On Saturday, the Montreal Impact hosted the Columbus Crew at the Olympic Stadium in what was a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals and prevailed by a score of 2-0 thanks to goals from Hassoun Kamara and Kyle Bekker.
The hosts started the game on the front foot dominating possession early but failed to make their dominance count on the score sheet. Outside of Lucas Ontivero’s curled effort that hit the post, Biello’s side didn’t muster many chances against the experienced Columbus defence. Throughout the first half, Ignacio Piatti looked the likeliest to find the back of the net and looked particularly dangerous when he combined with Ontivero. Over the weeks, the chemistry between the Argentines has been steadily improving.
After initial dominance, the Impact’s intensity dropped giving Columbus a window of opportunity to strike. Like the Impact, they had chances to score but were unable to get one past Bush due to their own wastefulness. On multiple occasions, Kei Kamara found himself unmarked inside the box but his teammates couldn’t find him, much to his frustration. As a result, both sides went into the break locked in a stalemate.
It only took the Impact three minutes after half-time to find the go-ahead goal via a Kamara header. The player came into the lineup for the unfit Ambroise Oyongo and proved his worth. As the half went on, the Impact created a number of clear-cut chances on the counter but couldn’t find the insurance goal. It was only in the 86th minute that Biello’s side would double their lead when Bekker headed it past Steve Clark. With their win
After the game, Kamara expressed his satisfaction at the result and his goal. “Every time I score I’m happy. I’ve been a bit more focused on the defensive side of my game but Biello reminded me that I can help the team offensively. I have to, it’s my job,” said the veteran defender. Since assuming the reigns of the club, offensive freedom is something that Biello has stressed and it’s been evident. With offensive-minded fullbacks like Donny Toia and Oyongo, the Impact are able to overwhelm their opponents out wide. Yesterday, even without Oyongo in the lineup, the theme continued.
The fullbacks aren’t the only players enjoying their new-found freedom under Biello as he allows the side’s skill players to express themselves. “We all know Piatti’s talent, you can’t take that away from him. It’s like you’re watching art. My job’s not to correct him but to guide him,” said Biello on Piatti’s tendency to hold on to the ball too long. Once again, the Impact manager showed that he doesn’t want to limit his player’s talents by shackling them with instructions.
Another difference between Biello and his predecessor is in the way they communicate to the players. For Biello, it’s all about being clear about what he expects from his men. “Clarity is everything when talking to the players and getting my message across,” said Biello. Due to this, Biello is able to get the most from his deep squad when needed. This wasn’t always the case under Frank Klopas as the former Impact manager was accused of having poor communication with some of his players.
The win
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