The last time United faced the Montreal Impact on Aug. 4, the clubs were on two different paths. United had just opened Audi Field with an emphatic victory over Vancouver but dropped matches against Atlanta and the Red Bulls before scoring in stoppage time to pick up a crucial win against Colorado the week before.
By the time they arrived in Montreal, United were just starting their gradual climb up the table, while the Impact were pushing into their current playoff position.
Now the two clubs will be at a crucial crossroads when they meet Saturday night at Audi Field. Everything will be on the line for the Black-and-Red, who can jump within two points of Montreal with two games in hand with a win.
The match will be as close to a must-win situation as possible for the Black-and-Red if they hope to qualify for the postseason, and if the last meeting was any indication, United have a chance to make a statement.
In their previous match, Montreal caught United off guard and got on the board first when a shot from Ignacio Piatti took a strange deflection and landed at the feet of Matteo Mancosu who fired it in for the game’s first goal.
United took back control after the goal, but were frustratingly denied by the post on several occasions. Russell Canouse hit the crossbar from close range while Wayne Rooney was mere inches away from a spectacular free kick goal as well.
Yamil Asad, though, was finally able to break through in the 70th minute when he redirected a brilliant pass into the box from Luciano Acosta past Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush to make it 1-1.
As frustrating as the misses were, United’s ability to control the game was a promising omen for the future and is a reminder that they can control the pace on their home turf in Saturday’s match.
At Audi Field this season, United have scored an average of 2.2 goals per game while holding opponents to an average of one. Home-field advantage has played a huge role in the Black-and-Red’s rise and could make the difference in Saturday’s rematch.
More importantly, the team has grown leaps and bounds since their last meeting. The United attack has blossomed as Rooney has raised Acosta to a new level, while the defense, headlined by the return of goalkeeper Bill Hamid, has also improved to make United one of the toughest teams to play in the league at the moment.
United hope those factors will come into play when they take the field on Saturday for a match that could define the season for the Black-and-Red.
