MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact could have been down 2-0 just 25 minutes in the game. Instead, Wilmer Cabrera’s squad left Stade Saputo with a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Yordy Reyna gave Vancouver the opening goal in the 17th minute. The Whitecaps rushed forward on a counter attack and Reyna was left alone on the left side of the box for a tap-in goal.
Four minutes later, Samuel Piette committed a foul inside the box and a penalty was called. Reyna stepped up to the spot, Evan Bush saved his shot but Tossaint Ricketts recovered the ball and scored. However, VAR took the goal away as Ricketts was found offside on the penalty.
Reyna re-stepped to the spot but was once again denied by Bush with a dive to the left post.
“Today was a must-win game and that play changed the entire game, I thought,” Piette said. “I don’t know what the future holds for us but obviously if we make the playoffs this play will play a big impact for us to qualify for the playoffs.”
Momentum flip
From there, the Impact regained control of the game. The momentum of the game shifted Montreal’s way and the hosts got their equalizer 35th minute on a Doneil Henry own goal. Maxi Urruti jolted up the right flank into the box and his cross-pass hit the center back into Vancouver’s net.
“That’s the beauty of the game,” said Wilmer Cabrera. who was coaching his first match at Stade Saputo. “The game can change in one second, good or bad. In our case we could go 2-0 but nobody knows what could happen in this situation. But what i know is the mentality and the attitude of the players today.”
The Impact’s upward stream didn’t end there. Urruti got a goal of his own a mere two minutes later. The Argentine controlled a Bacary Sagna cross with his chest and laced a shot that beat Maxime Crepeau to the far post making it a 2-1 game.
“I’m proud of the players,” Cabrera added. “I’m happy for their mentality and I’m sure that if we continue playing this way we’re going to change the momentum to be more positive than negative.”
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Importance of closing the game
The Impact were as proud to protect the win than scoring two unanswered goals. Bush felt that his team’s mentality changed for the better when he denied Reyna’s penalty but he would’ve wanted more from the team to end the game.
“I also think that in the second half, when we weren’t getting that third goal with the chances that we had, it crept in a little that ‘Ah man, not again. Hopefully we don’t lose points,'” Bush said. “As opposed to ‘Let’s go finish this game and kill it off the right way.’ It was very important that we finish the game even though we didn’t get the third goal and it puts us in a good position going forward.”
With most of the team’s defensive corps carrying injuries, the Impact have their eyes set on winning regardless of style.
Piette, who admitted the plan for him was to play 60 minutes despite playing a full 90, made his return from injury Wednesday night. As for the back-line, Rudy Camacho also returned from injury and Jukka Raitala started despite not training with the squad since Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Toronto FC.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game but we shouldn’t expect pretty games with a new coach just came in and needs to impose his game plan in little time,” Piette said. “It’s about tapping into our reserves and getting those games by grinding like we did tonight.”