Coach Bob Lilley’s squad was defeated 2-1, Friday at Frontier Field, in the first leg of the home-and-home, aggregate-goal series. Montreal therefore needs nothing less than a win in Sunday’s return match, at the very least to force both teams to play a 30-minute overtime. A two-goal victory in this Northeast Division final’s second leg, however, would allow the Impact to directly move ahead to the Eastern Conference final.
"We’re very much in this series, and although it won’t be easy, we showed in Rochester that we can break the Rhinos down and create scoring opportunities," said Lilley. "Our objective is a simple one: to win the game. If we do that, at the very least we go into extra time."
"To go far in the playoffs, you have to win at home anyway," said Mauro Biello (photo). "The team’s morale is very good. We made one or two mistakes that cost us a 2-0 deficit, but you have to give the guys credit. They never gave up and they found a way to score."
According to Biello, in spite of a bad start, Friday, the team’s surge in the last 20 minutes of the game gives the players confidence that they will be able to turn the tide in the series.
"Our goal was huge," said the Impact captain about Zé Roberto’s tally at the 84th minute, Friday. "We also hit a post. We were always in their end of the field, they were on their heels, we moved the ball well on the wings, and that allowed Chris Lemire and me to get a lot of scoring chances."
"We believe in our chances of winning the series," said defender Gabriel Gervais. "In the first game, the momentum changed in the second half, we applied a lot of pressure and the Rhinos didn’t know how to counter that. Five more minutes and we would have tied the game.
"We took a goal on a penalty kick, we lost Nevio Pizzolitto who won’t play after getting a red card in the first game, but we’ll have to put all that aside on Sunday," added Gervais. "The substitutes showed they could play. They were the difference in the second half, Friday."
If the series is tied after Sunday’s game, both teams will go on to two 15-minute sudden-death overtime periods. If the OT remains scoreless, a winner will be decided on penalty kicks according to FIFA rules. The winner of the series will move on to face the winner of the Southeast Division final, played between the Charleston Battery and the Virginia Beach Mariners. The Mariners lead the series one goal to none.
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SOURCE:
bcomm
INFO:
Stéphane Banfi
514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
