On Saturday June 13th Yankee Stadium will host the Montreal Impact.

Form

The Montreal Impact are a hit and miss team. After making it to the CONCACAF finals while finishing in dead last the previous season, Montreal has the potential to be the best and worst team there is.

Recently, though, they’ve been doing well. They’ve been making up for lost time in the MLS with a packed schedule and have surprised with a string of good performances. They impressively beat Vancouver at home, recently ousted the Columbus Crew, and have won four out of their last five games in Major League Soccer. Not bad.

NYCFC haven’t faired quite as well. After a holy-shit-what? away win last weekend, the team will hope to build on that “form” with a home win. Problem is, our win was due more to luck and mistakes by the opposition rather than good footie from us. But a win is a win and it’s possible this could spark the team into something passable as sport.

Lineups

Montreal (4-2-3-1): Bush (GK), Toia (LB), Ciman (CB), Leferve (CB), Gagnon-Lapare (RB), Bernier (CM), Reo-Coker (CM), Alexander (LM), Piatti (CAM), Duka (RM), McInerney (ST)

-Montreal have a host of injuries, most notably Kenny Cooper, Eric Miller, Hassoun Camara, and Duka may have a slight head injury which could keep him out of tomorrow’s game.

NYC (4-4-2): Saunders (GK), Wingert (LB), Hernandez (CB), Facey (CB), Brovsky (RB), McNamara (LM), Jacobson (CM), Poku (CM), Ballouchy (RM), Mullins (ST), Villa (ST)

-Shelton is still out with a knee problem, while full backs Calle, Williams, and Brandt all have muscle strains and will be out.

-Kreis could change up the formation of his defense, but after the man of the match performance Facey had it’s unlikely he will be sacrificed.

-Mix could also start over Poku, but after being with the national team and missing training it’s far more likely we’ll see him off the bench.

Final Thoughts

It won’t be easy for NYC, but it never really is.

Mullins scored the winner last weekend which is why we predict him getting the start, but the issue is him and Villa seem to lack any form of communication. One of the biggest issues is that they are similar forwards, guys who look to get a lot of touches, maybe move the ball out wide, and have a shot or cross it in. The problem that arises is with these similar styles there’s never any Nemec or other forward to get on the end of the crosses. Not saying Nemec would be able to make anything out of it, but Mullins and Villa have to figure out their shit if they’re playing up top.

Anyway, this’ll be a tough one. It seems likely NYC will get a tie, but if Montreal come out swinging things could get ugly.

Let’s go Poku. Give ’em hell.