Sporting Kansas City - Montreal Impact
Saturday, June 1, 2013 - 8:30pm (ET)
Sporting Park
TV: TVA Sports
Web: illico web, MLS Live
Mobile: illico mobile
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – After winning the Canadian title, the Montreal Impact returns to regular season action on Saturday, taking on Sporting Kansas City at 8:30pm (ET) at Sporting Park, in Kansas City, Kansas. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports, as well as on illico mobile, illico web and MLS Live. You can also get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter.
The Impact sits in second spot in the Eastern Conference standings, having earned 23 points in 11 games played (7-2-2), just two back of the conference leading New York Red Bulls, but with four games in hand.
March 30 2013: SKC 2-0 MTL
Refocus on the regular season
“This will be another difficult game for us, especially after the emotions from Wednesday night,” said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. “I want to see the team give its best on the field against Kansas City. We are facing a team that is really tough to beat at home.”
“It’s a tricky turnaround for us, but we won’t play for another two weeks,” said forward Andrew Wenger. “This is a big game for us playing Kansas City on the road. We’re all excited to play in a great stadium and atmosphere, and the pressure should be on them. We hope to get a good result.”
“We must get our emotions under control quickly and refocus on the MLS regular season,” added midfielder Patrice Bernier. “We didn’t play well here the last time. We know that we’ve won before in Kansas City and we want to do it again.”
Head-to-Head
This is the second of three regular season games between these two teams in 2013. In the first matchup, SKC got the better of the Impact on home soil, winning the game 2-0 at Sporting Park, on March 30.
READ: Head-to-head - Camara vs Kamara
The Impact and Sporting Kansas City faced each other three times in 2012. The Impact won the first matchup 2-0 on May 5 at Sporting Park before losing 3-1 at Stade Saputo on July 4. The teams then tied 0-0 at Stade Saputo on September 22.
Impact news
In the team’s last game on Wednesday, May 29, the Impact was crowned Canadian champions after tying the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-2 at BC Place. The Impact took the title thanks to its two away goals, following a scoreless draw in the first leg at Stade Saputo on May 15. Midfielder Felipe and defender Hassoun Camara scored to secure the title. Midfielder Justin Mapp was named tournament MVP with a goal and two assists in three games played.
The Impact is looking to extend its winning streak to three in MLS regular season play after besting Real Salt Lake at home 3-2 on May 11 and then topping the Philadelphia Union at Stade Saputo 5-3 on May 25, thanks to a treble by striker Marco Di Vaio.
Di Vaio is now tied for the league lead in scoring with nine goals (in just 11 games played) with Philadelphia Union’s Jack McInerney (13GP). The Italian striker was named MLSSoccer.com’s Player of the Week, the Top Performer of the Week and topped the Castrol Top 20 index.
The Impact has a record of 2-1-2 on the road in regular season action.
Sporting Kansas City News
Sporting currently sits in third spot in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the Impact, with 22 points (6-4-4). However, the Impact holds three games in hand on last year’s US Open Cup winners.
“I want to see the team give its best against KC”
- Marco Schällibaum
SKC is coming off of a midweek fixture in which it qualified for the fourth round of the US Open Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over PDL side Des Moines Menace. Forwards Claudio Bieler and Kei Kamara scored in the win.
With the end of the EPL season, Kamara has returned to KC following a loan to Norwich City FC and has scored two goals in five appearances over all competitions for his ‘new’ old team.
He got his first in SKC’s last regular season tilt, a 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo at Sporting Park on May 26.
SKC will be without a few key members of its roster. Forward Soony Saad (Lebanon), defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi (US) were named to their respective national team rosters for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Defender Chance Myers has returned from injury, seeing time in KC’s Open Cup match midweek.
Upcoming games
International competition for World Cup qualifying has led to a break in the MLS schedule. The Impact returns to action on Saturday, June 15 against the Crew in Columbus at 7:30pm (ET). The Impact will play its next home game versus the Houston Dynamo on June 19 at 8pm (ET) as the organization will celebrate Father’s Day.
