MEXICO CITY, Mexico – The Montreal Impact opened the Mexican phase of its preseason camp with a 1-0 loss to Mexico City’s Cruz Azul on Tuesday afternoon, played at the Cruz Azul training centre, La Noria.
The Impact faced tough competition as it expected to play a team of U20s, but faced the Mexican Primera-leading club’s first team, which is in midseason form as Cruz Azul tops the table with a 3-0-2 record thus far.
“The biggest thing for us is to get used to the heat and the altitude,” said Impact head coach Frank Klopas. “It’s technically only our second training session here in Mexico, but I thought that overall we were good. We defended pretty well and were organized. Sometimes we forced the ball too much, but that comes from fatigue, which is normal, but we pushed through against a good opponent.”
“The beginning was difficult as we had to adjust to the conditions,” added Patrice Bernier. “But, we adjusted quickly and were organized and compact. It was a good start against a good opponent, but now we have to keep working hard.”
The first half saw the Impact make some solid defensive plays, closing down the middle of the park and breaking up a number of attacking plays. The Impact was still able to create some counter attacks, but lacked a little quality in the final third.
The best chance of the first half fell to the Impact’s Marco Donadel around the 25th minute mark when he fired one from 35 yards out that was pushed away by the diving keeper.
Cruz Azul scored the game’s only goal in the 58th minute when Ismael Valadez found some space down the left side, inside the box, burying one inside the short post.
The Bleu-blanc-noir played with a split squad, making two changes at half and then subbing the remaining starters in the 60th minute.
The Impact will play its second preseason game against Club Proyecto Tecamachalco, a third division club, this Friday at 10:30am.
Lineups
MTL - Bush; Tissot (Gagnon-Lapare 60’), Ciman (Cabrera 45’), Soumare (Lefevre 60’), Miller (Toia 60’); Donadel (Mallace 60’), Reo-Coker (Bernier 60’), Piatti (Alexander 60’), Duka (Mapp 45’), Romero (Oduro 60’); McInerney (Williams 60’)
Cruz Azul – Allison; Chávez, Loeschbor, Madrid, Mendoza; Lizarazo (Zúñiga 72’), Castro, Vela, Cota; Pedroza, Valadez.
Goal
Cruz Azul – Valadez 58’
Cautions
MTL – McInerney 42’
Cruz Azul – Loeschbor 54’
