Impact head coach Schällibaum - "Evan Bush can do the job against TFC" Although Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum likes to keep his cards close to his chest, he did reveal early on this season that with a loaded schedule during the Amway Canadian Championship tournament, keeper Evan Bush was going to start for the Canadian cup, beginning with the opening matchup next Wednesday versus Toronto FC. “With a lot of games, I have 20-22 players that I can count on,” said the Swiss coach. “You have to find that right mix to be competitive and well-rested before each game. That’s where Evan comes in. I have always been confident that he can do the job.” Bush signed with the Impact for MLS after playing with the club in its final season in the NASL in 2011, winning the Golden Glove for the league’s top goalkeeper. Last year, he made only one start http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/ne...-marco-schallibaum-evan-bush-start-toronto-fc
Impact Falls 2-0 to Toronto FC at BMO Field The Montreal Impact fell to Toronto FC 2-0 on Wednesday night at BMO Field in the first leg of the aggregate goal semi-final series of the Amway Canadian Championship in Toronto. The return leg is set for next Wednesday at Stade Saputo at 7:30pm (ET). Toronto FC defender Doneil Henry opened the scoring in the 49th minute following a failed clearing attempt. Henry, posted just outside the half-circle, hammered a one-timer after the ball was deflected in his direction that sailed into the top corner, leaving Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush no chance as he dove to his right. In the 81st minute, a counter attack following a giveaway at half field found Hogan Ephraim, who set up Andrew Wiedeman with a through ball behind the Impact defence. The TFC forward pushed the ball forward with one touch before firing a low shot past Bush to his right from just inside the penalty area. With a choppy start to the game for both teams, the Impact managed to win the possession battle in the first half with 56.1% and had the edge in open play crosses (9-6) and passes 227-177. Toronto had one more shot attempted in the first half (4-3), which ended up being the only one that was on target. In the 18th minute, Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush dove low to his left to knock away a left-footed free kick that curled around the wall from about 25 yards out by TFC midfielder John Bostock. In extra time, Bush came up big to stop TFC from scoring a third when Wiedeman was in alone again, but his point blank shot was punched away. This game was the first of a six-game stretch to be played in just 18 days for the team. A number of changes were made to the starting lineup, including goalkeeper Evan Bush, forward Andrew Wenger, midfielders Collen Warner and Calum Mallace, as well as left back Maxim Tissot, who all made their first starts in 2013. It was the first time the Impact had three Canadians in the starting lineup. Recently acquired Italian forward Daniele Paponi made his Impact debut in the 60th minute, coming on as a substitute for Calum Mallace. In Canadian Championship play, the Impact has never beaten TFC and is now 0-7-2. The tournament decides Canada's representative in the next CONCACAF Champions League. In the other semi-final of the tournament, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC face FC Edmonton. Post-game comments "Toronto wanted to win but we made a lot of mistakes," said Impact head coach Marco Schallibaum. "We are going to grow with this loss. The first half was pretty even but we made too many mistakes in the second half. Toronto was better tonight but there is a second game. The players showed me this week they were ready, but it was tough cup game. I trust my players. It's impossible to have all players play today and Saturday." "We have to recuperate quickly," said Bush. "We have a week to take a look at the things we did wrong, which we never really got on the ball and dictated the play. We have to try and fix those errors and do more positive next week. They exposed some mistakes so credit to them. We'll have to play with more confidence." "We started the game well. We got close to goal, but we were unable to score," explained Patrice Bernier, who wore the captain's armband for the game. "However, the second half, we lost most of our duals and we weren't able to match their level. They scored an important opening goal and as we opened things up near the end of the game, they managed a second. We have to wipe our memory clean and forget this loss as we have an important game on Saturday versus Chicago." Upcoming game The Impact will host the Chicago Fire in league play this Saturday at 4pm (ET) at Stade Saputo. Exceptionally for this game, students can purchase tickets at a discount of 15% in presale. Single game tickets for all of the team's home games are available via the Admission network (admission.com / 1-855-790-1245) or via the Stade Saputo ticket office (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).
