THE GAME AT A GLANCE
• In Montreal’s last game, Tuesday, two goals by Mauricio Salles gave the Impact a 2-0 win over the Toronto Lynx, in front of a record regular-season crowd of 13,367 fans at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
• With the win, the Impact took first place in USL D1 standings with 26 points, tied with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Impact, however, had five games in hand over Vancouver before the Whitecaps’ game in Minnesota, Friday.
• The win also allowed the Impact to set a new club record for the best start of the season at home, with an undefeated streak of eighth games (5-0-3). Overall, the team is unbeaten in its last 10 games (6-0-4).
• Goalkeeper Andrew Weber has played seven consecutive games (4-0-3) and has recorded five shutouts so far this season.
• The Impact has the best defense in the league, having allowed only five goals in 13 games this season, for a 0,38 GAA. The Impact has 10 shutouts so far this year.
• The Impact has a lifetime record of 14-15-4 in games played over consecutive days, with a record of 7-7-2 in the openers of such doubleheaders.
• Since 1994, the year Seattle joined the league, the Impact has a lifetime record of 4-12-1 against the Sounders. The Impact has not won in its last four regular-season games in Seattle (0-3-1). The last win was on July 17, 1996.
THE OPPONENT
• The Seattle Sounders are the defending USL D1 champions and are currently in 10th place overall in the standings, with 19 points.
• The Sounders have had a slow start but are currently having a good stretch. The team has not lost in its last four games (3-0-1). Seattle, however, has not played since July 1 in Miami.
• Seattle has the worst defence in the league with 30 goals allowed this season.
• Last year, the Sounders ended the regular season fourth in the standings. They subsequently beat the Impact in the semi-finals and the Richmond Kickers in the championship final.
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
HEAD-COACH NICK DE SANTIS
“Seattle is playing well lately and they are right back where they should be. We have to go there with a good mentality even if it’s been a while since we played on the road. We left with 20 players and we know we have depth in our line-up to have good results in both games. Some of the players that didn’t play much may have more game time. The standings are so close that we have to keep our rhythm.”
FORWARD DANIEL ANTONIUK
“Yes, back to back games are tough physically but all teams have to deal with that. You have to give your best and not use that as an excuse. We are playing pretty good soccer right now so the confidence is high but we know it will be harder on the road. We have not lost in our last ten games so we want to keep that streak alive. This weekend, no losses will be good but two wins would be the best.”
MIDFIELDER PATRICK LEDUC
“I think we will be looking for some kind of revenge against Seattle. We still remember the loss in the playoffs last year. But once the game starts, we forget about all those things and we have to play our game. It will be important to start the trip with a win to take some pressure off our shoulders for the second game.”
FACTS TO FOLLOW
• The Impact’s next win will be its 200th in club history. Since 1993, the Impact has a 199-100-31 record.
• After 13 games so far this season, two Montreal players have played every minute of every game (1,170): central defenders Gabriel Gervais and Nevio Pizzolitto. Defender Mauricio Vincello has also played every game this season.
• Impact defender Nevio Pizzolitto, who received his fifth yellow card of the season Tuesday night against Toronto, will have to sit out the game in Seattle but should be back in the line-up, in Vancouver, on Sunday.
• Nevio Pizzolitto is only two games away from his 200th career game with the Impact. He will soon become the third player to reach the 200 games played mark, after Mauro Biello (276) and Nick De Santis (219).
INJURIES
Team – Player (Position) – Injury – Status
MTL - Antonio Ribeiro (M) – hamstring - day to day
MTL - Greg Sutton (G) – fractured index - could be back in August
IMPACT'S LAST GAME
Tue. July 11: Toronto 0 - Impact 2 (@ Montreal, 13,367 spectators)
Goals: Mauricio Salles (65th and 72nd)
NEXT GAMES
Sun. July 16 - Impact @ Vancouver Whitecaps - Swangard Stadium - 10 pm
Fri. July 21 - Impact @ Minnesota Thunder - James Griffin Stadium - 8 pm
Wed. July 26 - Seattle Sounders @ Impact - Claude-Robillard Sports Complex - 7:30 pm
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, ext. 27
