Two of the teams still in the running for the other spot in the final, the Syracuse Salty Dogs and the Toronto Lynx, have been forced to reschedule A-League regular-season games on August 18, causing a potential conflict.
The Can-Am Cup is a round-robin tournament involving four A-League clubs — the Montreal Impact, the Syracuse Salty Dogs, the Rochester Raging Rhinos and the Toronto Lynx — where every team played each other twice in a home-and-away series. The first and second-placed teams in the final standings were to play the final in the higher-seeded team's venue.
The Impact, who clinched first place, was ready to play the final at Claude Robillard Sports Complex, according to the schedule approved by all four participating clubs before the start of the season. But faced with the potential impossibility of presenting the final on the scheduled date, the team decided, in agreement with the other clubs, to cancel the final.
"Syracuse and Toronto are still in the race and they have been obligated to reschedule games on August 18," said Nick Filippone, the Impact's Vice President, Technical and Finances. "Alternate dates were examined but scheduling conflicts made it absolutely impossible to come up with suitable alternatives."
As compensation, Impact season ticket holders will be able to exchange their Can-Am Cup final tickets in return for tickets to one of the remaining Montreal Impact home games this regular season — August 25 or August 29 — or for the playoffs, excluding the final.
The Impact, which had claimed the first two editions of the Can-Am Cup, both wins coming at the hands of the Rochester Rhinos, therefore retains the title for the year.
THREE IMPACT PLAYERS WITH NATIONAL TEAM
Goalkeeper Greg Sutton as well as defenders Gabriel Gervais and Nevio Pizzolitto have been called up by Canadian national team head coach Frank Yallop for Canada’s World Cup qualifying match against Guatemala, this Wednesday, August 18 at Vancouver’s Swangard Stadium.
Since the Impact’s next two games are slated for this Saturday, August 14 in Quebec City, and then Sunday, August 22 in Sherbrooke, the three players should not miss any action with Montreal.
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SOURCE:
bcomm
INFO:
Stéphane Banfi
514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