Impact Qualifies for ACC Final with a 6-0 Win Versus Toronto The Montreal Impact came from behind to qualify for the Amway Canadian Championship final series thanks to a 6-0 drubbing of Toronto FC at Stade Saputo, Wednesday night, taking the two game aggregate series 6-2. The Impact will face the winner of the Vancouver and Edmonton semi-final series. Forwards Marco Di Vaio, with two goals and two assists, Daniele Paponi, Andrew Wenger, Justin Mapp and Andres Romero all scored in the win, while goalkeeper Evan Bush registered the shutout. The Impact opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Mapp slotted home his first goal in 2013. Midfielder Andres Romero's attempted lateral pass through the box from deep down the left flank was blocked, but forward Daniele Paponi managed to find the rebound and played the ball through to Mapp, who made no mistake from about 10 yards out. The Impact's second goal came thanks to a buildup that started in the back in the 34th minute. Defender Wandrille Lefevre, making his first ever start, played a long ball towards Jeb Brovsky near the touch line, right of centre. Brovsky used the outside of his foot to play Mapp into space. The Impact's opening goal scorer then cut towards goal and fired a shot that was stopped by TFC goalkeeper Stefan Frei, but the rebound fell to Paponi, who notched his first ever goal in Impact blue. Shortly after, Paponi was forced to sub out with an injury in the 37th minute, replaced by Marco Di Vaio. The Impact striker made his presence felt in the 44th minute when he finished off a cross that was played towards the penalty spot by Mapp. The midfielder took a step to beat his defender after corralling a short aerial pass by Romero and then played the ball just behind Di Vaio, who took one touch to bring the ball down before spinning and firing it past Frei. Di Vaio then set up Romero with a beautiful through ball in the 61st minute that the Argentinean ran down near the half-circle before playing it away from the charging keeper and putting into the back of the net from about eight yards out near the right post. The former Bologna man scored his second of the game in extra time when Mapp fired a shot from just outside the box after cutting towards centre field. Frei jumped to push the ball away, but the rebound found Di Vaio who buried it into an open net from in tight. With seconds ticking away, the Impact's number 9 played a long ball from near the flank at half-field behind the TFC defence, curling towards a streaking Andrew Wenger near the half-circle, who took one touch before putting it low past Frei to his right. Daniele Paponi, with a hamstring, and Davy Arnaud, with concussion like symptoms, were forced to leave the game in the second half. Goalkeeper Evan Bush, who had to get a tape job done on his nose following a collision with Hassoun Camara in the late stages of the game, finished the game. Post-game comments "To come back from a game in which we suffered like we did in the first leg, we showed the high level that this team can play at," said head coach Marco Schallibaum. "Tonight, we wanted to win without a doubt. I am very proud to be the coach of this team and proud of the guys tonight." "Today was a game about pride and character," said midfielder Patrice Bernier. "We answered the critics from last week and we played a game that the fans will remember for a long time." "A cup game is always a dog fight and we came out of it on the better end tonight," said defender Jeb Brovsky. "These are the games I live for, with a rival coming in. We knew we had to get some goals and we knew we had to be very tuned in today with Toronto taking advantage of our mistakes last game." Upcoming game MLS regular season action will resume on the road this Saturday versus the San Jose Earthquakes at 4pm (ET) and will be broadcast live on TVA Sports.
Impact Ties Earthquakes 2-2 in San Jose The Montreal Impact and the San Jose Earthquakes played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium. Midfielder Justin Mapp (24th and 47th minute) scored a brace for the Impact. Justin Mapp opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a blast from long distance. Fellow midfielder Felipe played the ball to Mapp towards the right side of field, just past half. Mapp, who was playing his 199th game in MLS, cut towards the middle, dribbling towards goal, then firing a left-footed blast from 35 yards out that bounced off the post before beating Quake's keeper Jon Busch low, to his left. Mapp then scored his second of the game in the 47th minute. Midfielder Andres Romero beat his defender deep down the left flank and fired a sharp angled shot on goal that was blocked by Quakes defender Victor Bernardez, falling to Andrew Wenger. The young American forward played the ball across the six-yard box, where Mapp was waiting far post to knock it home into an open net. The Earthquakes got one back in the 59th minute when forward Chris Wondolowski played a short lateral pass to Adam Jahn near the half circle. The rookie striker took one touch forward before beating Perkins low to his right as the Impact keeper came charging out to challenge the player. Sam Cronin scored in extra time for San Jose with a low blast from near the entrance of the box, beating a screened Troy Perkins to his right. Perkins, who reached the 15,000 minutes played plateau in MLS, was forced to make three key saves in the first 15 minutes of the game. In the 6th minute midfielder Rafael Baca found the ball near the corner of the six yard box and fired a rising shot but Perkins parlayed the ball. Then in the 12th minute, Quakes' Shea Salinas played a corner kick that curled in towards goal, far post, but Perkins managed to get a hand on it, diving backwards to push the ball out of bounds. Two minutes later, forward Adam Jahn hammered a half volley that rebounded off the cross bar and came back out into the box, forcing Perkins to make a diving save to his left on the rebound, off of a header from point blank range by Chris Wondolowski. Defender Matteo Ferrari, who was wearing the captain armband, returned to the lineup following two weeks of inactivity due to a calf injury. Collen Warner was called to the starting Xl for the first time this season in MLS regular season action, surpassing the 4,000 minutes