THE GAME AT A GLANCE
• For the fourth time in club history, the team is undefeated in its first five games of the season. The club had previously achieved this feat in 1998 (5-0), 2004 (4-0-1) and 2005 (3-0-2).
• The Impact has a 1-0-2 record against the Miami FC, which is playing this year the second season of its young history.
• On May 5, 2007, a goal from forward Charles Gbeke (69th minute) led the Montreal Impact to a 1-0 shutout over the Miami FC, at the Tropical Park Stadium, in Florida.
• Last year, the Impact and the Miami FC tied 0-0 twice, on April 23 in Florida and on May 28, in Montreal.
• Team captain Mauro Biello will be out of the line-up for Friday’s game due to a pulled right hamstring during the game against Seattle. Biello had played 70 straight games before his injury. Midfielder Zé Roberto should take his place in midfield on the starting line-up.
• Due to Mauro Biello’s injury, defender Gabriel Gervais will be the Impact captain.
• Goalkeeper Matt Jordan should start a sixth straight game for the Impact. He is unbeaten in five starts (3-0-2).
• It is the second of three match-ups between the two teams this season. The Miami FC will return to Montreal on August 10.
THE OPPONENT
• This is the seventh game of the season for the Miami FC.
• The Miami FC won their last two games, beating the Minnesota Thunder 1-0, May 18, and the Atlanta Silverbacks 2-1, May 20.
• Zinho, JP Rodrigues and Pat Hannigan were named to the USL Team of the Week after the two wins at home.
• Jamil Jean-Jacques, Gabard Fenelon and Stephane Guillaume will miss Friday’s game due to their participation with the Haitian national team.
• There are 15 newcomers with the Miami FC this season: goalkeepers Pat Hannigan (Rochester, USL D1) and Gabard Fenelon (Haiti), defenders Cristiano Dias (Brazil) and Luis Calix (Florida), midfielders Sergio Van Kanten (Amura FC, Portugal), Gerghiny Obas (Haiti), Christopher Williams (Philadelphia Kixx, NPSL), Luchi Gonzalez (Colorado Rapids, MLS), Eric Vasquez (Columbus, MLS), Douglas Gonçalvez (Brésil), Sean Cameron (Rutgers, NCAA), Nicolas Mosquera (United States U20) and Rachid Didouh (Morocco), as well as forwards Julio Cesar (Brazil) and Ignacio Calcagno (Argentina).
• Are no longer with the team: forwards Romario (Brazil), Mario Rodriguez (Municipal, Guatemala), Diego Walsh (Adelaide, Australia), as well as goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap (Cleveland, USL D2).
• During the off-season, the Miami FC awarded new contracts to: Zinho, John Paul Rodriguez, Stephane Guillaume, John Pulido, Walter Ramirez and Sean Fraser.
OTHER FACTS
• Defender Gabriel Gervais and midfielder Antonio Ribeiro were named to the roster of the Canadian national team for the next CONCACAF Gold Cup, from June 6 to 24. Ribeiro will join the national squad this Sunday, in Miami, while Gervais will join the team in the United States on June 2 for the preliminary round against Costa Rica, June 6, Guadeloupe, June 9, and Haiti, June 11. The two players will miss a minimum of two games against the Minnesota Thunder, June 5, and against the Portland Timbers, June 8. Ribeiro will also miss the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps, June 1.
• Six players have played all 450 minutes this season: goalkeeper Matt Jordan, defenders Andres Arango, Mauricio Vincello and Gabriel Gervais, as well as midfielders Patrick Leduc and Leonardo Di Lorenzo.
• No cautions (yellow cards) were attributed to the Impact players in the last three games.
IN THE CROWD
• More than 4500 fans from Sir Wilfrid Laurier 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. To encourage excellence in school, before the match, the Impact will be awarding the Tony Licursi Bursaries to the two young students from the school commission who illustrated themselves the most, both in school and in soccer.
• More than 200 kids from the Quebec Breakfast Club are attending the game. These children have reached their goal in the program called Reach your goal with the Impact. The program is designed to promote the importance of cooperation and team spirit on a day-to-day basis.
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
HEAD COACH NICK DE SANTIS
“Miami is a very talented team. They have played two great games at home. Zinho was their catalyst in these two games so we will have to keep an eye on him. He’s a player to whom you can’t give space on the field. We will try to take advantage of our scoring chances but we will have to be patient.”
MIDFIELDER MATTHEW PALLESCHI
“We have to keep doing what we did in the first game at home if we want to win against Miami. We have to stick to the game plan, which consists of putting pressure high in their zone and using the wings. We will try to create scoring chances but we know that it will be a tough game.”
FORWARD CHARLES GBEKE
“We should always expect a closed game when we are playing at home because it’s the strategy of all teams visiting us. The other teams know that we have a good defense but also that we can be dangerous offensively. As long as the team is winning, I will be happy. Up to now, the strategy that we have established is working well so we’ll continue in the same direction.”
OUT OF THE LINE-UP
Player Position Injury Status Games missed
Mauro Biello Midfielder Hamstring Approx. 2 weeks 0
Nevio Pizzolitto Defender Knee 4 to 6 weeks 5
Jason DiTullio Defender Knee Return unknown 5
Shaun Tsakiris Midfielder Groin Return unknown 5
NEXT GAMES
• Friday June 1 – Vancouver @ Impact - Claude-Robillard Sports Complex – 8 pm (Télévision de Radio-Canada, FSW, Sirius, CJAD 800, USLlive.com)
• Tuesday June 5 - Minnesota @ Impact - Claude-Robillard Sports Complex – 7 pm (CJAD 800, USLlive.com)
• Friday, June 8 – Portland @ Impact – Claude-Robillard Sports Complex – 8 pm (Télévision de Radio-Canada, FSW, Sirius, CJAD 800, USLlive.com)
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, ext. 27
