SANDY, Utah – Montreal attacking midfielder Harry Shipp scored his first goal in an Impact uniform on Saturday, but it wasn’t as gratifying as it could have been after the Impact conceded a late goal to walk away with a lone point on the road against Real Salt Lake.
Shipp started last weekend for the first time since May 14 and has been looking better and better in his role pushing Montreal’s attack.
“It's two games that he's starting to pick it up again,” Montreal head coach Mauro Biello said. “He's someone that works hard, someone that's always focused and listens. He's able to execute and hopefully this goal will give him confidence going forward.”
Shipp scored in the eighth minute off a free kick about 40 yards out. Laurent Ciman put a blistering ball right at RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando and Rimando could only punch it back to the middle of the box. Shipp beat the RSL defense to the rebound and put it away for the early lead.
“It took long enough,” Shipp said of waiting until July for his first goal. “I've been trying to stay patient and just let things come to me.”
While the rebound and resulting goal exemplified that attitude, a play the 61st minute showed the process of getting accustomed to everyone around him isn’t complete yet.
On a three-on-three counter attack, Shipp was on the weak side of the defense and had a great view of the goal. Instead of taking the shot, he tried to find an easy tap-in for his teammate.
“I told Dom [Oduro], my first instinct is pass,” Shipp said. “For me, I could have taken a shot, but the more we play with each other, the more we'll learn that. For me, I'm a pass first guy.”
After starting 10 of Montreal’s first 11 games, Shipp went four games in May and June with out starting. But now he has found his way back to the lineup, in no small part due to his efforts in training leading up to the RSL clash.
“I'm starting to get a little more comfortable both in training and in games,” Shipp said.
His early season “soft period,” as Biello called it, has come and gone and Shipp is hopeful he and the Impact can make sure they’re performing their best and getting three points every game.
Despite the hard work in the heat and at altitude, Montreal still came away with just a point after having opportunities to put the game away.
“If you take a step back and look at it, a point on the road against a good team is nice,” Shipp said. “But when you're winning for most of the game and give up a late goal it's frustrating.”
