Last Saturday, the Impact U15s were the only Montreal team in action in the Development Academy championship. Serge Dinkota’s team won 1-0 against Cedar Stars Academy, an academy from New Jersey, at Centre Nutrilait, after a goal by Mahdi Djellab. It is their fourth win in as many games this season.
The Impact took some time to find its rhythm in the first half, but they still had a good opportunity in the 5th minute, when Tomas Giraldo took a strong shot from outside the box, forcing the goalkeeper to dive.
The winning goal was scored in first half stoppage time. Tomas Giraldo, in the box, passed to his right to Mahdi Djellab, who finished with his first touch and scored his first goal of the season.
The second half saw few chances from both sides. The best one came in the 60th minute, when Jean-Aniel Assi crossed the ball for Maximilian Banfi at the far post, but his shot was stopped by the goalkeeper.
“It was a difficult game. We started it with a lot of intensity, but we were not intelligent enough,” said midfielder Tomas Giraldo. “We had some lower moments in the second half, but were able to deal with them. It’s a positive result, but we still have to work on improving our play.”
Next games
The three Impact teams in the Development Academy will be in action next Saturday, at Centre Nutrilait, when they receive Oakwood Soccer Club’s teams. The U15s will play at 10am, the U17s at noon and the U19 at 2:30pm. The game is open and free to the public.
