IMPACT (4-2-3-1): Troy Perkins - Eric Miller, Wandrille Lefevre (Heath Pearce 81), Mamado Danso, Krzysztof Krol (ejected 62) - Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Calum Mallace - Anthony Jackson-Hamel (Louis Beland-Goyette 75), Andres Romero (Issey Nakajima-Farran 61), Dilly Duka - Jack McInerney.
TEAM NEWS
- The Impact remained winless away from Stade Saputo this season, now 0-11-3 on their travels after the defeat in New England. Now with a 17-game road winless streak in league play, they are trying to avoid becoming the sixth team to finish a season without a road win.
- The Impact are also on the verge of playoff elimination following the defeat. A loss will guarantee they will not return to the postseason, while a tie or even a victory, with the right sequence of other results, will also mean they are out of the playoff chase.
- “There is a sense of confidence with the group, and we are playing different right now. If we look in the past, you can tell from the games we lost what we need to improve on, and we know that. Even tonight, you can tell by the chances we gave up and the goals allowed in,” said Impact head coach Frank Klopas. “I know we’re going to be ready because we know how important this next game is. For us, the season is not over.”
- Calum Mallace scored his first career league goal, in his third MLS season. Mallace was making his third consecutive league start in a holding midfield role.
- “The goal in the 13th minute was fantastic,” Klopas said. “When you come on the road against a very good team and you go one up early, it is very impressive. I thought it was a very unselfish play by Jack (McInerney) as a forward, you don’t see that often, but it was a great pass. Within two minutes, we made a couple of mistakes that we paid for.”
- Mamadou Danso made his first start since Aug. 2, coming into central defense, while Troy Perkins returned between the posts for the first time in six league matches as Klopas rang in the changes.
- “We have a lot of guys with question marks, and I’ve never been in a situation like this,” said Klopas. “We always plan about three weeks ahead. When we looked at this game, we knew we were going to make some rotations in the lineup, but not like this. The amount of players that we have out is amazing.”
- Two Homegrown Players – forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel and midfielder Jeremy Gagnon-Laparé – were given their first career MLS starts. A third Homegrown Player, midfielder Louis Béland-Goyette, made his MLS debut when he came on in the 75th minute.
- “The guys took the challenge and, for me, I’m extremely happy for the younger players and the future of those guys with the club here,” Klopas said. “They showed that they have the ability to play in big moments. Sometimes, you throw them in and you see how they react, and it’s great to see that these guys weren’t scared or fazed by anything. Obviously, it’s different with Jeremy because he’s played with the national team in international matches, but he’s only [19]. Louis is 18. It’s a bright future for these guys, and I’m really excited about that.”
- After five consecutive starts following his arrival to MLS, Ignacio Piatti did not feature for the Impact.
- “Having Ignacio is very important for us. He has four goals and four assists, and he’s been amazing in the final third. You can see how dangerous he is, he even elevates everyone around him, as well,” said Klopas. “He had a little bit of tendonitis in his foot, and I did not want to risk him. The same goes for a lot of the guys because we haven’t had a lot of time to get them rested.”
- On Wednesday, the Impact made it three wins from three starts in the CONCACAF Champions League, defeating the New York Red Bulls 1-0 at Stade Saputo. The game’s lone goal came from Marco Di Vaio on 16 minutes. The Impact control their destiny in the group, with nine points from three matches.
- Here’s the Impact team: Evan Bush, Eric Miller, Matteo Ferrari, Heath Pearce, Hassoun Camara, Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Calum Mallace, Dilly Duka (Anthony Jackson 90'), Ignacio Piatti (Wandrille Lefevre 81'), Andres Romero, Marco Di Vaio (Jack McInerney 82')
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes saw their winless run extended to eight matches, reaching a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes are in eighth place in the Western Conference with 28 points from 27 games.
LAST MATCH
- The Galaxy took the lead in the 28th minute. Center back Omar Gonzalez shed his marker on a corner kick and drove his header down and across the face of goal. San Jose rookie Tommy Thompson had a last-ditch chance to make a save the day but his attempted clearance off the line couldn’t keep out the goal.
- The Galaxy had a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in the 37th minute. Quakes 'keeper Jon Busch couldn’t keep hold of Robbie Keane’s long cross, and in the ensuing penalty area scramble, Jason Hernandez was whistled for a hand ball while sliding to block a shot. Keane let San Jose off the hook by crashing the ensuing spot kick into the crossbar and over the goal.
- The leveler came 66 minutes into the match. Chris Wondolowski snuck in behind two defenders on the right wing to meet Jordan Stewart’s bouncing pass at the back post and send into the roof of goalkeeper Brian Rowe’s net.
- Quakes head coach Mark Watson made three changes to the team that fell 2-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. Ty Harden came into the back four for Victor Bernardez, and Atiba Harris and Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi started in the midfield in place of Cordell Cato and JJ Koval.
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-1-1): Jon Busch - Shaun Francis, Jason Hernandez, Ty Harden, Jordan Stewart - Atiba Harris (Steven Lenhart 63), Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, Sam Cronin (Khari Stephenson 83), Shea Salinas - Tommy Thompson (Cordell Cato 46) - Chris Wondolowski.
TEAM NEWS
- The Quakes saw their winless run reach eight games, the club’s longest since going 13 games without a victory in the 2011 season, their longest winless run in club history.
- “I think we’ll take something out of this game. When you consider the start we had, to get a point out of the game and have chances at the end to win – I think we’ll take something out of that,” said Quakes head coach Mark Watson. “We had a very poor start and it’s very frustrating to have a game like this and have that type of start from your group. The attitude in the second half was great. The guys knew they had to do better; for themselves, for the team, for the fans who pay money to watch them play.”
- Chris Wondolowski scored his 13th goal of the season to bring the Quakes back for the draw. Wondolowski has scored eight goals in 12 games since his return from the FIFA World Cup.
- “It might sound like a broken record, but when we do the little things and connect passes, we’re a good team and can play with anyone,” Wondolowski said. “But when we don’t do that – we don’t track back, win our 50-50 battles or connect passes – we can get ourselves in some serious trouble. [The game] was the tale of two halves. It was good to get one [point], but we’re not in good enough shape to just get one point.”
- Steven Lenhart came off the bench for the final 27 minutes, his first appearance in a league match since July 19, following which he underwent knee surgery.
- “One of the issues was, we couldn’t deal with their pressure as soon as we lost the ball,” Watson said. “We’re trying to play our way through, and at times, when they do press, you need to break that pressure by playing forward off a target player. We did it with Atiba for the first 15 minutes [of the second half] and it helped. And then Lenny came on and continued that and gave us a big spark.”
- Said Wondolowski: “I’ve always said that hard work and fight is contagious. When it’s not out there, it can also be contagious as well. When you see him come in, fighting and battling and working hard, you want to work for him. You want to work with him. It just raises that level that we need.”
- Ty Harden came back into the back four for his first start in four matches, playing the full 90 minutes in central defense.
