The Montreal Impact knew it would be tough to pick up points while playing six of their first eight Major League Soccer games away from home.
But they had hoped to do better than a 2-6-0 record and a league-worst 21 goals conceded.
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Now they’re back a Saputo Stadium for three of their next four games, starting Saturday against the New England Revolution (4-2-2). It begins a run of three games in an eight-day span, with one next Wednesday in Chicago followed by a home match May 12 against Philadelphia.
“The month of May is important for us,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “It’s something we’re excited about and should have confidence in.”
“Playing six out of eight on the road in tough environments kind of baptized us with a bit of fire. We went through a really tough stretch and now we can focus more on exactly what it is we want to be.”
The trouble began on April 6 when, after a pair of 1-0 victories, they fell 3-1 away to the New York Red Bulls and lost veteran central defender Rod Fanni to a muscular injury. Then came a 4-0 loss in the rain at New England in which they created some early chances only to collapse after midfielder Saphir Taider was sent off after 15 minutes.
The Impact followed with a 5-3 meltdown at home to Los Angeles FC in which they blew a 3-1 lead after defender Victor Cabrera was ejected. And last week, despite being seriously depleted on defence, they held a 1-0 lead until the 70th minute before bowing 4-1 at Atlanta last Saturday.
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It hasn’t helped that they have given opponents six chances from the penalty spot.
“You get frustrated, but at the same time, we came into this season understanding that we have a new staff, we have a lot of turnover on the team and then you add in the injuries, suspensions, red cards, penalties and all those things,” said Bush. “It’s hard to look at it and say ‘all things being equal, we’re as bad as the numbers show.'”
“That’s not the case. We’ve had a lot of unlucky scenarios. Going down guys, penalties. So, if you keep it in perspective, there’s a little more of a light at the end of the tunnel.'”
It has been a difficult start for first-year coach Rémi Garde, who made major roster changes only to run into a rash of injuries early on that has impeded efforts to build chemistry among the players. Keeping a healthy defence together has been the main challenge, although Fanni may be ready to return and Cabrera will be back from a one-game suspension.
That may allow Garde to give up the five-man back line he’s used in recent games in favour of his preferred 4-3-3 formation, so that his team can keep possession of the ball and make the opposing team’s defence work more.
Garde also asked his players for more commitment in training this week and seems to have got it.
“I just wanted to see my players training like we should train and know that we play on the weekend the way we practice during the week,” he said.
Bush said the players have become closer as they try to work themselves out of their slump and are feeling upbeat now that the most difficult part of their schedule is over.
They’ll need it, because one transfer window closed this week and the next won’t open till July 10, so there will be no reinforcements for at least the next eight weeks.
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The test will come from New England, who are 1-1-1 in their last three and are coming off a 1-0 home win over Kansas City on the fourth goal of the season from Hamilton-born Teal Bunbury.
“It’s a physical side,” Garde said of New England. “They’ve got some speed up front, some strength with Bunbury, they have technical skill with (Diego) Fagundez, but we also have these kinds of players.”