In the final match of a three-game road stint, Crew SC is taking on the Montreal Impact as it attempts to earn its first win of the 2016 season.
The Black & Gold are coming off a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas last week—a match after which Head Coach and Sporting Director Gregg Berhalter said his squad was “a little disappointed not to get the victory.”
Leading up to kickoff at Olympic Stadium, midfielder Justin Meram says the match in Montreal is a chance for his team to gain some momentum on the road.
“It’s going to be exciting,” he says. “Their fans are going to be ready, and they’re going to be pumped up, so we’re definitely excited to go out there and face them again. Two great teams, so it’s going to be a fun one to watch.”
The Iraqi international headed in his first goal of 2016 against Dallas and says that his team will need to be more efficient in front of goal.
“We just need to be better,” Meram says. “We need to be sharper, and we need to really focus when those moments come.”
Crew SC’s last match against the Impact resulted in an exciting 3-1 victory in the second leg of the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals, in which the Black & Gold advanced 4-3 on aggregate. Berhalter says the series last year between the two teams could have gone either way and that his squad is not underestimating the Canadian-based side.
“Montreal is a good team,” Berhalter says. “When we watched their Dallas game in preparation for the Dallas match—they were a good team. They are very similar to Dallas, have some creative playmakers and are good defensively. It’s going to be a tough game on the road.”
It will be a tough match and a new experience as Crew SC prepares to play at Olympic Stadium for the first time ever. The field is turf, increasing the speed of play, and Meram expects a fast-paced affair between two teams with lots of attacking power.
“They are pretty good on transitions,” Meram says about the Impact. “There is going to be space for us in the middle to penetrate their defense. We don’t want to be in a countering battle with them, but just stay composed and we’ll be alright.”
Although there is anticipation surrounding the Black & Gold returning to Columbus for a two-match home stand following Saturday’s game, Crew SC knows how important it is to keep its focus match-to-match throughout the season.
“I know we’re just taking it one game at a time,” Meram says. “We’re going on a three-game road stretch, and we did well in the first two, so let's finish off this week with a good result.”
Kickoff against Montreal is set for 4:00 p.m. ET. The match will be live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, FOX-28 and BCSN2. It will also be available on the radio at CD102.5 FM and 103.1 La Mega FM.
