MLS 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: New York Red Bulls vs Montreal Impact 

Montreal Impact visited the Big Apple on an MLS midweek fixture where the guests significantly reduced the New York Red Bulls’ threat and won the match in the second half with scoring two goals. This tactical analysis will reveal both teams’ approaches and how Montreal beat Chris Armas’s side. 

There were no clear favourites, on one hand, the visitors had a slightly bigger chance as they doing good in the MLS Eastern Conference though. With recorded five wins, four draws and two losses they are on the upper half of the table. 

On the other hand, NYRB started to get into the better form after a pretty bad season start. Last week they achieved a magnificent victory against LA Galaxy. In addition to that, the previous meetings make NYRB’s side hopes stronger since Montreal the last victory at Red Bull Arena was in 2016. 

Lineups

The visitors switched from the usual 4-3-3 formation to match the opponent’s structure thus Rémi Garde deployed 5-3-2 system where Rudy Camacho started between Raitala and Diallo in the middle of the defence. Brault-Guillard and Lovitz employed as a wing-back. On the midfield department, Shome and Browne replaced Taïder and Azira. While Ignacio Piatti is out due to his injury, Jackson-Hamel and Urruti started upfront. 

The home side also has a painful absence, namely Bradley Wright-Phillips who was usually replaced by White, but this time Tom Barlow made it to the starting XI as a lone forward in a 5-4-1 system that Chris Armas recently deployed. Although it was more likely a 3-3-3-1 in possession and in defence, the formation transformed into a 5-1-3-1/5-4-1 shape, which I will explain below.