If you followed the team’s 2013 campaign closely, you rode along for the ride that was an emotional season, ending with the Impact’s first ever playoff appearance.
You were part of the highs and lows, but there are a few things that you probably weren’t privy to.
Perkins and the New England Revolution will forever be linked
Troy Perkins never suited up for the Boston-based club. The connection for the Impact keeper goes much deeper than that as he found out the newest member of his family was on its way, just minutes before he took the field on September 7.
About an hour before game time at Gillette Stadium, Perkins was going through one of his game day rituals, bouncing a soccer ball and catching it while seated in his stall, visualizing the game at hand. Team administrator Daniel Pozzi, along with the coaching staff, was tasked with giving Perkins the news that his wife was going into labour and that she was being prepped to give birth that very night.
After a discussion with his wife from inside the dressing room at Gillette Stadium, the keeper emerged to tell everyone that he was good to go as he and his wife had prepared for this eventuality if it came to it. He was going to play. The baby was early, so there was nothing he could do. Even if he left immediately, he wouldn’t make it in time.
What ensued was a 4-2 victory for the Impact over the Revs, and an overnight drive with Impact equipment manager Aldo Ricciuti back over the border to be by his wife’s side the very next morning.
Speaking of babies…
No fewer than six members of the 2013 MLS edition became fathers again or for the first time. Patrice Bernier, Daniele Paponi, Andrea Pisanu, Troy Perkins, Evan Bush and Andres Romero, who had twins, were all witness to the birth of a child during the season. Add Alessandro Nesta and Nelson Rivas who are expecting before the year ends, and you almost have your starting 11 for the Impact in 2033!
200 goals for Marco Di Vaio
Marco Di Vaio reached a number of club records in 2013, and hit a couple of milestones within MLS as well, but what passed under the radar was that he surpassed the 200-career goal mark in league play. Having started the season with 195 markers in regular season play, Di Vaio reached the feat on May 8, 2013 in a 2-1 loss in New York to the Red Bulls, coming on as a second half sub to breathe new life into the Impact’s offence.
More than 600 games for Nesta
Soccer legend Alessandro Nesta recently retired from professional soccer, but not before reaching an impressive milestone himself, surpassing 600 club appearances for his career early this season. Although there are conflicting reports as to his exact total, it looks like Nesta surpassed the plateau in his fifth game of the 2013 season – a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on April 27. Keep in mind he has nearly 100 appearances for his country as well!
