Imps to assert authority in all Canadian affair
There is a Canadian showdown in MLS in the early hours of Wednesday morning BST, Montreal Impact host Vancouver Whitecaps as strong favourites despite both teams experiencing some indifferent form since the return of football. The Imps were victorious the most recent head-to-head which was a cross conference affair identical to this matchup, the Whitecaps took the lead but were 2-1 down by half time and that is how it finished. Both sides failed to make the playoffs last season and will be looking to put things right with a strong effort this term, Vancouver finished rock bottom of the Western Conference last time around.
Background
Three points from three group games was enough to progress and one of the top four third placed teams in the MLS is Back tournament for Wednesday’s visitors. Marc Dos Santos’ men earned a 2-0 victory against Chicago Fire to propel themselves into the knockout stages thanks to goals from Yordy Reyna and Cristian Dajome. They carried on that momentum in their next game pushing Sporting Kansas City all the way to penalties, but they lost the shootout 3-1. There are plenty of reasons to feel optimistic that the Caps will improve on their 2019 effort of just 34 points from as many matches.
The Imps finished four points short of the playoffs in coming ninth in the Eastern Conference. Thierry Henry has added to his squad in the offseason to make sure his side make up that four-point gap and show they are ready to compete for MLS Cup.
Ones to watch
There are three big names on the Imps team sheet famous for demonstrating their talents on European shores. These players are Rod Fanni, 38, Victor Wanyama, 29, and Bojan Krkic, 29. The latter once dubbed the next Lionel Messi is looking to revitalise is career in MLS after joining from Stoke City of the Championship.
Defensive midfield rock Wanyama signed from Tottenham Hotspur for $13.2million in March and is expected to be the glue that holds this team together. Despite a quiet final two seasons in England the Kenyan proved himself in the Premier League firstly with Southampton and at only 29 he still has a lot to give. It would not be a surprise to see him back at a club in one of Europe’s top five leagues in the not too distant future.
The lead creator is another former Southampton man in Saphir Taider. He has scored 21 and assisted 18 in 80 appearances for the Imps and seems to have found his home after a turbulent start to his career for the 28-year-old. He is there talisman and will need to be on top form once again if they are to compete for playoffs qualification in the Eastern Conference.
This game provides the perfect opportunity for the Impact to kickstart their season and push towards the top end in the East.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
The aforementioned Saphir Taider popped up with an assist as Montreal ran out 2-0 winners thanks to strikes from Romell Quioto and Lassi Lappalainen.