Montreal Impact - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 7:30pm ET
Stade Saputo
TV: TVA Sports, Sportsnet
Web: illico web
Mobile: illico mobile
Ticket info
Admission Network: 1-855-790-1245 - 9am-8pm (until 2:30pm on game day on Wednesday)
Montreal Impact: 514-328-3668 - 9am-5pm
In person: Stade Saputo - starting at 9am
Online: admission.com - until 2:30pm on Wednesday
Buy your tickets
***IMPORTANT : Ticket holders already have this ticket as part of their package, marked GAME TO BE DETERMINED.***
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the first leg of the aggregate goal home and away Amway Canadian Championship final series this Wednesday at 7:30pm (ET) at Stade Saputo. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports and Sportsnet or you can get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter.
The tournament decides Canada's representative in the next CONCACAF Champions League. Through the first five editions of the Amway Canadian Championship, the Montreal Impact was the inaugural champion in 2008, with TFC winning the tournament from 2009 to 2012.
This will be the team’s seventh game in just 22 days. The return leg of the Amway Canadian Championship is set for Wednesday, May 29.
Excellent tickets are still available for Wednesday’s game.
Head to Head
The Impact has a record of two wins, three losses and three ties against Vancouver in the Canadian Championship since 2008.
In 2012, the Whitecaps beat the Impact 2-0 on opening day at BC Place – which happened to be the Impact’s inaugural game in MLS.
Pre-game comments
“The Whitecaps played a good game this past weekend against the Galaxy,” said Impact assistant coach Mauro Biello. “They are coming here with some confidence after beating a good team. They’re style of play is a little different, using three forwards and three midfielders. We will have to prepare well to adjust.”
“It’s all or nothing at this point,” said Impact defender Jeb Brovsky. “Playing the first leg at home changes things for us. Our mentality should be the same as when we played Toronto at home. The fire, the passion, going forward with conviction, that’s what we’ll have to do, especially against a team like Vancouver where the longer you keep them in it, the more they can punish you.”
The Impact qualified for the final with a 6-0 (6-2 aggregate) win in the 2nd leg of the semifinal against Toronto FC on May 1, 2013.
Impact news
The Impact will play on Wednesday its 100th game (51-26-22) at Stade Saputo, including 72 regular-season games (first and second division), six playoff games, eight Canadian championship games, four CONCACAF Champions League games and six international friendlies.
The Impact is still undefeated in six home games this season, including four wins and one tie in regular-season play, as well as one win in the Amway Canadian Championship.
The Montreal Impact came from behind to qualify for the final series thanks to a 6-0 victory over Toronto FC at Stade Saputo on Wednesday, May 1. With the lopsided victory, the Impact won the two game aggregate series 6-2 after falling to TFC 2-0 in Toronto exactly one week prior in the first leg.
Forwards Marco Di Vaio (two goals and two assists), Daniele Paponi, Andrew Wenger, Justin Mapp and Andres Romero all scored in the win, while goalkeeper Evan Bush recorded the shutout.
READ: Winning first leg key for Montreal Impact in final vs Vancouver
Striker Marco Di Vaio needs one goal to tie the Canadian Championship record for most goals in a tournament, held by Dwayne De Rosario (2009) and Maicon Santos (2011) with three. Di Vaio is also one assist away from the Canadian Championship record for most assists in a tournament, held by Davide Chiumento (2012) and Joao Plata (2011) with three.
In its last matchup, the Impact bested Real Salt Lake 3-2 in MLS action last Saturday, after falling behind on two separate occasions. Matteo Ferrari scored the game-winning goal for the home side in stoppage time.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC news
The Whitecaps FC bested FC Edmonton with a 5-2 aggregate win in the semi-final round to qualify for the finals, earning a 3-2 win in Edmonton in the first leg, while shutting out the team from the NASL 2-0 at home in the second leg.
In regular season action, the ‘Caps are coming off of its first win in eight games, having defeated the LA Galaxy 3-1 at home last Saturday thanks to a brace by Canadian international midfielder Russell Teibert and another from Jamaican Darren Mattocks.
“It’s all or nothing at this point.”
- Jeb Brovsky
The Whitecaps FC lost the services of Japanese international Daigo Kobayashi due to injury, which opened the door for Teibert’s entrance into the game. The 'Caps will continue to be without captain Jay DeMerit indefinitely due to a left Achilles tendon rupture, as well as midfielder/striker Omar Salgado who underwent successful surgery after re-fracturing his right foot. Striker Kenny Miller (hamstring) is listed as questionable.
VWFC has had some trouble scoring goals, having found the back of the net just 12 times in 12 games played with a young attacking core that includes rookies Kekutah Manneh and Erik Hurtado, whom have split time with sophomore Darren Mattocks, as well as third year players Corey Hertzog and Tommy Heinneman over recent games.
Honduran international captain Johnny Leveron, acquired in February to join DeMerit as a central defender, is finally fit and has replaced the Vancouver captain in the lineup over the last two games.
Next game
The team’s next regular season game will take place at Stade Saputo on May 25, 7pm ET, against the Philadelphia Union. It will be the second of three games to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the club.
