Once again, the Academy U18 and U16 teams took part in the USSDA winter showcase in Florida, each of them playing three games in four days.
The U18s started, facing the Seattle Sounders. Gabriel Balbinotti scored first on a pass from Giovanni Pulitano in the first half. Goalkeeper Jordan Tisseur preserved his team’s 1-0 lead until halftime. Unfortunately, Seattle scored on two corners in the second half to take the lead, and then scored a third goal on a bad clearance to win 3-1.
The next day, the Impact U18 had the opportunity to catch up against the Real Salt Lake Academy. Despite a good start from the Bleu-blanc-noir, Real took the lead in the first half. RSL scored again in the second half, and with Montreal pressing to come from behind, the team from Utah won 2-0.
For their last game, the U18s were facing St. Louis Scott Gallagher Metro. After 10 minutes, Santiago Gonzalez and Clément Bayiha had scored to put the Bleu-blanc-noir in front 2-0. The Impact added a third goal from Michel Djaozandry in the second half and finished its winter showcase on a positive note with a 3-0 win.
Similar results for the Impact U16
The Impact U16 started its tournament against Vardar. Vardar was leading 2-1 after the first half, IMFC’s goal coming from Jean-Arnaud Tano. The Michigan team took a two-goal lead at the start of the second half before seeing Tano reducing the lead once again. In a tight game, Vardar scored a fourth goal. Moulay Kanzi Belghiti scored in stoppage time, but it was too little too late and the team lost 4-3.
The day after, the Impact was facing Orlando City U16. Both teams observed a moment of silence at the start for the events involving Brazilian top flight team Chapecoense. The U16s took the lead in the 11th minute when Woobens Pacius scored on a pass from Tano. Goalkeeper Benjamin Collins (U14) made some important saves to help his team keep the lead until halftime. Back from the locker room, Tano scored on a pass from Kanzi Belghiti and the Impact won 2-0.
For its last game, the team faced FC Dallas U16, current leaders in the USSDA standings. In the first half, Dallas scored three goals. The team from Texas got a penalty at the start of the second half, but the shot was blocked by Collins. Still, Dallas added a goal in the end of the game to win 4-0.
“We started the tournament with 15 tough minutes against Vardar that cost us the game,” said Impact U16 head coach Nicolas Gagnon. “We followed with a good game against Orlando where we were pushing forward quickly. In the last game, we gave away the game on individual mistakes. The reality is that the performances were not enough for what we expected from the boys.”
Next games
The Montreal Impact USSDA teams will be back in competition on March 4, when they face Seacost United teams.