played plateau in MLS. Andrew Wenger, making his first start of the regular season, had a chance to put the game out of reach in the 71st minute when he cut in from midfield on a break away, but his low shot was stopped by the Quakes keeper. Two minutes later, second half substitute Sanna Nyassi played Felipe behind the defenders, but the Brazilian midfielder managed to get just a toe onto the ball before Busch charged out of his goal and scooped up the ball. Post-game comments "It is always a shame to suffer an equalizing goal in the last minutes of the game, but our team did well today with the heat, the travel and pressure applied by the Earthquakes," said Impact head coach Marco Schallibaum. "They fought really well today. Overall, we are happy with the point on the road and the performance." "Road games are never easy but we had our chances to win the game," said midfielder Justin Mapp. "It seems time and time again you see San Jose come back. We battled hard today and we will be ready for our next game next Wednesday in New York." "At the end of the day, I should have done better on that last goal, but they probably wished they could have had more in the first half," added goalkeeper Troy Perkins. "It's just the way it happens sometimes. We knew they were coming to fight until the end. It was a battle." Upcoming game The Impact will return to Montreal on Sunday before departing for New Jersey where it will play a second consecutive game on the road, against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday at 7:30pm (ET) at Red Bull Arena. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports. The Impact plays its next home game at Stade Saputo on Saturday, May 11, against Real Salt Lake.
Impact Falls 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls The Montreal Impact lost for the first time in four regular season matches, falling 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena. New York Designated Player Thierry Henry scored a brace, while Marco Di Vaio scored for the Impact in extra time. Henry opened the scoring for the Red Bulls in the dying seconds of added time in the first half. Following a shot by Eric Alexander that banged off the cross bar, forward Fabian Espindola found the rebound and fed the ball to Henry in the six yard box. The former French international took a low shot on goal from point blank range that deflected off of an Impact defender near the goal line and went in. Henry then got his second of the game in spectacular fashion in the 88th minute. Juninho played a corner kick near the penalty spot where Markus Holgersson headed the ball back towards the far post that found Henry back to goal. The Red Bulls DP used a half volley bicycle kick to put the ball into the top corner, towards the opposite post from about 8 yards out. Di Vaio got one back for the Impact in extra time when he hammered a shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Midfielder Justin Mapp set up the Italian striker with a through ball. Then a few seconds later, Di Vaio came close to tying it when a deep cross into the box from Mapp was chested down by Hassoun Camara. Di Vaio then blasted a one timer that bounced off both posts. Down possession in the first with only 44.2%, the Impact regained control of the ball in the second half with 52% and finished the game with more attempts at goal with 17-13. Post-game comments "This result leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because we played our best game of the season," said Impact head coach Marco Schallibaum. "We had several scoring opportunities. The players believed until the end and did all they could to get a result. We deserved a tie. They were excellent tactically. Even with the loss tonight, I'm really proud of my players." "We made a mistake on their first goal and allowed a second goal in the final minutes of the game that prevented us from tying it," noted midfielder Patrice Bernier, who wore the captain's armband for the game. "We dominated, but we were not very precise. We paid the price on their efficient counter-attacks." "We got great opportunities to tie the game, but we were unlucky," said Marco Di Vaio. "We played a good game and were competitive for 90 minutes. We are not happy, but we feel we did well. We fight every match and have good chances to win, so it's positive." Other highlights The first real chance of the game fell to the left foot of Henry in the 18th minute. Red Bulls left midfielder Johnny Steele curled a chest-level cross through the Impact defence to Henry, but his one-timer bounced wide, far post, to Perkins' left. In the 21st minute, Impact midfielder Sanna Nyassi hit the cross bar with a blast from 20 yards out, facing the left post, after accepting a lateral feed from fellow mid Andres Romero. Then one minute later, Nyassi broke in alone on goal, using his speed to get through the New York defence, but Red Bulls keeper Luis Robles came charging out, sliding to stop the shot. In the 42nd minute, Brazilian midfielder Juninho curled one of his patented free kicks around the wall from about 20 yards out, but it slid just inches past the pole to Perkins' right. Impact keeper Troy Perkins was forced to make some big saves to keep the game close in the second half. Just after the whistle, Perkins made a diving stop as Eric Alexander got onto the end of a cross from the left flank by Heath Pearce with his head from point blank range that was destined for the bottom corner. Then in the 62nd minute, Henry played a cross from the left touchline that found Steele, who took the ball down with his chest before blasting one from the top of the box that forced Perkins to dive to his right to make the save. Midfielder Justin Mapp reached a milestone in this one, starting his 200th career MLS game while defender Jeb Brovsky hit the 50-start plateau. Forward Andrew Wenger made his second straight start for the Impact. Upcoming game The Impact returns home to take on Real Salt Lake at Stade Saputo this Saturday, at 2pm (ET). For Mother's Day, excellent tickets remain via the Admission network ( fbe0f591292eb0e9380643548 admission.com / 1-855-790-1245) or via the Stade Saputo ticket office (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm). Special ticket packages are being offered for this special weekend.
