Quote-unquote: Playoffs remain the goal
October 2, 201811:12AM EDT
George MenexisImpact Media
Follow@ menexisbro
Montreal confident despite heavy loss to D.C. United
We won't hide it: Saturday's matchup against D.C. United didn't go exactly as planned for the Bleu-blanc-noir. The loss allowed Wayne Rooney and his teammates to get within two points of the Impact in the Eastern Conference standings, with two games in hand.
But Montreal still remains in that sixth and last playoff spot, and if Ben Olsen's men have two games in hand, these are games they'll have to win if they hope to catch Montreal in the standings. Rémi Garde's men remain confident in their chances, knowing full well that they cannot drop points from their three remaining games., starting with a game against the Columbus Crew SC at Stade Saputo, this Saturday at 3pm (TICKETS - TVA Sports, TSN, 98,5fm, TSN 690).
Here's what was said by Samuel Piette and Quincy Amarikwa in the locker room after the game to keep things into perspective:
Midfielder Samuel Piette
…On qualifying for the playoffs
"If we come away with all nine points, we put ourselves in a good position to qualify for the playoffs. With the loss, D.C. catches up to us a little. They do have two games in hand, but they need to win them. We can only control what we do on the field. There are three games left. We aren't throwing in the towel. We need to keep our heads high and keep pushing."
Striker Quincy Amarikwa
…On the turning point this game represents
"When we look back on the season, this will be the moment that we decided if we stepped up or we crumbled. I'm confident of the quality we have in the locker room, and we're going to use this as motivation to move forward into the playoffs."
…On the attitude that needs to be adopted
"When something doesn't go your way, the attitude that you take is very important in overcoming that. These are the types of situations that aren't fun to go through, but they're moments to learn from, and catalysts to building the type of character you want. It'll be something to reference in the future when times get tough, because they will get tough in the next three games."
Impact Media EN
Postgame comments - MTL v TOR
Impact defeated 2-0 by Toronto FC
Highlights - MTL v TOR
Intensity reigns in return to training
Trailer | Impact visits Columbus this Saturday
Fighting adversity
WATCH | BMO's parachutes at Stade Saputo