The Montreal Impact will walk onto the pitch Saturday with a little less baggage, despite experiencing a few more “firsts” along the way.
Following the historic games in Vancouver on March 10 against the Whitecaps, the team`s first ever game in MLS, and last Saturday's record breaking home opener against Chicago, the Impact may have a little less pressure coming into the game against the Crew.
“The last two weeks there was a lot of attention and pageantry with the two historic first games,” said midfielder Patrice Bernier. “It was fantastic and I will never forget it, but now we get to concentrate on playing soccer and establishing our game plan as a road team. It’s the Crew`s home opener, so they might have to deal with some of that.”
The Impact will play on a natural grass pitch for the first time as well as, while making its debut under open skies and playing its first ever game on U.S. soil. And to top it all off, the weather is calling for rain.
On Friday, the team went out onto the training field in Columbus to put the final touches to that preparation before today’s game.
“I think it was good to come down here and be on grass for the day,” said Impact head coach Jesse Marsch. “We got the chance to get an idea of what the weather is going to be like. We have to be smart on the road, as it’s tough to win games away. It starts with the right preparation.”
“We are returning to a natural surface so there are adjustments,” added Bernier. “It was good to get on the pitch and get a feel for the conditions.”
