MONTREAL – FC Montreal gets its 2016 USL season underway this Friday at 7pm EDT at the Olympic Stadium against Bethlehem Steel FC. Admission is free, doors open at 6pm, and the game will be broadcast live on the USL’s YouTube channel.
This will be a second season in the USL for the Montreal Impact’s second team. In 2015, it posted an 8-16-4 record, with a positive 7-5-2 record in the second half of the season after a tough start.
FC Montreal’s roster will once again be one of the youngest in the league. This offseason, four U18 players joined those who will be returning for a second season: winger Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla (16 years old), midfielder David Choinière (19), centre back Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (18) and goalkeeper James Pantemis (19) will thus begin the 2016 season with the USL roster.
“I think the younger players know what to expect,” said defender Janouk Charbonneau. “I want to lead by example on and off the field, but then again, the new players are just as mature. This is a physical, quick league. The slightest lapse in concentration can be costly. But we expect the play to be similar to last year, so it’s up to us to play a good game.”
Charbonneau and full back Zachary Sukunda were the players who logged the most regular-season minutes for the team last season. Winger Alessandro Riggi was the team’s top scorer, with nine goals.
The Bleu-blanc-noir underwent a lengthy, 12-week preseason that included nine friendly games. The first ones were played against Quebec university teams, followed by fixtures against Southern New Hampshire University, the Rochester Rhinos and Ottawa Fury FC, as well as a friendly against the first-team. FC Montreal’s preseason record stands at five wins, two ties and two losses.
“This was a long preseason where we were able to work on several aspects of our game,” said head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “We observed individual progress, and in terms of our collective play, we saw that this team was able to play at a high level for longer periods of time, making fewer rookie mistakes. This group is eager to get the season going to see how they have progressed and whether they can be contenders for a playoff spot from the very first day.”
This Friday’s opponent, Bethlehem Steel FC, will be making its USL debut. Philadelphia Union’s second team is made up of MLS players and of NASL and USL recruits, as well as players from overseas. Brendan Burke will be the team’s head coach.
FC Montreal’s following game takes place on Saturday, April 9, at 7:30pm EDT against Toronto FC II at the Olympic Stadium, after the MLS game between the Montreal Impact and Columbus Crew SC. Tickets for the first-team game include admission to the USL game.