Impact Comes Back Twice from a One Goal Deficit to Win 3-2 against Real Salt Lake A goal by defender Matteo Ferrari in stoppage time of the second half led the Montreal Impact to a 3-2 win over Real Salt Lake at Stade Saputo on Saturday. Felipe and Marco Di Vaio, with his sixth goal of the season, scored the others. With the win, the Impact remains undefeated at home this season (4-0-1) and is back in first place in the Eastern Conference standings with 20 points. Real Salt Lake got an early goal in the 7th minute when a long distance shot by defender Lovel Palmer deflected off of Impact centre back Matteo Ferrari and floated over goalkeeper Troy Perkins for an own goal - the first time that's ever happened to the Impact in MLS. The Impact tied it up in the 38th minute. Defender Jeb Brovsky played a through ball deep down the right flank to Justin Mapp, near the goal line. The Impact midfielder then sent a low cross towards the penalty spot, where Felipe slid to beat his defender and put the ball towards the far post to score his second of the season. A 77th minute corner kick by RSL ended up in the back of the net when a bouncing ball in the penalty area found captain Kyle Beckerman 12 yards out from the second post. He took one touch and fired a low shot with his left foot that just found the inside of the post. The Impact found a second equalizer three minutes later when a give and go between Maxim Tissot and Andrew Wenger resulted in the forward playing a through ball to strike partner Marco Di Vaio, who sent Rimando going the wrong way, and put his shot off the post and in. The Impact DP has scored in five consecutive home games, while Academy product Maxim Tissot earned his first career point in MLS with the assist. The Impact scored a late winner when a corner kick by rookie Blake Smith, earning his first career assist as a pro, found Matteo Ferrari, who one-timed it to Rimando's left to score his first career goal in MLS as he fell to the ground. Troy Perkins had another solid game for the Impact, making a couple of key saves for his team. RSL's Sebastien Velasquez played a ball into the box that found Olmes Garcia near the penalty spot in the 18th minute, but his point blank shot was saved by Perkins. Then in the 47th minute, Perkins was forced to jump and push the ball over the bar as a chip attempt by Ned Grabavoy came floating towards goal. Then in the 85th minute, he stopped midfielder Joao Plata on a half breakaway, coming out of his goal to challenger the RSL player and keep the score tied to set up the late winner. Second half substitute Sanna Nyassi played in his 100th career MLS game. Post-game comments "Today we played against a very good team," said head coach Marco Schllibaum. "Despite a difficult schedule over the last few weeks, we showed a desire to win. We have shown that we can play with quality, but we also have shown that we can play with character. We had a bit of luck to score in the last minute, but we earned it as we didn't give up until the end. I love how this team has developed the desire to win games and play with character." "We played two good games on the road, but were a little unfortunate to lose some points, so it was really important to win this game," said Marco Di Vaio. "It was a big win for us. We won a tough game against a good team and it was a character win. Sometimes you play a difficult match and need those character wins." "The three points keep us near the top of the standings, so it was extremely important for us," said Matteo Ferrari. "It was a tough game for us, with some players like Jeb and Hassoun who played something like six games in just a few weeks. They are my heroes. We are a little tired, but we'll be ready for our cup game Wednesday." Other highlights In the 31st minute, Wenger played a low cross into the box that skipped past Felipe at the short post and found Di Vaio near the far one, but the Impact's DP put his one timer over the bar. RSL's captain Beckerman tried one from just outside the box in the 48th minute, but his left-footed drive missed just inches to the left of Perkins. Impact forward Andrew Wenger chased a ball down the touchline in the 50th minute before using a cutback to beat his defender into the box, but his left-footed shot was scooped up by Rimando. Upcoming games The Impact's next matchup is the first leg of the aggregate goal home and away final series of the Amway Canadian Championship against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, at Stade Saputo this Wednesday at 7:30pm ET. The second leg is set for May 29 at BC Place. The team's next regular season game will take place at Stade Saputo on May 25, 7pm ET, against the Philadelphia Union .
