Montreal Impact vs. Atlanta United | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Montreal Impact vs. Atlanta United
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 22
Stade Saputo — Montreal
July 28 - 7 pm ET
WATCH: TVAS, ESPN+

The Montreal Impact will look to put a midweek Canadian Championship ouster behind them and continue their fine form at Stade Saputo, where they’ve won their last five games, when they face Supporters’ Shield-leading Atlanta United, who currently top MLS with six road victories.

The Five Stripes won the first meeting between the Eastern Conference foes, 4-1, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on April 28. Miguel Almiron and Kevin Kratz both struck for braces inside the final 20 minutes after Saphir Taider put the visitors in front in the 13th minute.

Montreal Impact

Montreal (9-12-1) had a one-goal lead going into Wednesday night’s second leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Not only did the Impact fail to secure a critical away goal, they conceded the equalizer in the 19th minute when Yordy Reyna slotted in a shot off a Jake Nerwinski assist. Kei Kamara then netted the decisive goal from the penalty spot after Marcel de Jong drew a penalty from Shamit Shome.

“Coming here, we only needed one goal to make it very difficult for them and I think we found it very hard to move up the pitch and obviously they came out strong and kept us in our own half,” defender Michael Petrasso said. “We struggled with their height and advantages. Going into this game we needed one goal, and it's unfortunate we couldn’t find the net to make it much more difficult for them.”

Suspended: Remi Garde (head coach)
Suspended after next caution: D - Chris Duvall
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Zakaria Diallo (ruptured Achilles tendon), D - Kyle Fisher (tibia injury), M - David Choiniere (ankle surgery), M - Louis Beland-Goyette (foot injury), D - Chris Duvall (calf)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Evan Bush — Jukka Raitala, Rod Fanni, Victor Cabrera, Daniel Lovitz — Shamit Shome, Samuel Piette, Saphir Taider — Alejandro Silva, Matteo Mancosu, Ignacio Piatti

Atlanta United

Atlanta United (13-4-5) conceded early, but Josef Martinez did Josef Martinez things, and the Five Stripes went on to defeat D.C. United, 3-1, last Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The runaway Golden Boot race leader leveled in the 29th minute, headed in the go-ahead goal less than 10 minutes into the second half and bagged his MLS record sixth hat trick in the 73rd minute after rounding David Ousted.

“I think that when one has the possibility to have someone in the kind of form that Josef is in right now all you can really do is sit back and watch and try to enjoy it,” Tata Martino said. “These moments where players are at a very high level, whether it’s Josef or Miguel [Almiron], they’re our players and all we try to do is give them confidence and enjoy those moments.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: D - Franco Escobar, F - Romario Williams
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Greg Garza (shoulder surgery), M - Darlington Nagbe (right adductor), D - Sal Zizzo (right knee), D - Mikey Ambrose (right knee)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Brad Guzan — Franco Escobar, Michael Parkhurst, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Chris McCann — Julian Gressel, Jeff Larentowicz — Hector Villalba, Miguel Almiron, Andrew Carleton — Josef Martinez

All-Time Series

Overall: Montreal Impact 1 win, 3 goals … Atlanta United 2 win, 7 goals … 0 draws
At Montreal: Impact 1 win, 2 goals … Atlanta United 0 wins, 1 goal … 0 draws
Last meeting at Montreal: Montreal Impact 2, Atlanta United 1 (April 15, 2017)