Not once, but twice: first at Montreal’s Claude Robillard Stadium, Wednesday (7:30 pm, CJAD, CKAC), and then Friday at Rochester’s Frontier Field (8:00 pm, live on FSW, tape-delayed on RDS).
Although teams like the Atlanta Silverbacks (10-3-1) and the Richmond Kickers (9-4-3) are also in the hunt for the regular-season conference title this year, match-ups between the Impact and the Rhinos have a special flavor. The two teams have fought for first place in their division many times since Rochester joined the A-League, in 1996, but they were also involved in numerous playoffs battles — four times in the last eight years.
"Any game between the Impact and Rochester is an event,"says captain Mauro Biello, who played for the Rhinos in 1999. "Every time we meet them, it seems we’re mutually battling for first place and this year is no exception. They have a lot of new players and so do we, but in the end, the games against them are always very intense."
While the Rhinos are presently riding a four-game winning streak, the Montreal team is coming off its first two losses of the season and is winless in its last five games (0-2-3). However, with two wins this week, the Impact would be back on top of the conference, Friday night.
"The next two games will almost be like a playoff series. We’re obviously in a down period right now, but what better way to come out of it than by beating Rochester," noted Biello.
A GOOD FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON
The Impact will be playing its 15th game of the year, this Wednesday against the Rhinos, which means the Montreal squad has reached the mid-season mark. In spite of his team’s recent losses, head coach Nick DeSantis’ assessment is positive since the team has been defeated only twice so far — a club record for the halfway point.
"We’ve played 10 of our 14 games on the road and we have an away record of 6-2-2. Our objective was to play .500 or more and we’ve accomplished that," pointed out DeSantis. "At home, we’re 2-0-2. In the next half, we need to win games at home.
"We’ve progressed as a team in the system that we wanted to play. We’ve become more comfortable. I’m a bit disappointed in our goal production. We are creating more scoring chances than earlier this season, but we haven’t put them away. I hope we keep the same pace and I’m confident the goals will come.
"Overall, I’m very happy that we’re playing more offensive soccer, and that the players are enjoying themselves on the field. A lot of hard work and discipline goes into it, but the best reward is when players can express all their creativity on the field."
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SOURCE:
bcomm
INFO:
Stéphane Banfi
514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
