MONTREAL – In front of another sellout crowd, the Montreal Impact hosts rivals Toronto FC this Sunday at 5pm, in a contest with playoff seeding on the line, as part of MLS Decision Day 2015 (RDS, TSN, 98.5FM, TSN Radio 690). A win and the Impact will end the season as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, holding home field advantage in the Knockout Round of the playoffs next week.
As part of the festivities, Kia will be giving away 7,000 tuques prior to the game, while the official team posters will be distributed at the end of the game. In addition, the boutique will offer a 40% discount on selected 2015 items, the club will be recognizing Breast Cancer Month.
“The approach and mentality doesn’t change,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “It’s an important game with playoff positioning on the line, so we will prepare the same way we have all season. If you look at other teams in the league, you see how hard it is to win on the road, so having the home game is important.”
“It’s a great way to end the season,” said Wandrille Leféevre. “There is a little less pressure because we’ve qualified for the playoffs, but the game is hugely important in that we could finish third so there is a great excitement within the group.”
The Impact is 2-2-0 all-time versus Toronto FC at home, and has a record of 1-0-3 against the Reds in four games this season, including the Amway Canadian Championship.
However, its one victory in 2015 came in the only game played on home soil this calendar year. The Impact is coming into this game with a lot of confidence, riding a 6-2-2 record in its last 10 games and a four-game winning streak at home.
“Two wins on the road and we have attained our first objective of making the playoffs, so we are confident and in good spirits,” said team captain Patrice Bernier. “But this game on Sunday is like a playoff game already. We are approaching it like we still have unfinished business.”
TFC will have the league’s golden boot winner on its side, as Sebastian Giovinco has amassed 22 goals and 15 assists so far, but the Impact will see the return of Laurent Ciman to its lineup following his suspension served last weekend for yellow card accumulation.
The MLS Knockout Round games are scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday, with the dates and times to be determined following Decision Day. Please follow impactmontreal.com for all details concerning the playoff schedule.
