Montreal-born goalkeeper collects clean sheet, Impact qualifies to tournament semifinal
These are the nights every professional athlete remembers: they remember the exact day, who the opponent was, what the weather was like, and most importantly, the outcome.
For goalkeeper James Pantemis’ first ever start with the Montreal Impact first team, the outcome couldn’t have been better: his team qualified for the Canadian Championship semifinals following a 1-0 victory yesterday night at Stade Saputo, meaning the Impact will face Cavalry FC, with the first leg taking place at Stade Saputo, on August 7, at 7:30pm (TICKETS – 98.5, TSN 690).
“When I found out I was going to start, I was initially really excited,” explained goalkeeper James Pantemis following the game. “The nerves hit me a little during warm-ups and in the beginning of the game, but I was well surrounded, and my team gave me confidence throughout the game.”
The Homegrown ‘keeper had to wait until the 86th minute to make his first and only save of the game, stopping a shot from striker Austin Ricci and giving away no rebound as York9 FC rushed the area looking for an equalizer.
But the West Island native was steady between the posts throughout the game after a somewhat nervous start, his teammates feeding him the ball often to relieve some of the pressure being applied on the backline.
“I was little nervous in the first five minutes,” added Pantemis. “After that first mistake, the whole group supported me and it calmed me down. I felt confident in nets and we took it from there, getting the clean sheet and the win.”
Pantemis started this one after goalkeeper Clément Diop made his first start of the year in the first leg of the quarterfinal, in York. Which ‘keeper will get the start when the Impact hosts Cavalry FC for the semifinals first leg remains unclear, although both netminders will be ready to go once the decision is made.
“We’ll see,” said Pantemis. “Whether it’s me or Clément, we’re both ready for the challenge. We train hard every day to bring the cup back to Montreal. It’s an objective we put in place as a group, so we’ll both be ready for what’s to come.”
Rémi Garde’s men will take on the Calgary representatives after they stunned the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, defeating them 2-1 over two legs to qualify for the next round. But before that, the Impact plays a crucial matchup against the leaders in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Union, this Saturday at 8pm, at Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690). Excellent tickets remain available on impactmontreal.com.
“The performance was great for me and for the entire group as well,” finished Pantemis. “It’s time to bring the same thing in our game against Philadelphia.”