Montreal Impact 5, Philadelphia Union 3 MONTREAL – This one had been declared a Jack McInerney-Marco Di Vaio showdown. It turned into a downright goalfest. The current Golden Boot frontrunners combined for four goals in the first half at Stade Saputo on Saturday night, but it was Di Vaio’s Montreal Impact that came out 5-3 victors against the Philadelphia Union. The Italian forward scored a 30-minute hat trick in response to McInerney’s early equalizer, thus putting both strikers on equal footing atop the MLS scoring ranking, with nine goals. Antoine Hoppenot, Andrew Wenger, Sébastien Le Toux and Blake Smith scored the other goals in the second half. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...impact-5-philadelphia-union-3-mls-match-recap
DELPICCOLO EYES MLS MOVE After signing a short six month deal with Eintracht Frankfurt in January, American midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo has informed the club he will not be returning next season. DelPiccolo, 21, was drafted by the Montreal Impact in the second round with the 27th pick of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft but elected to begin his career with Eintract Frankfurt. With his contract set to expire soon, the Colorado native prefers a move to MLS as the next step in his career. Montreal still own his rights and he has been in contact with the Impact during his time in Germany. http://yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=show&id=10376
Champion canadien ! L'Impact qualifié pour la Ligue des Champions CONCACAF! http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/news/2013/05/matchday-vancouver-whitecaps-fc-vs-montreal-impact
Road win! Goals by Nyassi and Warner give Impact the win in KC! http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/news/2013/06/matchday-timeline-sporting-kc-vs-montreal-impact
Impact Jumps into First Place in the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 Win in Kansas City The Montreal Impact earned its third victory in a row in regular season play, topping Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park 2-1 on Saturday night, improving the team's road record to 3-1-2 on the season. With the win, the Impact jumped into first place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points in 12 games played (8-2-2), four points ahead of SKC and one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls. The referee awarded a questionable penalty kick to SKC in extra time of the first half after some contact near the top of the 18 yard box between Alessandro Nesta and KC's Claudio Bieler. The Argentinean striker stepped up to the spot and hammered a low shot to the right of Perkins for his 7th of the season. Sanna Nyassi found the equalizer in the 47th minute. After Felipe suffered a dangerous foul right near the goal line by Mechack Jerome just outside the box down the left flank, Patrice Bernier played the free-kick into the box. After a short clearance attempt, the ball fell to Nyassi whose left footed one-timer found the bottom right corner. Then in the 53rd minute, the Impact went ahead when Collen Warner found his first career goal in MLS. Following a set piece, Warner's right footed shot from the centre of the box beat Nielsen to his right into the bottom left corner. Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum went back to the 4-2-3-1 formation he employed earlier on in the season, with midfielder Sanna Nyassi making his first start since May 8 at the New York Red Bulls. Defender Jeb Brovsky was left out of the starting roster for the first time this season. Schllibaum was ejected from the game. The Impact also played the last 15 minutes of the game with just 10 men as defender Alessandro Nesta was shown a red card in the 74th minute when he retaliated after a dangerous foul was committed byBieler against him. Both will miss the next game due to automatic one-game suspensions.
