Carson, CA (Sports Network) - The Montreal Impact posted their most impressive
win in Major League Soccer on Saturday, and the expansion team will try to get
another positive result on the road Wednesday against Chivas USA.
Montreal defeated Seattle Sounders FC, 4-1, in the first MLS game at renovated
Saputo Stadium as it built on a good home start at Olympic Stadium. The Impact
are 3-1-2 at their two homes, but have just four points on the road.
The Impact (4-7-3) have a great chance, especially with momentum on their side
from the weekend, to grab more road points at Chivas (4-7-3).
Chivas has done the exact opposite as Montreal this season, going 3-1-2 on the
road and just 1-6-1 at The Home Depot Center. Chivas had a four-match unbeaten
streak snapped Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake.
"I think we have something to prove to ourselves. We've had a decent run. At
times (Saturday) it was good," Chivas USA coach Robin Fraser said, "but the
execution wasn't good enough and certainly that is something that we, as a
group, need to get back to sooner rather than later."
Chivas built its unbeaten run with three draws, against Seattle, Red Bull New
York and the San Jose Earthquakes as well as a victory against the Los Angeles
Galaxy.
But Real proved there is still a gap between Chivas and the best team in MLS,
as it dropped 17 points behind RSL, which leads the Western Conference and the
overall standings after its seventh loss of the season.
"At times (we were) very good, but it's a 90-minute game and it's not good
enough for it to be 'just good' at times," Fraser said.
Montreal looked good for 90 minutes against Seattle, as Felipe Martins, Justin
Mapp, Andrew Wenger and Lamar Neagle scored. Patrice Bernier assisted on the
first three goals, and won MLS Player of the Week on Monday.
"When we got the lead, it felt like we would have to get another as Seattle
was pushing and they have a lot of talented players," said Impact coach Jesse
Marsch.
"I still think we are learning to manage the game when we are up a man. It
takes a lot of hard work and we did that. Seattle is a good team, so it wasn't
an easy first game. But I think that was the way you open a new stadium. We
had a lot of good performances."
The Sports Network