With Toronto FC coming to town on Wednesday to play the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship at Olympic Stadium, questions surrounding match priority and who will be play where and when have been asked as the Impact will play its second of five games in just 15 days.
Sebrango and Marsch, on 2012 ACC
“We are definitely putting a heavy emphasis on the Canadian Championship,” said Impact head coach Jesse Marsch. “As an organization, this tournament has brought with it a lot of notoriety to the city. Nick [De Santis] spoke to the guys this morning about how this is very important to us and the team, from top to bottom. We will make sure we address this competition in a real way. But at the same time, we can’t disregard the league, because we need the points. Lucky for us we have a deep roster. We will be using a lot of guys this month.”
And despite Toronto’s 0-7 record in MLS this season, including a 2-1 loss in Montreal on April 7, the Impact’s bench boss expects a tough game.
“It’s a dangerous time to play them, added Marsch. “There is obviously desperation there. But, playing in this tournament is like a fresh start for them. I’m sure that’s how they are going to look at it. You can almost throw a lot of their results out the window. We are playing a derby match and a Cup game. We are prepared for them to be at their best and fight for every play. We have to be ready for a hard fought game.”
“We are going to go with a lot of our regular guys on Wednesday…don’t tell Toronto.”
