Impact Media is looking back on the year that was 2013, examining each month of the club’s second campaign in Major League Soccer, breaking down the team and individual performances that stood out.
Highlights
The Impact started the season with four straight victories, including two consecutive games on the road to start things off, in two of the most difficult places to play in Major League Soccer: Seattle and Portland. The club then returned to Montreal to win two straight at home - the only two matches held at Olympic Stadium in 2013.
Challenges
Starting the season on the road, the Impact did not return home following its season opener in Seattle, but remained on the west coast to stay acclimatized to the hour difference, climate and such. Upon the team’s return, it hosted its first two games at Olympic Stadium on synthetic turf, which presents a different challenge for players, something the Impact also had to deal with in Seattle at CenturyLink Field.
Individual performances
Impact DP Marco Di Vaio led the way in the goal scoring category with two markers, but midfielder Patrice Bernier was probably the most effective Impact player offensively with one goal and three assists over the five games played. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins earned two of his eight shutouts on the year in the first month, while the Impact went undefeated with Alessandro Nesta in the lineup.
This and that
The team was sitting in first place overall in the Eastern Conference at the end of March. In its second matchup, a 2-1 over the Timbers in Portland, defender Hassoun Camara scored a spectacular bicycle kick goal. Defender Karl W. Ouimette made his first start for the Impact in MLS versus the Red Bulls, becoming the first ever Impact Academy product to be named to the starting lineup in an MLS regular season game.
