The Impact’s coaching staff has decided not to return to Montreal this week and the players approve of this decision.
At least that’s what goalkeeper Clément Diop assured during a videoconference on Tuesday noon. See in the video above.
“It’s a decision that was taken by the staff. We think it’s the best solution to prepare for the Washington match. “
“We wanted to work in the best conditions in order to be able to tackle Sunday’s game.”
However, it feels like the outcome of the game against Orlando influenced the club’s decision.
Indeed, the media were in the middle of an interview with Amar Sejdic after the match when he said he had to leave to attend a team meeting.
“There was a team meeting after Sunday’s game, we said we had to stay focused on the task,” confirmed Diop. We said to ourselves that we were all in the same boat and we agreed with the decision. ”
The French-born goalkeeper has also been cautious in addressing the other returns to Montreal in the last few weeks which have been more or less fruitful since the team could not then train.
“It’s always a delicate subject. You could say it’s better to stay there to work, but mentally there are some who need to see their family and to see something other than their teammates that they see 24/7. “
Mental fatigue
In this regard, there is no doubt that mental fatigue has made its way into the workforce.
“We’re not going to hide the fact that it’s been a mentally difficult year for the group and for the club, but we still have gasoline in the tank and we want to show us that in the next match.”
In fact, Diop believes that the team must make the playoffs to ensure that the sacrifices of the past few months have not been made in vain even if the team has only two wins in its last twelve games.
“We have been through so much. We haven’t won much in the last twelve games, but if we are still in a position to make the playoffs, it is because we won games before that. ”
Disappointment in the locker room
“We left home to go to New Jersey, we didn’t do it all for nothing. We want to fight for this place in the playoffs. Everyone is focused and determined for Sunday’s game, ”added Diop.
Even if it sometimes feels like the players just can’t wait for the ordeal to be over to get home, Diop assures us that this is not the case.
“There was a lot of disappointment in the locker room after the game against Orlando because we knew that a win would secure us a place in the playoffs.”
And now it will all depend on how the team performs against DC United on Sunday, one of the four teams chasing the Bleu-Blanc-Noir.
“It’s a good team, they have good players even if they haven’t had an easy season. We must approach this match with caution. ”
Head to DC
Meanwhile, CONCACAF announced on Monday that the Champions League, pending since mid-March, will end in mid-December.
But Diop refused to discuss it, saying it was not yet the time to broach the subject.
“For the moment, this is really not the subject we are discussing. For the moment we are thinking of the match of the weekend. It’s secondary for us at the moment. ”
The goalkeeper has also confirmed that he will not join the selection of Senegal during the next FIFA international match window in order to stay with the Impact, especially if the team qualifies for the playoffs.
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