The club also handed out individual honours to forward Charles Gbeke, who was recognized Offensive Player of the Year, to defender Mauricio Vincello, who was named Defensive Player of the Year, to goalkeeper Matt Jordan, who was the recipient of the Newcomer of the Year Award, and to midfielder Simon Gatti, who received the Unsung Hero Award.
LEONARDO DI LORENZO: MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (GIUSEPPE-SAPUTO TROPHY)
• In his second season with the Impact, this 26-year-old midfielder from Argentina is one of the 13 players in the league who played the 28 regular-season games (25 as starter).
• Played a total of 2,295 minutes, second on the team
• Ended the season with three goals and four assists for 10 points, good for third rank among the team’s leaders in points.
• Scored two game-winning goals: April 28, in Charleston, in a 3-2 win, and June 23, in Seattle, in a 1-0 shutout win.
• His four assists gave him 10th place in the USL D1 among the league’s playmakers.
• Earned a spot in the 2007 USL First Division second All-league Team for a second straight season.
• Was named five times to the USL First Division Team of the Week.
• Head coach Nick De Santis: “Leonardo came to training camp in perfect shape and it gave him the chance to be constant all season long. He was a key player during 28 games. After only two seasons, he is already part of the team’s nucleus.”
CHARLES GBEKE: OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• Returning to Montreal, the 29-year-old forward was the top scorer in the United Soccer Leagues First Division, with 10 goals, tied with Seattle Sounders forward Sébastien Letoux.
• Finished the season leading the Impact in points with 21, in 28 games (1,884 minutes).
• Had the most game-winning goals on the team (5).
• Is the player who shot at the net the most times during the season with 75 shots.
• Was named to the All-League teams (second team) for the first time in his career.
• Was proclaimed Player of the Week 19 and was named five times to the USL D1 Team of the Week.
• Head coach Nick De Santis: “Scoring 10 goals in this league is a tough thing to accomplish. Charles contributed with a some key, important goals that gave us points in the standings.”
MAURICIO VINCELLO: DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• In his fourth season in Montreal, his eighth in the USL First Division, this 30-year-old defender from Argentina started the 25 games he played in the regular season, a personal high since his arrival with the Impact in 2004.
• Played a total of 2,203 minutes, a record among Impact defenders this season, reaching at the same time the 2000-minutes played mark for the fifth time of his career.
• Helped the Impact post the second-best defense in the league, allowing only 21 goals in 28 games.
• Also helped the club register 14 shutouts during regular season.
• Led Impact defenders in points with two goals and one assist for five points, during the regular season.
• Scored two goals and added one assist in the first quarter-final game against the Puerto Rico Islanders.
• Also shown that he could play physical this season with eight yellow cards and 40 fouls.
• Became on August 26, the 12th player in Impact history to reach the 100-games played career mark with the club.
• Was selected four times to the USL D1 Team of the Week in 2007.
• Head coach Nick De Santis: “Mauricio showed once again this year that he is the best left back in the league. He was essential to the team’s success this season both defensively and offensively.”
MATT JORDAN: NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
• The 31-year-old American native, who had played eight seasons in MLS before joining the Impact, became the number one goalkeeper, after Greg Sutton’s departure (Toronto FC).
• Helped the team remain undefeated in the first seven games of the season (4-0-3), for the 4th time in club history.
• Ended the season with 10 wins and 11 shutouts. His 0.649 goals-allowed average was the second best in the league.
• Finished the season first in the league (minimum 1,000 minutes played) with only 12 goals allowed.
• Set two new team records, shutting out the opponent during six consecutive games, as well as not allowing a single goal during 622 minutes of play.
• Became the third goalkeeper in Impact history to earn at least 10 shutouts in a season, after Paolo Ceccarelli and Greg Sutton.
• Helped the team shut out its opponent in 50% of its games (14 of 28) for a fourth straight season.
• Missed only five games due to a broken jaw in Sherbrooke, against Carolina.
• Was named to the USL D1 All-League Second Team.
• Head coach Nick De Santis: “ He is a true professional who has shown impressive concentration. He was a great example for other players. Matt’s experience and leadership were great assets for team this year.”
SIMON GATTI: UNSUNG HERO AWARD
• In his second season with the Impact, this 26-year-old midfielder was an important player for the Impact in 2007 by his versatility, playing 22 out of 28 games he played as defender, making up for the departure of defender Adam Braz (Toronto FC) on the right flank and the absence of injured defender Nevio Pizzolitto.
• Is one of the 13 players among the league who have played all 28 games this season.
• Has surpassed his minutes played total of last year (157 minutes) after only four games.
• Reached the 2000-minutes played mark for the first time in his young career in the USL D1, with 2,046 minutes of play.
• Registered his first career point, June 29, assisting Antonio Ribeiro’s game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders.
• Head coach Nick De Santis: “He is a player who has shown a perfect attitude and dedication to this team. He helped us all season on defense. He is a young player who represents the future of the club.”
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, Ext. 27
