The Impact will try to bounce back from a 1-0 loss against the Whitecaps, April 12, in its first game of the season.
«We want to come back with a win, after our loss in Vancouver,” noted veteran defender Gabriel Gervais. “We will not change our way of playing but we will have to be more compact. It will be a good second test for us.”
“We have a system of play within the team and we will not change it even though we lost the first game,” said Impact assistant coach Peter Pinizzotto. “On the road, you have to score on whatever chances you get. We’re going to Miami with the same mentality but we may do a couple of things differently, like putting more pressure because this is a team that likes to move the ball around.”
The Impact has a lifetime record of 2-0-3 against Miami, which is playing its third season in the league. Last season, the Impact tallied seven points on a possibility of nine against the Miami FC.
“We can’t underestimate any team in our league,” said midfielder Antonio Ribeiro. “Of course we have the team to beat them but we have to score on our chances. When you don’t score first, your opponent closes the game and it’s then more difficult, so we want to score first Saturday.”
Midfielder Eric Vasquez, best goal scorer for Miami last season with six goals, will be back in the lineup Saturday, coming back from an ankle injury during the off-season.
The team will play the second of six straight games on the road, before its home opener at Saputo Stadium, Monday May 19, at 3 pm, against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
After the game in Miami, the Impact will stay in Florida to train until April 24, and will then fly to Atlanta for its game against the Silverbacks, April 25. The Impact will return to Montreal, Saturday, April 26.
OTHER FACTS
• In five games, the Impact has not allowed a goal to its Florida rivals.
• This is the first of three games between both teams. The two teams will face each other again in Montreal, June 4 and July 18, at Saputo Stadium.
• This is also the second game of the season for the Miami FC. In its home opener, April 12, the Miami FC tied the Charleston Battery 2-2. Forwards Alex Alfonso and Sean Fraser scored for Miami.
• The Miami FC hired Brazilian Zinho as new head coach. He had played for the Miami FC during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
• Last year, Miami finished ninth overall in the United Soccer Leagues First Division and did not qualify for the playoffs.
• The last time the Impact lost its first two games of the season, was in 2002, when the Impact lost 1-0 in Charleston and 2-1 in Atlanta. The Impact had finished the season with a record of 16-9-3.
• Defender Adam Braz (6,526 minutes of play) is now ranked 14th among Impact players, having surpassed Patrice Bernier (6,445 minutes). Braz is only 63 minutes away from 13th place, held by Eduardo Sebrango (6,588 minutes) and 295 minutes away from 12th place, held by Carl Fletcher (6,821 minutes).
• In the last game in Vancouver, goalkeeper Matt Jordan became the seventh goalkeeper in club history to play 20 games with the Impact.
• Midfielders Cristian Nunez and Matthew Palleschi, as well as defenders Cédric Joqueviel and Luis Aguilar did not make the trip to Miami.
NEXT GAMES
• Friday, April 25 – IMPACT @ Atlanta - RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium – 8 pm (Fox Sports World)
• Friday, May 2 – IMPACT @ Puerto Rico – Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium – 8 pm (USLlive.com)
• Saturday, May 10 – IMPACT @ Minnesota – James Griffin Stadium– 8:05 pm (USLlive.com)
• Wednesday, May 14 – IMPACT @ Charleston – Blackbaud Stadium– 7:30 pm (USLlive.com)
• Monday, May 19 – Vancouver @ IMPACT – SAPUTO STADIUM – 3 pm (Radio-Canada, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990, USLlive.com)
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, Ext. 227
