The two teams will be playing for second place in the NASL division, with the Impact actually in third position, one point behind the RailHawks. The two teams are also battling for a playoff spot.
“The standings are very tight and the situation could change very quickly,” noted Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos. “The line is very thin between making the playoffs and missing them. Quickly, we could be near the top of the standings once again. There is a lot of parity in this league. All 12 teams want to win. The Impact is a good team, but the other 11 teams play at a high level as well.”
“It is not the ideal position but our group continues to be tight and everyone is going in the same direction with confidence. We know what we have to do to be successful,” added Dos Santos.
The Impact is looking to end a four-game winless streak on the road (0-2-2). The Impact tied its last game 1-1, Saturday in Maryland, against the Baltimore Crystal Palace.
After 20 games last season, the Impact had a 7-8-5 record. The team went on to win five of its last 10 games to finish 5th in the standings. In 2008, the Impact had a 7-9-4 record and also won five times in the last 10 matches to finish 3rd in the standings.
“We are not in the best situation and we are aware of it, but we remain confident because we are in a similar position as we were in the past,” said midfielder Antonio Ribeiro. “We want to make the playoffs, so we have to leave everything on the field and cut down on the number of goals conceded, especially off set pieces.”
This is the 4th and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Impact lost 2-0 on May 30 at Saputo Stadium, tied 2-2 in Cary on June 26, and won 1-0 on July 14, in Montreal.
Defender Simon Gatti will not be available for Saturday’s game. He will be serving an automatic one-game suspension after being ejected from the game against Baltimore.
Forward Marco Terminesi had to undergo surgery Thursday for an appendicitis. He will be out of the lineup for a minimum of three weeks.
Forward Peter Byers will also miss Saturday’s game. The Impact announced last Tuesday that the striker from Antigua and Barbuda is suspended indefinitely for breaking a team rule.
Defender Stephen deRoux (cheek), as well as midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo (calf) are still sidelined due to injury.
However, midfielders Rocco Placentino and David Testo will return the lineup Saturday. Both players have recovered from a groin injury.
Two Academy players traveled with the first team to Carolina: French defender Bonheur Aubey and midfielder Bastien Bourgault, from Lévis.
The RailHawks are playing the third of four consecutive games at home. Head coach Martin Rennie’s team has not won since the start of this series.
So far this season, the RailHawks have won only one of their seven home matches. Their only win at WakeMed Soccer Park was on April 10 against St.Louis.
The Impact will then play its next home match on Wednesday, August 11, against Baltimore (7:30 pm, radio-canada.ca/sports, CKAC Sports, The TEAM 990). For the final time, fans in attendance will be privy to a $1 Lafleur hotdog promotion, starting at 6 pm (when the doors open) until kickoff. Tickets for the game are available through the Admission Network (514-790-1245 / 1-800-361-4595 / admission.com) as well as at the Saputo Stadium ticket office.
OTHER NOTES
• Since the RailHawks joined the league in 2007, the Impact has a winning record with seven wins, three losses and three ties (19GF – 11GA).
• The Impact won three of its six matches played in North Carolina.
• Tony Donatelli and Philippe Billy are the only two Impact players to have appeared in all of the team’s 20 games this season.
• RailHawks’ goalkeeper Eric Reed is ranked 3rd in the league with a Goals Against Average of .800, while forward Etienne Barbara is the team’s leading scorer with five goals and one assist for 11 points.
THE NEXT 3 GAMES
• Wednesday, August 11 – Baltimore @ IMPACT – Saputo Stadium – 7pm (radio-canada.ca/sports, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990)
• Saturday, August 14 – IMPACT @ Rochester – Paetec Park – 7 pm (rhinossoccer.com)
• Saturday, August 21 – IMPACT @ Baltimore – Maryland Soccer Plex – 7 pm (palacebaltimore.com)
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Source : Patrick Vallée, Montréal Impact
Info : 514-328-3668 (ext. 227)