Montreal Impact sign Canada Under-20 midfielder Zakaria Messoudi as fifth Homegrown player They may only be in their second MLS season, but the Montreal Impact are reaping the fruits of their academy. On Tuesday, the club signed 19-year-old creative midfielder Zakaria Messoudi as a Homegrown player, making him the fifth academy product to go pro and join the first team. According to a club release, the Morocco-born Messoudi joined the Impact Academy in 2010 and has trained with the first team throughout the 2013 MLS season. He also featured in three matches for the Canadian Under-20 national team during CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifying. http://www.reddit.com/tb/1fo4pn
Impact Falls 2-0 to Crew in Columbus The Montreal Impact fell 2-0 to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, marking its first loss in its last four regular season games. The Crew scored the game's first goal in the 6th minute when a foul on Dominic Oduro was played on near the top of the box as the ball found Matias Sanchez. The midfielder fired a low, right-footed shot that deflected off of Jeb Brovsky's extended leg and changed directions, beating Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins to his left. Oduro then stole the ball in midfield and exploded through the Impact's defenders in the 22nd minute, before putting a low shot past Perkins to his left from just near the top of the 18 box. The Impact dominated possession in this one with 57.2%, but was shutout for just the second time this season in 13 games. With an injury to midfielder Andres Romero, Brazilian Felipe slid into the Argentinean's role on the left flank, and Collen Warner took Felipe's central role for this matchup. Forward Daniele Paponi (54th) and Andrea Pisanu (65th) made their first appearances since April 27 for the Impact, coming on as second half substitutes, following injuries that forced both out of the lineup for five games. Despite the setback, the Impact remains in first place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points, one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls with three games in hand.
Match report: Impact falls 2-0 to Crew in Columbus Impact now returns home to take on Dynamo on Wednesday COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Montreal Impact fell 2-0 to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, marking its first loss in its last four regular season games. The Crew scored the game’s first goal in the 6th minute when a foul on Dominic Oduro was played on near the top of the box as the ball found Matias Sanchez. The midfielder fired a low, right-footed shot that deflected off of Jeb Brovsky’s extended leg and changed directions, beating Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins to his left. Oduro then stole the ball in midfield and exploded through the Impact’s defenders in the 22nd minute, before putting a low shot past Perkins to his left from just near the top of the 18 box. The Impact dominated possession in this one with 57.2%, but was shutout for just the second time this season in 13 games. With an injury to midfielder Andres Romero, Brazilian Felipe slid into the Argentinean’s role on the left flank, and Collen Warner took Felipe’s central role for this matchup. http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/news/2013/06/match-report-montreal-impact-falls-2-0-crew-columbus
Impact Still Undefeated at Home with 2-0 Win against Houston The Montreal Impact earned its fourth consecutive home victory at Stade Saputo, Wednesday night, topping the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on goals by Marco Di Vaio and Felipe. With the win, the Impact is now first overall in the MLS standings with 29 points and is now four points clear of the New York Red Bulls for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Impact opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Patrice Bernier chipped a long pass over the Houston defence, finding fellow mid Felipe making a run through the middle. Jumping to bring the ball down, the Brazilian took one touch before putting a low shot to the right of Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall for his second of the season. Bernier's 4th game-winning assist on the play is tops in the league. Designated Player Marco Di Vaio put the Impact up by two with his 10th of the season in the 32nd minute. A poor back pass by Houston's Corey Ashe put the ball deep down the left flank. Di Vaio ran onto the ball and cut towards goal on a three-on-one. As the keeper came out to challenge the shot, he chipped Hall from about eight yards out, left of goal. The Italian striker established a new club record in MLS for most goals in a season and added to his consecutive home scoring streak with one in each of his team's seven home matches, and is now tied for the league lead in goals scored. Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins earned his 4th shutout of the season. With the win, Perkins now 65 career victories in MLS and is now tied for 10th all-time in the league. He most notably made a huge stop in the 82nd minute off of a Giles Barnes' blast from 30 yards out, diving to his right to push the ball out of bounds. The Impact remains undefeated at home with a 6-0-1 record and is first in the east with 24 goals scored overall. Post-game comments "I knew before the game that we were going to rebound from that last performance against Columbus," said Impact head coach Marco Schallibaum. "We played really well. It was amazing to see this team, especially in the first half, we played really nice soccer. I'm with the team for six months now and I know the team has the skill and will to play well." "After a difficult game, it was important to come out and play the way we know we can," said Marco Di Vaio. "We all believe in each other and even if they had scored on the penalty, we felt we'd be able to come back and score at home." "We played a very solid game defensively," added Hassoun Camara. "Having guys like Alessandro Nesta and Matteo Ferrari, and even Jeb Brovsky, provides a lot of consistency and faith in our back line. We know that we can defend the lead when we get