MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will hold the first training session of its pre-season camp on Tuesday at Olympic Stadium. The team will then fly to Orlando, Florida, to continue its camp until February 3.
Five Academy players will be invited: goalkeepers James Pantemis and David Paulmin, defenders Aron Mkungilwa and Mélé Temguia, as well as winger Jimmy-Shammar Sanon. The first pick from this past MLS SuperDraft, forward Nick DePuy, will also be there.
Argentine midfielders Ignacio Piatti and Hernán Bernardello will join the team in Florida on Wednesday.
Defender Ambroise Oyongo will miss the first phase of camp, as he is currently playing the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon. Oyongo has played every minute of his team’s three Group A games. The Indomitable Lions will face Senegal in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, January 28.
Winger Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, midfielder Shamit Shome and Academy defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère are with the Canadian U20 national team and will also miss the start of camp. Canada U20 will train in Mexico to prepare for the 2017 CONCACAF Men’s U20 Championship in Costa Rica, from February 17 to March 5.
Left-back Anthony Wallace has been invited by the team and will join the Impact for a trial, starting on Wednesday. Wallace, 27, has recorded two goals and two assists in 44 MLS games. He has also played one game with the United States national team in 2011.
Defender Amadou Dia, who is out of contract but was originally invited to camp, will be not be able to participate due to an injury.
Following the Orlando camp, the Impact will train for a week at Olympic Stadium, in Montreal, before leaving to St. Petersburg, Florida, for 12 days. The team will play four preseason games, including three at the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational.
The Bleu-blanc-noir will kick off its season on Saturday, March 4, against the Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium, in San Jose, at 10pm ET and will then play its home opener on Saturday, March 11, at 7pm at Olympic Stadium against the MLS Cup defending champion, the Seattle Sounders FC.
2017 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
Goalkeepers (5) : Evan Bush, Maxime Crépeau, Eric Kronberg, James Pantemis, David Paulmin
Defenders (9) : Victor Cabrera, Hassoun Camara, Laurent Ciman, Chris Duvall, Kyle Fisher, Wandrille Lefèvre, Aron Mkungilwa, Mélé Temguia, Anthony Wallace^
Midfielders (10) : Louis Béland-Goyette, Hernán Bernardello, Patrice Bernier, David Choinière, Marco Donadel, Calum Mallace, Dominic Oduro, Ignacio Piatti, Andrés Romero, Jimmy-Shammar Sanon
Forwards (4) : Nick DePuy, Anthony Jackson-Hamel, Matteo Mancosu, Michael Salazar
Absent (4): Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, Ambroise Oyongo, Shamit Shome, Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla
* Academy player
^ Trialist
2017 CAMP CALENDAR
January 24 – Training at Olympic Stadium and departure for Orlando
February 3 – Return to Montreal
February 6-13 – Training at Olympic Stadium
February 14 – Departure for St. Petersburg
February 15 – Preseason game against Chicago Fire
February 18 – Preseason game against D.C. United
February 22 – Preseason game against Philadelphia Union
February 25 – Preseason game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies
February 26 – Return to Montreal
March 4 – First game of the 2017 season in San Jose
March 11 – Opening game at Olympic Stadium against Seattle
