MONTREAL – As part of a double header against FC Bolts Celtic, the Montreal Impact U18 and U16 teams played their first ever home opener in the US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA), Sunday, at the Saint-Jean-Vianney Sports Complex, while the U21 squad went on to win its fourth game in a row this weekend.
Impact U16
The Impact U16 side earned its first victory in USSDA, beating FC Bolts Celtic 3-1. David Choinière, Claudio Di Zazzo and Kerry Zhang scored for the home side.
“We are very pleased to have won our first game, following a really good week of training,” explained Impact U16 head coach Jason Di Tullio. “Our objective is to improve each game. By using a good work ethic all season long, we will be successful and develop good players.”
Impact U18
The Impact U18 (0-0-2) played to a second consecutive 0-0 draw. Goalkeeper Samuel Dufort earned his second shutout in a row.
“This is a new league for us, so we are still learning,” said the Impact U18 head coach Wilfried Nancy. “There is a little bit of frustration in the group as we are still looking for our first goal. We have to be able to differentiate between speed and anticipation. On a positive note, we have not lost a game and have not allowed a goal. We have to continue to work on our finishing and how we develop offensively in the final third.”
“We were a little slow in the first 20 minutes, but after that, we improved upon our ball movement and we gained confidence in our game,” noted U18 midfielder Jonathan Vallée. “For a second consecutive game, we have not allowed a goal against, so that’s encouraging.”
The Impact U16 and U18 teams play their next game on the road against FC Westchester on Sunday. Their next home game is set for September 30 against the New York Red Bulls, at the Saint-Jean-Vianney Sports Complex.
Impact U21
The Impact U21 (9-3-5) continues its climb into the playoffs with its fourth consecutive victory in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL), Saturday night, defeating Niagara United 3-0 at the Kalar Sports Park, in Niagara Falls.
Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé, Zakaria Messoudi and Mircea Ilcu scored for the Impact, while Jason Beaulieu earned the shutout. The win pushed the U21s into the 5th spot in the standings.