one." Other highlights The Impact found the first scoring chance of the game early in the 4th minute. A through ball by midfielder Felipe down the left flank was run onto by forward Daniele Paponi, who cut in towards goal. Starting his first game since returning from injury, the Italian striker went for goal from a sharp angle, but the shot was stopped by the Dynamo keeper. In the 13th minute a short chip towards the right corner by Hassoun Camara found Sanna Nyassi, who rejoined the team from national team duty, but the Gambian's shot from a tough angle was pushed out short side. Di Vaio found a loose ball centre to goal about 25 yards out in the 20th minute. He spun around and fired a bullet going low side to the keeper's right, but Hall made a spectacular diving save to keep it out. A slide tackle by Matteo Ferrari in the 21st minute led to a penalty kick for the Dynamo. English midfielder Giles Barnes stepped up to the spot, but his shot sailed high over the crossbar. In the 24th minute, defender Jeb Brovksy played a long through ball to Felipe who, with his back towards goal, touched a short flic pass between the legs to Di Vaio, but the Italian's low strike from distance was pushed away by Hall. A cross in the box in the 54th minute by Andrea Pisanu found Di Vaio far post. A one-timer by the Impact's DP was pushed out, then bounced off of Sanna Nyassi and just sailed wide of the right post. In the 62nd minute, a cross towards the top of the box by Nyassi from deep down the right flank found Di Vaio, but his powerful header from distance rang off the cross bar. Upcoming games The Impact will play its next game at home on Saturday, June 29 against the Colorado Rapids at 7pm (ET). Meanwhile, the Impact U21 team 22216184b35953820650cf8ec will play an international friendly at Stade Saputo this Saturday, June 22, at 7:30pm, against the Haitian national team., against the Haitian national team.
Impact U21 Falls 2-0 to the Haitian National Team In an international friendly matchup, the Montreal Impact U21 fell to the Haitian national team 2-0 on Saturday night in front of an electric crowd of 11,041 spectators at Stade Saputo. Haiti opened the scoring late in the game when a cross from deep down the left flank back towards the top of the box by defender Jean Jacques Bitielo found striker Maurice Jean Eudes in the 81st minute. His one-time shot from 16 yards out deflected off of an Impact defender before hitting the top of the mesh. An aerial cross from deep down the right flank by Constant Monuma Junior found Jean Philippe Peguero at the second post and his point blank header sailed just under the bar in the 88th minute to double Haiti's lead. Haiti managed to put a lot of pressure in the first half, but the Impact was able to hold the back line, making a number of solid defensive stops, most notably on a through ball that found Haiti's Maurice Jean Eudes down the right flank. However, his shot from just inside the box was stopped by Impact U21 goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu in the 8th minute, using his feet to knock the ball away as he came sliding out of his crease. U21 midfielder Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare had the best chance for the home side in the 73rd minute, but his shot from about 25 yards out missed just right of goal. The Impact U21 played the last 30 minutes of the game with eight players from the club's U18 team.
Impact Loses 4-3 to the Colorado Rapids The Montreal Impact lost 4-3 to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night in front of 20,383 spectators at Stade Saputo. In the loss, striker Daniele Paponi counted twice and defender Hassoun Camara scored a spectacular goal. The Impact, which lost its first at home this season in nine games, remains atop of the Eastern Conference, three points in front of the Philadelphia Union. The home team conceded the first goal of the game in the 24th minute. A free-kick from about 35 yards out by midfielder Dillon Powers found Atiba Harris just inside the box. Harris rose over the defenders and headed the ball over Perkins, into the top right corner as the Impact keeper dove to his left. Defender Hassoun Camara tied things up in the 38th minute. Following a corner kick from the left side, Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin was knocked to the ground in a scramble for the ball that bounced around before Camara, from the seat of his pants, scored a sensational goal as he juggled the ball once before using a half-bicycle from near the short side post for his second of the season. The Impact took the lead in the 42nd minute when Marco Di Vaio - making his 30th career appearance in MLS - found fellow striker Daniele Paponi with a short ball near the top of the box. Paponi turned towards the inside from the left side of goal and curled it towards the top right corner for his first career goal in MLS. Colorado found an equalizer in the 59th minute when midfielder Nathan Sturgis played a low, lateral cross into the box from the right-side touchline that found Dillon Powers inside the box. The Rapids' rookie midfielder one-timed his shot just inside the short side post. The Impact went ahead once again in the 72nd minute. Felipe switched the ball from the right flank to Davy Arnaud, making his first start since April 27 following a concussion. Arnaud chased the ball towards the goal line and while sliding to keep it in bounds, played a low ball into the box that found Paponi who slid onto the ball to push it past the keeper. The back and forth continued in the 77th minute as the Rapids levelled it yet again when Deshorn Brown, left all alone in the box, one-timed the ball from point blank range after running on to a Christopher Klute cross. The Rapids took back the lead for good in the final seconds of extra time when a counter attack led to a 2-on-1. Midfielder Patrice Bernier managed to break up the pass across the top of the box, but the rebound fell to the Rapids Tony Cascio, who took one touch before firing a shot that deflected off of an Impact defender into the back of the net. With 20,383 spectators, the Impact welcomed the best crow of the season, just 138 people shy of a sellout.
