THE GAME AT A GLANCE
• The Impact has a lifetime record of 14-14-5 in the playoffs (40GF-32GA). The Impact has missed the playoffs only three times in 14 seasons: in 1993, 2000 and 2001. The Impact has won two championships, in 1994 and 2004.
• Both teams have never played against each other during the playoffs.
• The Impact has never lost in eleven games against the Islanders (8-0-3, 15GF-4GA), which are playing the fourth season of their history.
• This season, the Impact and the Islanders tied 1-1 on May 11, in Puerto Rico. The Impact then shut out the Islanders 1-0, June 29, in Montreal.
• The second and decisive game of the quarter-final series will be played Sunday, at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, at 6 pm.
• Last year, after finishing first in the overall standings and obtaining a bye in the semi-finals, the Impact was eliminated by the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Impact tied 0-0 in Vancouver, after losing 2-0 in overtime at home.
THE IMPACT THIS SEASON
• The Montreal Impact finished the campaign with the second-best defense in the league after allowing 21 goals, three more than the Portland Timbers.
• The Impact scored 32 goals this season, good for fifth place overall in USL D1.
• In regular season, the team boasted a record of 14-0-2 when it scored first. Conversely, the team has a record of 0-6-4 when it conceded the first goal.
• Forward Charles Gbeke is the top scorer in the First Division United Soccer Leagues, with10 goals, tying Seattle Sounders forward Sébastien Letoux. Gbeke also finished the season leading the Impact in points with 21.
• The Montreal Impact has won the Voyageurs Cup, which is given to the top Canadian team in the league, for the sixth consecutive year.
THE OPPONENT
• The Islanders did not win a single game during their last six games on the road (0-4-2). Their last victory on the road was on July 28, in California.
• At their last regular season game, on September 7, the Islanders tied 0-0 in Charleston.
• Puerto Rico finished fourth this season in the First Division USL standings with 35 goals scored, and sixth in defense, with 34 goals conceded.
• Forward Alberto Zapata and midfielder Noah Delgado were the team’s leaders in points with 12. Delgado and forward Taiwo Atieno were the top scorers with five goals each.
• Last year, the Islanders were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Charleston Battery, after a 2-2 tie in Charleston and a 1-0 loss at home.
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
MIDFIELDER PATRICK LEDUC
“We have been waiting for the playoffs for a long time, so it’s time to put all the energy we saved into the game. I think that the key to these series is to play well in the first game. We know that we play good soccer on the road and we know that we should have an advantage if we take the lead in the series after the first game. We can’t take them lightly. This is a team that plays with a Latin-American style, but they are more organized since the arrival of their new head coach in mid-season. I think that we will have to be very aggressive and mobile. If we score a few goals, we will force them to open up in the second game abroad.”
FORWARD CHARLES GBEKE
“The team is very motivated and I think that we will show a lot of character on the field. I think that it’s a very good decision to play the first game at home. After our loss in Rochester, we don’t want to lose a second straight game. They have a great crowd at their games, but we are accustomed to noise because here in Montreal, the fan base is louder, so we are very confident to play on their field.”
FORWARD JOEY GJERTSEN
“It’s going to be a good series because we are facing a good team. In fact, all the clubs in the playoffs have solid teams. The weather and the rain could be significant factors during the second game abroad. However, I think that we have the advantage and I’m comfortable with the fact that we are traveling only once. The Islanders will have to travel twice and fatigue could disadvantage them.”
OTHER FACTS
• Team captain Mauro Biello should be back in the line-up Friday. Biello missed the last five games due to a dislocation of his right elbow.
• Among regular starters, defenders Simon Gatti (tibia) and Nevio Pizzolitto (thigh) are the only two players who remain uncertain for Friday’s game.
• Only one player has played for the opposing team: midfielder Lars Lyssand, who played the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Impact, before being traded to the Islanders, June 14, in return for forward Alen Marcina.
• With 14 shutouts this season, the Impact has shut out its opponent in 50% of its games (14 of 28) for a fourth straight season. Montreal had 19 shutouts in 2004 (68%) and 16 shutouts in the 2005 and 2006 seasons (57%).
• Seven players have reached the 2000-minutes played mark this season: Patrick Leduc (2328 minutes), Leonardo Di Lorenzo (2295 minutes), Mauricio Vincello (2203 minutes), Luis Aguilar (2140 minutes), Joey Gjertsen (2111 minutes), Simon Gatti (2046 minutes) and David Testo (2045 minutes).
• Forward Roberto Brown, who was with Panama’s national team, could be back for the first game of the playoffs.
THE PLAYOFF FORMAT
• The first eight out of 12 teams in the USL First Division standings are taking part in the playoffs and unlike last year, a bye was not awarded for finishing first or second.
• The top seeded team is squaring off against the eighth, the second against the seventh – and so on – in a home and away series on total goals scored.
• If both teams are still tied after the two games, there will be two overtime periods of 15 minutes, followed by penalty kicks.
• After the quarter-final round, teams will be reseeded according to their place in the final standings, with the top remaining seeds playing against the lowest ones. The semi-final games should be played September 21 and 23.
• The single-game championship final will take place September 29.
PLAYER INJURIES
Player - Position – Injury – Status – Games missed
Simon Gatti Defender Tibia Day to day 0
Nevio Pizzolitto Defender Thigh Day to day 3
Frederico Moojen Forward Sports hernia Season over 7
Jason DiTullio Defender Knee Season over 28
ELSEWHERE IN THE LEAGUE
Friday, September 14, 2007
• Seattle (1st) @ Carolina (8th) – 7:30 pm
• Rochester (5th) @ Atlanta (4th) – 8 pm
• Portland (2nd) @ Vancouver (7th) – 10 pm
NEXT GAME
• Sunday, September 16 – Impact @ Puerto Rico – Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium – 6 pm (CJAD 800, USLlive.com)
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, ext. 27
