Montreal Impact – Chivas USA
Sunday, July 7, 2013 - 7pm (ET)
Stade Saputo
TV: TVA Sports
Radio: CJAD 800
Web: illico web, MLS Live
Mobile: illico mobile
MONTREAL, Quebec – The Montreal Impact (9-4-3) will play its third game in nine days as it hosts Chivas USA (3-10-4) at Stade Saputo Sunday, at 7pm (ET). The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports and CJAD 800, as well as viaillico mobile, illico web and MLS Live. You can also get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter.
Sunday’s game will mark multicultural day as the Impact celebrates the cultural diversity of the city of Montreal. Amongst the special activities planned, a number of international musicians will be performing on site, including Brazilian and Latin sounds, as well as a plenitude of international dishes will be available.
READ: Celebrating Montreal's cultural diversity
Also, Sunday’s matchup will be presented by Home Depot, with a number of prizes and giveaways, including “Unlock the Home Depot door” in the Soccer Celebration zone for gift cards and prizes to be won, 5,000 roll banners handed out at the entrance and a Zorb ball race at halftime with a $1,000 gift card for the winner.
Some excellent tickets are still available for Sunday’s game:
Online: admission.com - until 12pm on Sunday
Admission Network: 1-855-790-1245 - 9am-8pm (but until 12pm Sunday)
Montreal Impact: 514-328-3668 - 9am-4:30pm on Sunday
In person: Stade Saputo - starting at 9am
Head-to-head
This is the first ever visit by Chivas USA to Stade Saputo, as the teams met only once prior to this matchup. The Impact travelled to L.A., losing 2-1 to Chivas on June 20, 2012.
Felipe scored the lone goal for the Impact in that loss, while both Chivas goal scorers, Alejandro Moreno and Juan Pablo Angel are no longer with the club.
Preview vs CHV: Troy Perkins
Impact news
The Impact still sits in first place in the Eastern Conference standings, having earned 30 points from 16 games played – two points ahead of the New York Red Bulls with three games in hand.
The Impact lost its first home game of the season last Saturday against the Colorado Rapids by a 4-3 score, but has an overall record of 6-1-1 in eight home matches.
In its most recent matchup, Wednesday night at BMO Field, the Impact came back from a two-goal deficit against Toronto FC to earn a point on the road in a 3-3 draw. Midfielder Andres Romero, defender Hassoun Camara and Marco Di Vaio, who notched his league leading 11th goal this season, scored for the Impact.
READ: DelPiccolo signs with the Impact
Both Di Vaio and Felipe, with his assist on the Italian striker’s goal, have earned at least a point in their last three games. Felipe joined midfielder Patrice Bernier for the team lead in assists with five, while the Brossard-native continues to lead the league with four game-winning assists.
The Impact has scored the first goal in 10 of 16 games played this season and has yet to lose when scoring first: 7-0-3. The team has a record of 6-1-1 when it leads at the half, outscoring its opposition in the first frame 15-11.
The team’s offence is firing on all cylinders as it leads the league in scoring with 30 goals and is also the highest scoring home team in in the league with 19 goals.
Chivas USA News
The Los Angeles-based club has gone through a number of changes in 2013, both at the start of the season, and most recently in the last few weeks.
Chivas brought in infamous Mexican coach Chelis to take the reins this season. After a promising start, he managed a record of 3-7-2 in 12 games and parted ways with the club at the end of May.
With his departure, a number of players were also released by the club, including midfielders Giovani Casillas (on loan from CD Guadalajara), and Joaquín Velázquez; declined options for midfielders Miller Bolaños and Laurent Courtois, as well as releasing Josue Soto.
Chivas’ luck hasn’t changed since the club brought in José Luis Real Casillas, former Mexican national team player and technical director of CD Guadalajara, as its new coach, going 0-4-2 since he took over. However, there have been positive signs as of late as Chivas has tied its last two games, including a 0-0 draw versus one of the top teams in the Western Conference in its last matchup Thursday night versus FC Dallas. With the draw, the team is 1-4-3 on the road this year,
Despite a number of changes, two players have remained a stabilizing force for the Goats. Having seen time both as a defender and midfielder over the years, Jorge Villafaña is having his best season in terms of points with one goal and three assists so far since joining the team back in 2007.
READ: Player watch - Jorge Villafana
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, the team’s captain, moved to L.A. in 2008 and has been consistent for a club that has had a turnstile of coaches and players during his time there, amassing 16 shutouts over his last two-and-a-half seasons.
Former Impact expansion draft selection, defender Bobby Burling, has returned to full action this season, playing in 11 games after sitting out most of last year.
Chivas has also brought in reinforcements for its back line in U.S. international Carlos Bocanegra. The 34-year-old spent last season with Real Racing de Santander in Spain’s second division. The former US captain will not be in the team’s lineup on Sunday as the club must wait for the summer window transfer to officially open before he can be added to the MLS roster.
Upcoming games
Following Sunday’s game, the Impact will head to New York to take on the Red Bulls on Saturday, July 13, 7pm (ET), at Red Bull Arena. The game will be broadcast live on RDS and TSN2. The Impact will then return to Stade Saputo to host FC Dallas on Saturday, July 20, at 7pm (ET).
