Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Montreal Impact
Wednesday, May 29, 10pm ET
BC Place, Vancouver, BC
Viewing party at McLean's Pub
TV: TVA Sports, Sportsnet One
Web: illico web
Mobile: illico mobile
VANCOUVER – The Montreal Impact faces the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the decisive leg of the Amway Canadian Championship at BC Place on Wednesday night, at 10pm (ET). The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports and Sportsnet, as well as on illico mobile and illico web. You can also get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter.
The two teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the ACC final on Wednesday, May 15, at Stade Saputo.
WATCH: First leg postgame
Going for it
“It’s a great challenge that lies ahead of us,” said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. “After a great game this past weekend, we have a lot of confidence going to Vancouver. We are ready for a tough game as we know that Vancouver wants the cup as much as we do. The importance is that we approach the game with the same attitude we’ve had all season.”
“We are expecting them to come out and attack,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush, who registered the shutout in the first game of the series. "They are playing at home so they are going to want to try and get ahead right away. That should open up space for us as well, so we’ll need to take advantage of that. Winning this title would be something that we cherish for a long time.”
“I think people forget that they need to score a goal just as much as we do after the 0-0 game here last time,” said forward Andrew Wenger. “If we score that important away goal, then we are in good position. Our confidence is high and we are feeling pretty good.”
Head-to-Head
This is the second of three games between these teams in 2013. Both teams will face each other again in regular season play on September 21 at Stade Saputo. The Impact and Vancouver also faced each other once in 2012. The Impact lost 2-0 in its MLS inaugural game on March 10 at BC Place.
Overall, the Impact has a record of two wins, three losses and four ties against Vancouver in the Canadian Championship since 2008. The teams met twice in the 2011 Canadian Championship. The Whitecaps won the first leg in Montreal 1-0, and lost the second leg at home 1-0. With the game tied on aggregate, Vancouver scored the winning-goal in extra time and advanced to the final.
Amway Canadian Championship
In the event of a tie after regulation time, the teams will play two 15 minute halves. In the result of a tie after 120 minutes, penalty kicks will determine the winner.
“It’s a great challenge that lies ahead of us”
- Marco Schällibaum
The Impact reached the final after winning the home and away aggregate goal series 6-2 against TFC in the semi-final of the Amway Canadian Championship, losing the first leg 2-0 on April 24 at BMO Field before winning 6-0 on May 1 at Stade Saputo.
The four-team tournament determines which club will lift the Voyageurs Cup and earn the right to represent Canada in the 2013-2014 CONCACAF Champions League. Clubs were seeded based on their 2012 league results in MLS and NASL.
The Impact won the first edition of the Canadian championship in 2008, and went on to reach the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal, winning the home leg against Mexican first division club Santos Laguna in front of 55,571 spectators at Olympic Stadium, on February 25, 2009. Toronto FC won the last four editions of the tournament.
Vancouver is looking for its first ever Canadian title, having never won the tournament in its six year existence.
Impact news
In its last game, the Impact topped the Philadelphia Union 5-3 at Stade Saputo last Saturday. Impact striker Marco Di Vaio scored the club’s first ever treble in MLS, while Andrew Wenger and Blake Smith scored their first goals of the season. Wenger earned his first multi-point game with an assist on the first goal of the match.
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. The team also has the best points per game ratio in the entire league with 2.09 and is first in MLS with an average of 1.8 goals scored per game.
“Winning this title would be something that we cherish for
a long time.”
- Evan Bush
The Impact has a record of 2-1-2 on the road in regular season action this season, and lost its first leg of the ACC semi-final versus TFC in Toronto 2-0.
Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush is scheduled to play, having started all of the ACC games for the Impact thus far in 2013.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC News
The Whitecaps FC are coming off of a bye weekend. In its last two games, Martin Rennie's squad played to two consecutive draws, including the first leg matchup versus the Impact. In its last matchup on May 18, Vancouver played the Portland Timbers to a 2-2 tie at home after the road team found an 84th minute equalizer. Midfielder Camilo Sanvezzo now leads the team in scoring with three goals (with one versus Portland), while assisting on the other.
Whitecaps FC forward Darren Mattocks, currently away with the Jamaican national team, is expected to fly into Vancouver for the game before rejoining his national teammates for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers set for June 4 and 7.
The Whitecaps FC are expected to go with a more conventional lineup in the second leg after starting six defenders in the first leg, aiming for a more defensive effort in the first meeting with the likes of defenders Brad Rusin and Alain Rochat playing in midfield, while midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker played right back.
In regular season play, the ‘Caps currently sit second from the bottom (8th) in the Western Conference with 13 points from 11 games played, only three of which were wins (3-4-4), scoring 14 goals but allowing 16 against.
Upcoming game
The Impact will travel directly to Kansas City Thursday to take on Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park on Saturday, June 1, at 8:30pm (ET).
