THE GAME AT A GLANCE
• The Impact is still undefeated on the road this season (2-0-2).
• It is the first game of a double-header on the West Coast. The Impact will then face the Seattle Sounders, this Saturday, at 10 pm (USLlive.com).
• In the last game, June 15th, the Impact suffered a second consecutive loss at home, falling 1-0 to the Charleston Battery, at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
• Impact head coach Nick De Santis will be back on the bench in Portland. De Santis served a one-game suspension and missed the game against Charleston, following an exchange he had with the referees, after the game against the Timbers, on June 8.
• Charles Gbeke (3), Leonardo Di Lorenzo (2), Martin Fabro (2), Matthew Palleschi (2) and Frederico Moojen (2) have scored for the Impact so far this season. Di Lorenzo also leads the team in points with seven.
• This is only the seventh match-up between both teams. The Impact has a 2-3-1 record against its American rivals. On June 8, the Impact was shut out 1-0 by the Timbers, at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. Andrew Gregor had scored on a penalty in the 75th minute of play.
• This is the last of two match-ups between both clubs this season.
THE OPPONENT
• This is the ninth game of the season for the Timbers, who have not played since June 9, when they lost 2-1 against the Rhinos in Rochester.
• Meanwhile, in an exhibition game, Tuesday, in front of 11,092 spectators at PGE Park, the Timbers beat the AC Milan U21 team in penalty kicks, following a 1-1 tie during regulation time.
• The Timbers are still undefeated at home this season (3-0-2).
• There are 13 newcomers with the Timbers this season: goalkeepers Josh Wicks (Vancouver, USL D1) and Steve Reese (Cascade Surge, PDL), defenders Justin Thompson (Worcester City, England), Cameron Knowles (Salt Lake, MLS) and Leonard Griffin (Chicago, MLS), midfielders Andrew Gregor (Seattle, USL D1), Neil Dombrowski (Rochester, USL D1), Kiki Lara (Minnesota, USL D1), Lawrence Olum (St-Louis, PDL), Kevin Meissner (Orange County, PDL) and Tom Taylor (Walsall, England D2), as well as forwards Chris Bagley (Wilmington, USL D2) and David Hague (Grand Canyon University, NCAA).
• Head coach Chris Agnello resigned after the 2006 season. Former player Gavin Wilkinson has taken the helm of the team.
• Midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (Seattle, USL D1) and forward Byron Alvarez (Charleston, USL D1) are no longer with the team.
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
HEAD COACH NICK DE SANTIS
”These will be two tough games, especially if work and pride are missing. Again, the mentality has to be different from last game. We have to go on the road hoping to get good results because we are in the middle of the pack and we need points. With only eight points in six home games, we lost 10 points. You can’t play well every game, but when you don’t play well, you have to find ways to win.”
MIDFIELDER PATRICK LEDUC
“It’s not the first time that we lose two straight games. Nobody likes being in that situation, but I think that we have been through rough moments before and in the past, we’ve found solutions. I think that it’s in the toughest conditions that we’ve often responded. We do have character in this group and we are at the point where we need to bring it out and show everybody else what we are made of.”
DEFENDER SIMON GATTI
“There was a lot of pressure playing at home, so I think this is a much needed road trip. We have things to prove against both Portland and Seattle, so I think it will be good for us to play on the road. I think that we have to play better in the final third by scoring on our chances.”
ON ANOTHER NOTE
• Defender Paul Moran was released from the team, Tuesday, before the team’s departure for Portland. Moran had signed a one-year deal with the Impact, May 10. He has not played a game with the team this season.
• Midfielder Antonio Ribeiro is still with the Canadian team for the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Ribeiro is healthy but has not played a game so far. After a 3-0 win over Guatemala in the quarter-finals, Canada will now face the United States, in the semi-finals, Thursday. If Canada loses the game, Ribeiro should join his Impact teammates in Seattle.
• Defenders Nevio Pizzolitto and Gabriel Gervais, as well as midfielder Mauro Biello did not travel with the team.
• The Impact is still the most disciplined team in the league with a total of 13 cautions (yellow cards) so far this season. Portland is second with 15 cards. The Miami FC tallies the most cards with 30.
• Two Impact players have played all 90 minutes of the first 10 games of the season (900 minutes): defender Mauricio Vincello and midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo.
• Midfielder Zé Roberto is only 50 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 (10,968).
PLAYER INJURIES
Player - Position – Injury – Status – Games missed
Gabriel Gervais Defender Groin Approx. two weeks 1
Mauro Biello Midfielder Thigh Approx. one week 5
Nevio Pizzolitto Defender Knee Approx. two weeks 10
Jason DiTullio Defender Knee Return unknown 10
Shaun Tsakiris Midfielder Groin Return unknown 10
NEXT GAMES
• 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