CONCACAF Champions League schedule MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact, winners of the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship, unveiled on Monday its schedule for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. Playing in group 5, the Impact will face the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) and C.D. Heredia (Guatemala). Each team will face each other twice, at home and on the road. The Impact’s four matches are set for: • Wednesday, August 7, 2013 – 8pm (ET): Montreal Impact vs. San Jose - Stade Saputo • Wednesday, August 21, 2013 – 10pm (ET): Montreal Impact @ C.D. Heredia – Guatemala • Tuesday, September 17, 2013 – 10pm (ET): Montreal Impact @ San Jose – Buck Shaw Stadium • Tuesday, September 24, 2013 – 8pm (ET): Montreal Impact vs. C.D. Heredia – Stade Saputo http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/ne...nveils-its-concacaf-champions-league-schedule
Preview: Impact takes on TFC in Toronto Wednesday night Montreal will look for first win at BMO Field TORONTO, Ontario – The Montreal Impact (9-4-2) looks to bounce back from its home loss last Saturday as it travels to face Toronto FC (2-8-6) at BMO Field on Wednesday night, at 7pm ET. The game will be broadcast live on TSN, RDS and illico mobile. You can also get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter. The Impact sits in first place in the Eastern Conference standings, having earned 29 points from 15 games played, one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls with three games in hand. http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/news/2013/07/preview-impact-takes-tfc-toronto-wednesday-night
Impact and Chivas USA Tie 1-1 at Stade Saputo A penalty kick goal by Patrice Bernier in the 80th minute helped the Montreal Impact earn a 1-1 draw with visiting Chivas USA Sunday night, in front of 18,932 spectators at Stade Saputo. After its 17th game, which marks the end of the first half of the season, the Impact remains atop the Eastern Conference standings with a one point lead over Sporting Kansas City, having two games in hand. GAME HIGHLIGHTS Chivas USA took advantage of a miscue in the midfield that led to an odd-man break in the 55th minute. Goats' forward Jose Correa played a low lateral ball into the box. Following a blocked shot and one the hit the crossbar, Chivas midfielder Eric Avila got his own rebound and powered one past Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins from 12 yards out. The Impact tied it up in the 80th minute when Patrice Bernier converted a penalty kick after Sanna Nyassi was taken down in the box. Bernier placed the ball into the bottom right corner for his second goal of the season, and is 8 for 8 on PK attempts for his career in MLS. Post-game comments "We knew this wasn't going to be an easy game as they are very structured defensively," said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. "We had a few chances to score in the first half but we couldn't find the back of the net. Then one mistake and they score. I think we did enough to win this game." "It's unfortunate that we only earned one point today," said Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier. "We did enough to score a few goals, maybe make it 2-1 or even 3-1, but we couldn't break through. However, coming back to earn a point after being down for a second game in a row is important as these little points here and there will be key at the end of the season." "We played a pretty good game and created a lot of chances, but we couldn't finish them," said Impact midfielder Sanna Nyassi, voted as the Videotron Player of the game by supporters on the Impact Facebook page. "Because I'm African, I think I can adjust well to this kind of humid weather. Whenever we play in temperatures like this, I feel comfortable and I know I can contribute." Other highlights In the 5th minute, Nyassi played forward Marco Di Vaio into the box, right side of goal from the half-circle, but the striker's attempt on goal was blocked as the Goats' keeper Dan Kennedy as he charged out. Then in the 28th minute, Nyassi yet again played a short side cross towards goal that was bobbled by the keeper, bounced around and rolled out of bounds before Di Vaio could get a good shot away. Two minutes later, the Gambian midfielder made another run down the left flank towards the near post and played a later ball to Felipe, but the Brazilian couldn't manage to get enough behind his point blank shot. Di Vaio came close again in the 60th minute when Felipe sent a cross to the six-yard-box from near the left-side touch line, but the Italian's header was blocked by the goalkeeper. Upcoming games 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).
