Major League Soccer 2012 Preview: Montreal Impact vs Columbus Crew Predictions
A lot has changed since the Andy Gruenebaum and the Crew shutout the Montreal Impact in Columbus back on March 24, but the team will carry the confidence from that victory into this weekend's match in Montreal.
Montreal Impact Preview
The Impact is coming off three straight losses. In that span, Jesse Marsch's side has been outscored 9-1. Montreal's lone goal of that tough stretch came in Wednesday night's 3-1 loss at Stade Saputo to Sporting KC.
"Hopefully we come out strong. It's something we did well (against RSL on 6/30)," Gaven said. "We'll try to get all over them early and hopefully if we do that, it will kind of kill their spirit a little bit and we'll score a few goals. We're just going to try to build off what we did last game and hopefully do the same thing up there."
"We can get an idea of how they want to play us and how they play at home from video of the game they played last night," echoed Gruenebaum.
Columbus Crew Preview
The Crew could have up to 26 players available for selection on Sunday as Chad Marshall, Dilly Duka, and Carlos Mendes have all participated in training this week as they hope to return from injuries. In addition, new signing Jairo Arrieta will make his debut in Black & Gold against the Impact.
The added bodies in training have sparked competition amonst the team as players fight for spots in the starting XI.
"(Competition) is always going to make us better. Everybody is fighting for spots, Gaven explained. "We've got some guys coming back from injury. It's going to push everybody harder, which is going to make our team better as a whole."
Added Gruenebaum, "When you breed competition in training, it makes everything better. It makes everybody's decision harder as a coaching staff to pick the starting XI."
The man in charge of choosing that starting XI, head coach Robert Warzycha, says his lineup will depend on what combination he feels will be most effective against this week's opponent, the Montreal Impact.
"We're going to play a little bit (in training) and figure out what's best against Montreal," Warzycha said. "Sometimes, the team that you play against determines who you're going to put on the field. The best matchup is going to be key to the match."
Montreal Impact vs Columbus Crew Predictions: 1-1 Draw
If it weren’t for the injuries of Columbus I would have it 2-1 for the Crew. But, with the combination of injuries and the poor play of Montreal this goes down as a tie.
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Montreal Impact vs Columbus Crew