Impact have one eye on key CONCACAF game as they prepare for Revolution

MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact are moving from one red-hot opponent to another.

After ending the Los Angeles Galaxy’s five-game win streak with a 2-2 tie at home Wednesday, the Impact are off to face the surging New England Revolution.

The teams meet Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, with the Revolution seeking to sweep a three-game homestand. New England, which is 12-12-3 and third in the MLS Eastern Conference, has won four straight games and is 5-1-1 in its last seven.

But the last-place Impact (5-16-6) have picked up their play of late. The club is 2-2-1 in its last five games thanks in large part to the arrival of designated player Ignacio Piatti. The Argentine has four goals in five league matches since joining the club a month ago.

However, whether Piatti or other key players see action at New England is in doubt.

The club’s chances of reaching the playoffs are almost nil so their hopes of salvaging something positive from the season will come from the CONCACAF Champions League.

Their goal of winning their preliminary-round group rests on beating the New York Red Bulls, who visit Saputo Stadium on Wednesday. It is not known if New York will take CONCACAF play as seriously as the Red Bulls sit fourth in the East and are battling to stay in a top-five playoff position.

Coach Frank Klopas, whose club leads the group on two wins against CD FAS of El Salvador, said this week he will rest some players against New England to have as many of his first 11 as possible for the CONCACAF match.

Some of those decisions were made for him when centreback Matteo Ferrari (hamstring) and fullback Hassoun Camara (left elbow) left the game against Los Angeles with injuries. Midfielder Felipe Martins is suspended one match for yellow card accumulation.

Both midfielders Patrice Bernier (foot) and Issey Nakajima-Farran (thigh) returned from national team duty with injuries, although Nakajima-Farran may be available to play. Defenders Adrian Lopez (knee), Gege Soriola (shoulder) and Maxim Tissot (thigh) and midfielders Justin Mapp (groin) and Gorka Larrea (calf) were already sidelined.

Players like Piatti and 38-year-old striker Marco Di Vaio may also be saved up for the Red Bulls.

“Everyone knows it’s the game of the season,” Bernier said this week.

That would mean fielding a mostly young squad against the Revolution, a team Montreal has had success against since joining MLS in 2012.

One of the Impact’s wins this season was 2-0 over the Revolution in Montreal on May 31, which ended a five-game winning run. And they posted wins at New England in both 2012 and 2013.

Players like forward Jack McInerney, who has five career goals against New England mostly while playing for Philadelphia, and academy products Wandrille Lefevre and Karl Ouimette may be called to action.

“Whether the coaches are going to look at resting some players or not, we have a lot of games coming up and Wednesday is that big game that’s going to have a lot of our focus,” said midfielder Calum Mallace. “It doesn’t matter who is in the lineup.

“As players, we train every day waiting for the team to call our number. When the coach calls on you, you’re ready to do whatever it takes to try to help the team win.”

The Revolution have noticed the Impact’s improved play of late, which includes scoring two goals in each of the last four matches.

“I don’t look at the standings when I’m looking at film,” New England head coach Jay Heaps said on his team’s website. “I’m looking at what they’ve done in the last three games, and if you go back and watch Montreal, they’ve been really aggressive and really dangerous.

“Adding (Piatti) has really kind of pulled things together for them.”

The Revolution added U.S. international midfielder Jermaine Jones two games ago and then picked up six-foot-three striker Geoffrey Castillion, who may make his MLS debut against Montreal.

But their big weapon is midfielder Lee Nguyen, who has four goals in his last four games and 12 on the season.

“Everything rolls through Nguyen,” said Bernier. “He is the machine that keeps the ball moving for them in midfield. Now they added Jermaine Jones, so they are even stronger down the middle.”

NOTE: The Impact signed home-grown midfielder Louis Beland-Goyette to a pro contract. Beland-Goyette, who turns 19 on Monday, had two assists in eight PDL matches this season and also played in three Reserve League games. The native of Pointe-Claire, Que., is the eighth product of the club’s academy to sign with the MLS team.