THE GAME AT A GLANCE
• It is the last game of a six-game stretch at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. At home, Montreal boasts the best defense of the USL First Division with a 0,40 goals against average.
• Impact head coach Nick De Santis will not be on the bench for Friday’s match-up against Charleston. De Santis is serving a one-game suspension following an exchange he had with the referees, after last Friday’s game against the Portland Timbers. The Impact was shut out 1-0, following a controversial penalty, awarded in the second half. Impact assistant coach Peter Pinizzotto will be at the helm of the team Friday.
• In its last game, June 8, the Impact lost its first game of the season, 1-0 against the Portland Timbers, in front of 11,286 spectators at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
• The Impact has a 7-6-0 record in 13 games against the Battery. On April 28, the Impact had signed a 3-2 win in Charleston. Martin Fabro, Charles Gbeke and Leonardo Di Lorenzo had scored for the win. It is the last of two match-ups between the two teams this season.
• Goalkeeper Matt Jordan (4-1-3, 0,75 GAA) should start his ninth game of the season.
• Midfielder Zé Roberto is only 61 minutes away from the 10,000 minutes played mark with the Impact. He will become the 9th Impact player to reach this milestone. Four of the eight players ahead of Zé are still active: Mauro Biello (23,148), Nevio Pizzolitto (16,650), Gabriel Gervais (11,717) and Patrick Leduc (10,809).
THE OPPONENT
• This is also the 10th game of the season for the Charleston Battery.
• In its last game played on the road, June 2, the Battery won 2-1 against the Minnesota Thunder.
• The Battery newcomers are defenders Lee Sandwina (Virginia, NCAA) and Scott Milroth (Charleston, NCAA), midfielders Gordon Chin (Toronto, ULS), Louie Rolko (Sioux Falls, PDL), Ian Bennett (Marian College, NCAA) and Mike Richardson (UNC, NCAA), as well as forwards Byron Alvarez (Portland, USL), Aaron King (Colorado, MLS), Jeremy Gold (Charleston, NCAA) and Michael Todd (Hofstra University, NCAA).
• Are no longer with the team: forwards Gavin Glinton (Los Angeles, MLS) and Omar Daley (Bradford City, England D3).
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
MATTHEW PALLESCHI
“Charleston is a good team. We won 3-2 the last time we faced them but it was a tough game. We have been working on our formation and I think that our efforts have paid off this week. We are ready for tomorrow’s game. It’s frustrating because we have many chances and even though we are dominating, we are not able to score a lot of goals. It’s nonetheless positive because the chances are there.”
PATRICK LEDUC
“Once again, it will be our opponent’s tactic to regroup on the field. If we get discouraged, we run the risk of panicking and playing the other team's game. We have to be patient and play at our pace. We have to focus on the finishing touches with good dangerous shots, which will create openings.”
LEONARDO DI LORENZO
“The most important thing is that we have been creating scoring chances. If we continue to create opportunities, the goals will come. If we move the ball like we did against Portland, we will obtain more wins than losses. Everyone has to score and to create space on the field. I would like to score too and help the team win.”
ON ANOTHER NOTE
• The Montreal Impact has acquired forward Alen Marcina and other considerations from the Puerto Rico Islanders in return for midfielder Lars Lyssand. Marcina, a 27-year-old Canadian, is playing his second season in the United Soccer Leagues First Division. Last year, he ended the season as the Islanders goal leader, with 13 goals in 27 games (2007 minutes of play). This season, he has tallied one goal and two assists, for four points, in eight games (521 minutes).
• Defender Gabriel Gervais is back with the Impact after a stay in the US with the Canadian National Team. Suffering from a groin injury, Gervais returned to Montreal, knowing that he will not be available for the rest of the Gold Cup tournament.
• Midfielder Antonio Ribeiro is still with the Canadian team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Ribeiro, who has not played a game so far, was on the bench for the first two games of the first round and was a healthy scratch for the third game. Canada will play its quarters-final game against Guatemala, Saturday, in Foxboro.
• More than 3500 fans from the English Montreal School Board are attending tonight’s game, as part of the 2007 edition of the stay-in-school program All the Way with the Impact. The Tony Licursi bursaries ($500 each) will be presented to two students who have shown great skills at school and in sports. The winners are Rudy Galati (10), from Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School, in Rosemont, and Karina Loffreda (11), from General Vanier Elementary School, in St-Leonard.
• The Impact invites fans to participate in the PROCURE Walk of Courage, this Saturday, with former Impact player Lloyd Barker, as well as members from the Montreal Canadiens and Alouettes, to fight against prostate cancer. For more information, visit www.procure.ca.
PLAYER INJURIES
Player - Position – Injury – Status – Games missed
Gabriel Gervais Defender Groin Approx. two weeks 0
Fabian Dawkins Forward Knee Approx. two weeks 2
Mauro Biello Midfielder Thigh Approx. one week 4
Nevio Pizzolitto Defender Knee Approx. two weeks 8
Jason DiTullio Defender Knee Return unknown 8
Shaun Tsakiris Midfielder Groin Return unknown 8
NEXT GAMES
• Thursday, June 21 – Impact @ Portland – PGE Park – 10 pm (USLlive.com)
• Saturday, June 23 – Impact @ Seattle – Qwest Field – 10 pm (USLlive.com)
• Friday, June 29 – Puerto Rico @ Impact – Claude-Robillard Sports Complex (Télévision de Radio-Canada, Sirius, CJAD 800, USLlive.com).
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, ext. 27
