Last weekend against the Sounders, the Montreal Impact used the middle more purposefully and intelligently than they had done in a long time. Packing the middle did not seem to work anymore in the latter weeks of the 2012 season, but the 2013 version of the tactic worked wonders on Saturday.
While assistant coach Mauro Biello concedes that tweaks are always a possibility, the approach should be quite similar as the Impact make their first appearance at Jeld-Wen Field this Saturday night to face the Portland Timbers.
“We’ll be trying to move forward with a system that’s been working well for us, but that doesn’t mean we won’t change anything in the following games,” Biello told via phone from Portland, Ore., earlier this week. “It also depends on how the opponent plays. We have to adapt and see what can benefit us during a given game.”
Montreal’s plan worked à la perfection against Seattle. After the game, Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid lamented that “we didn't get wide enough” as Montreal compacted the middle well.
Biello, on his first visit to Jeld-Wen on Sunday, saw first-hand that the Timbers, on the other hand, got the ball wide and exploited the attacking third more wisely against the New York Red Bulls than Seattle did against Montreal the day before.
READ: Impact highlights vertical movement on winning goal against Seattle Sounders
“You could feel, on Sunday, that [Portland] were going to at least equalize: their movement is great on the flanks, and we’ll have to watch that closely,” Biello said. “They’ve changed with a new coach and a new philosophy.”
Montreal may have to overcome that particular challenge without Justin Mapp, who is listed as questionable for this weekend. Mapp came off at halftime with a calf knock in Seattle and could be replaced by Sanna Nyassi, who filled in for Mapp in the second half. Andres Romero and Calum Mallace – who played on the right for 21 minutes in Seattle – are other wide options for the Impact.
