Former captain dominated with three assists
For a guy like Patrice Bernier, whose career spanned almost 20 years, through multiple teams and an endless number of games, you’d expect some of it to be a blur by now. How is it possible to remember the endless details of so many encounters against so many different opponents throughout time?
But when I called him yesterday to discuss the Impact’s 4-1 win against the Seattle Sounders FC in 2012, the first MLS win at Stade Saputo, Bernier’s memory was sharper than ever.
“Felipe scored, Mapp scored, Wenger scored, but I can’t remember the last one,” said Bernier. “Lamar [Neagle] maybe? I assisted on all the other goals, but I can never remember the last one.”
It was indeed Lamar Neagle who netted the fourth in a 4-1 romping of the Sounders, and Bernier did indeed earn three assists – all more spectacular than the last.
“It was our first game at Stade Saputo,” explained Bernier. “Olympic Stadium is great, but here we’re closer to the fans. When things go well at Saputo, you get the impression that there are a lot more people present. I especially remember my third pass. The ball was bouncing, so I controlled while turning, and I had to weigh my pass to [Andrew] Wenger for him to score.”
A year of firsts
2012 was a year of ups and downs for the Montreal Impact, the new guys in MLS trying to make a name for themselves. The team itself was a mix of Canadians, Americans, internationals, locals – you name it – but it did have a healthy mix of MLS experience on it, with the likes of Justin Mapp, Lamar Neagle, and others.
“It was the beginning of everything,” added Bernier. “We were a team that didn’t really know each other, that was trying to take its place in MLS. It was a discovery for all of us. The Montreal Impact existed already, so we wanted to show that we were more than an expansion team. We may have been the new guys in MLS, but we had a history. We wanted to make an impact in this league.”
The beginning of that mission started a little precariously for head coach Jesse Marsch and his men. As Bernier mentioned, players were still taking the time to get to know each other and build chemistry, a road all expansion sides must take.
Finally, the Impact earned its first win after six games, edging out Toronto FC 2-1 at home, and things started to get better. Montreal earned two more wins after that, tight results against Portland and Sporting Kansas City, but struggled with consistency.
Heading into the Stade Saputo home opener was a big moment for this new side. First impressions are important as we all know, and this was the ultimate test. Against a Seattle side that was reputed as a top side in MLS, the Impact put its most dominating performance in MLS at that point, wowing those present with a 4-1 victory.
“It was an offensive spectacle,” said Bernier. “We weren’t just the Impact, the new guys that were going to suffer against every team. As a team, we stated that we could be dangerous offensively. Seattle was a good team in the league, so it was a good message to send, and other teams knew now that it would be difficult for them at Stade Saputo.”
This game will be broadcast live on the Impact’s website tonight at 7:30pm, so don’t miss out.
