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Something’s got to give Monday afternoon at Stade Saputo as the Montreal Impact, off back-to-back defeats and with just one win in their last seven games, hosts an LA Galaxy squad that has dropped four straight games as the Impact celebrate their 25th anniversary.
Montreal is unbeaten in their three all-time home games against the LA Galaxy (1W-2D). The six goals they have scored at home in three home games are all of their goals they have against the Galaxy in their six all-time meetings.
Montreal Impact
Remi Garde went with an unchanged starting XI from the side that fell 1-0 to the Chicago Fireon the road in the midweek, but for a second straight game Montreal (3-8-0) were unable to find the back of the net and suffered a 3-0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union at home last Saturday.
The Union scored late in each half — Cory Burke in the 43rd minute and Haris Medunjanin in the 88th minute — and both teams finished with 10 men with Burke sent off in the 58th minute and Daniel Lovitz seeing red nine minutes later.
“Crying and moaning is not the way we are going out of this very bad situation," Garde said. “It is to behave like men, to assess every one of us very honestly to see what we can improve."
· Suspended: D - Daniel Lovitz
· Suspended after next caution: M - Samuel Piette
· International duty: None
· Injury Report: OUT: D - Zakaria Diallo (ruptured Achilles tendon), D - Kyle Fisher (tibia injury), M - Marco Donadel (ankle injury), M - David Choinere (ankle surgery), M - Jeisson Vargas (left leg injury)
Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Evan Bush — Michael Petrasso, Rod Fanni, Jukka Raitala, Chris Duvall — Alejandro Silva, Samuel Piette, Saphir Taider — Raheem Edwards, Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Ignacio Piatti
· Notes: Saphir Taider set Impact MLS records in last week’s defeat in touches (116), passes attempted in the opponent’s half (66) and passes completed in the opponent’s half (57) in a single match. … The Impact have been held scoreless in their last two games (2L). They have not been held scoreless in three straight games since October 4-16, 2013 (3L).
LA Galaxy
Sigi Schmid made three changes to his side that fell to the Houston Dynamo, 3-2, the previous week with Daniel Steres replacing Dave Romney at right back, Jonathan dos Santos coming on for Sebastian Lletget and Chris Pontius replacing an injured Giovani dos Santos.
Despite the moves, LA (3-6-1) suffered the same fate, falling 3-2 to FC Dallas despite playing with an extra man for the final 17 minutes after Reto Ziegler was sent off for his second bookable offense.
Ola Kamara cut the Galaxy deficit in half two minutes into the second half and Ema Boateng did the same in the 83rd minute, but it was another frustrating defeat when the final whistle blew.
“Disappointed because of the goals we gave up and even being down we had enough chances to equalize the game and tie the game up. We've got to defend better," Schmid said. "We can't give up the goals we're giving up. We're not defending well enough. Defending is not just defenders, but the whole team. We're giving up soft goals and we can't be giving up soft goals."
· Suspended: D - Ashley Cole
· Suspended after next caution: None
· International duty: None
· Injury Report: OUT: F - Brandon Jamieson IV (concussion), D - Rolf Feltscher (shoulder surgery); QUESTIONABLE: F - Giovani dos Santos (undisclosed injury)
Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: David Bingham — Daniel Steres, Michael Ciani, Jorgen Skjelvik, Dave Romney — Jonathan dos Santos, Sebastian Lletget — Chris Pontius, Romain Alessandrini, Ola Kamara — Zlatan Ibrahimovic
· Notes: Kamara has scored in three straight MLS matches, one short of his career-best of four set last year (Aug. 24-Sept. 17). He is the 10th different Galaxy player since 2010 to accomplish the feat. … The Galaxy have conceded multiple goals in four straight games, the third time in their last 23 MLS matches this has happened (5W-14L-4D). Additionally, they’ve allowed 3+ goals in three straight games, tying a franchise record.
All-Time Series
· Overall: Montreal impact 1 win, 6 goals … LA Galaxy 2 wins, 8 goals … 3 ties
· At Montreal: Impact 1 win, 6 goals … Galaxy 0 wins, 5 goals … 2 ties
· Last meeting at Montreal: Montreal Impact 3, LA Galaxy 2 (May 28, 2016)
Officials
Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistant Referees: Joe Fletcher, Gianni Facchini
4th Official: Rubiel Vazquez
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
