The Montreal Impact may not have had Didier Drogba on the field and may have settled for a draw, but they still reached the postseason all the same thanks to the latest strong performance from Ignacio Piatti.
Piatti carried the load in Drogba’s headline-grabbing absence, scoring two goals while constantly being a threat in the Impact's 2-2 draw with Toronto FC on Sunday. The result combined with the New England Revolution's 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire guaranteed that Montreal would finish above the red line in the Eastern Conference this year.
“He’s been a guy who, if you get him in space, he’s going to kill you,” said Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush of Piatti. “When he gets out in space, he can beat anybody in this league 1v1. He’s got a lot of confidence right now.”
Piatti carried the bulk of the Impact's attacking burden on Sunday, and the 31-year-old Argentine scored his first goal of the afternoon in the 19th minute with an unbelievable individual effort.
On the play, Piatti controlled a difficult pass from Marco Donadel with ease before pulling off some fancy footwork that helped him avoid a tackle from Toronto’s Marky Delgado. Then, with his sights firmly on goal, Piatti curled a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box past goalkeeper Clint Irwin’s reach.
After Toronto’s Jozy Altidore made it 1-1 in the 51st minute, Piatti answered right back four minutes later with a well-placed strike from the penalty spot.
With the brace, Piatti moved to a team-best 17 goals and jumped temporarily into third place in the MLS scoring race. He dropped to fifth after Sunday's Western Conference matches took place, but remains just four goals back of David Villa and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
“Piatti is a difference maker,” said captain Patrice Bernier. “He came out firing in the first half. He was going at the goal, taking chances, and it set the tone. We need him to be involved and be willing to drive the team.”
Piatti, who finished the match with seven shots, now has three goals in his last three games. His good form is coming at the right time for the Impact, especially since the playoffs are around the corner.
“This is what you play for,” said Biello of the Impact’s clinched post-season berth. “It’s a long season and it’s not easy. I have to give credit to my players. They fought hard and believed the whole way through, even through difficult moments.
"We’ve been able to get results when we needed them. Now we’re in, and it’s about getting as far as we can.”
