THE DECISIVE MATCH OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL SATURDAY AT SAPUTO STADIUM

PRE-MATCH RELEASE: October 16, 2009

MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact (5-0-0) plays the decisive match of the USL First Division championship final against the Vancouver Whitecaps (2-1-2) Saturday at Saputo Stadium, in Montreal, at 2:30 pm (Radio-Canada Television, FOX Sports World, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990). In this first all-Canadian final in history Montreal could claim a third championship, after winning the title in 1994 and 2004.

In the first leg last Saturday at Swangard Stadium, a goal from Eduardo Sebrango at the 89th minute allowed the Montreal Impact to register a 3-2 win and take a one-goal lead prior to the final match.

“We have won the first half of the final last Saturday in Vancouver, and after a one-week half time, we are ready to finish this game,” mentioned Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos. “We prepared the team as best we could without changing the winning combination. We have an incredible opportunity to win the championship in front of our fans at Saputo Stadium. We cannot let go of this chance.”

“Our destiny is in our hands. If we play the way we should for 90 minutes, we will be champions,” noted forward Roberto Brown, who earned one goal and one assist up to now in the playoffs. “The pressure is on the Whitecaps now because they are trailing. As far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t mean that because we have a one-goal lead that we will push back and defend. Instead, we need to continue attacking and seeking a victory, just as we did in the second leg games of the two preceding rounds.”

Since the start of the playoffs, the Montreal Impact has signed five wins in as many games. The Impact advanced to the championship final for the third time in history after eliminating the Charleston Battery 4-1 on aggregate goals, and the Puerto Rico Islanders 4-2 on total goals.

Nine of the 24 players of the Impact already won the USL-1 championship, for a total of 15 titles. The leader is Eduardo Sebrango with four championships. Mauro Biello, Nevio Pizzolitto, Adam Braz, Patrick Leduc and Eduardo Sebrango were with the team in the last championship race in 2004. Biello and Pizzolitto were also with the team in 1994.

“Even though it’s my 4th final, it’s always special to have the chance to win the championship,” said Mauro Biello. Just as in every game, there will be some nervousness, but prior to the final, there’s also a bit of anxiety. It will therefore be crucial for everyone to be able to manage their emotions in order to stay focused the entire match and perform well on the field.”

Various players have played for the other team. From the Impact, midfielders Joey Gjertsen, David Testo and Tony Donatelli, as well as forward Eduardo Sebrango and goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic have already played for the Whitecaps, whereas Caps forward Charles Gbeke and midfielder Martin Nash have played in Montreal.

All players on the Impact lineup will be available for the match.

Midfielder Martin Nash will miss the match due to an automatic one-game suspension, after having been issued a red card in the first leg of the final round.

Defender Geordie Lyall (abdominals), midfielders Lyle Martin (leg) and Gordon Chin (knee), as well as forward Dever Orgill (knee) will also miss the game Saturday due ton injuries.

If there is a tie after the two-leg, 180-minute final, two 15-minute overtime periods will be added, and should the tie persist, both teams will be headed to penalty kicks.

As was the case in 1994 and 2004, all players and technical staff will be in a closed retreat until their arrival at Saputo Stadium tomorrow.

The match will be played in front of a sellout crowd, all 13,034 tickets having been purchased. The Impact invites all Impact fans to wear blue and be part of the tailgate party starting at 12:30 pm. A bandana autographed by all Impact players will be offered to the first 5,000 spectators. A special edition championship scarf will also be on sale at the boutique.

OTHER FACTS
• The Impact owns a 4-0-0 record when the team scores the first goal of the match and leads at halftime.
• Goalkeeper Matt Jordan continues to improve the team record with 8 career wins in the playoffs. In five matches, Jordan has made no less than 26 saves.
• The Impact registered six out of 11 goals in the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of the games.
• Nine players have started the first five playoff matches: Jordan, Pizzolitto, Testo, Brown, Donatelli, Di Lorenzo, deRoux, Joqueviel and Byers. Four players have played all 450 minutes: Jordan, Pizzolitto, deRoux and Joqueviel.
• This is the third time that both teams match up in the playoffs.
• The Impact was eliminated by the Whitecaps twice in the semifinals. In 2006, the Impact had been eliminated 2-0 in overtime following goals from Tony Donatelli and Eduardo Sebrango. Then in 2008, Montreal lost 2-1 on total goals. On each occasion, the Whitecaps then went off to win the championship final.
• In 2009, the Impact earned three wins against the Whitecaps in regular season play: 2-1 June 7 in Vancouver, 2-1 June 20 in Montreal, then 1-0 September 9, at Saputo Stadium. The Impact however lost twice in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship: 2-0 May 20 in Montreal and 1-0 May 27 in Vancouver.
• The Whitecaps qualified for the final for a third time in four years, after clinching the USL-1 championship in 2006 and 2008.

PRE-GAME VIDEO

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Source : Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info : 514-328-3668, Ext. 227