In its last game, Friday, the Impact was shut out 1-0 by the Portland Timbers despite having dominated 22-7 in shots. The Impact has not scored in its last five games, including the game against Toronto FC, May 27, which is a new team record.
“I will be happy if we can score a goal tomorrow,” said Impact head coach Nick De Santis. “If we get a win, we can build from there. I think that right now we need to score and win games at home. If you don’t do that, then of course you are going to put yourself into trouble. We are not looking against which team we are playing. Yes we have to analyze Miami’s positive and negative points but the most important thing now is to work on what we need, which is to score goals. We are playing at home and we need to set the pace of the game and determine what needs to be adjusted.”
The Impact has a lifetime record of 3-0-3 (4GF-1GA) against the Miami FC, which is playing its third season in the league. On April 19, the Impact registered a 2-1 win against Miami, in Florida, in its second game of the season.
“We feel we are on the right track despite not having scored in the last five games,” said defender Alex Surprenant. “We all sense that we are playing well and dominating. It’s impossible for things not to take off soon. In spite of all this, team spirit is good. Even forwards Charles (Gbeke), Joey (Gjertsen) and Rocco (Placentino) keep a positive attitude. We can’t start getting discouraged and thinking that we are not playing well. We need to stick together and this is what we’re doing now.”
“I think that the team deserves to win,” said forward Rocco Placentino. “We are playing really well and getting a lot of chances and it kind of goes the wrong way. It would be good for the morale to get a win. When you are having trouble scoring and you score the first goal, you take off. I hope that tomorrow we score the first goal.”
The Impact released forward Dwight Barnett and defender Luis Aguilar. In six regular season games, Barnett tallied one goal and one assist. Aguilar, who joined the Impact July 30, played eight games in Montreal, for a total of 434 minutes of play.
Defender Gabriel Gervais (thigh), midfielders Leonardo Di Lorenzo (thigh), Antonio Ribeiro (ankle) and David Testo (hip), as well as forward Roberto Brown (thigh) will miss Wednesday’s game due to injuries.
The Impact called back three players from its reserve team, the Trois-Rivières Attak: forward Nicolas Lesage, midfielder Hector « Nacho » Contreras and defender Davy Uwimana.
The Impact sold all 13,034 tickets of its first two regular season games, a league high. The Impact should play again in front of a sold out crowd Wednesday.
OTHER FACTS
• After a sequence of six games without a win (0-5-1), the Florida team has not conceded a goal in its last two games, winning 2-0 in Portland, May 26, and tying Seattle 0-0, June 1.
• Miami forward Alex Afonso is currently the league leader in points with 13 (6-1-13).
• As part of the stay-in-school program All the Way with the Impact, more than 4,800 students from the English Montreal School Board will attend Wednesday’s game. To encourage excellence in school, the Impact will be awarding, prior to the match, the Tony Licursi Bursaries to the two young students who illustrated themselves, both in school and in soccer. Samantha Cappuccino, from Dante Elementary School in St. Leonard, a grade 6 student, has played on various teams since the age of seven. She is currently playing for the AA St. Leonard Lions. Ryan Gugliotti, from John F. Kennedy High School in St. Michel, is a 16 year old student who is also an honour roll student. He plays for the Ahuntsic AA soccer team and for the school’s soccer team. EMSB Chairman Angela Mancini, as well as the Impact president Joey Saputo and Mrs. Anna Licursi will take part in the ceremonial opening kickoff.
NEXT GAMES
• Saturday, June 7 – IMPACT @ Charleston – Blackbaud Stadium – 7:30 pm (USLlive.com)
• Friday, June 13 – Charleston @ IMPACT – Saputo Stadium – 7:30 pm (Radio-Canada, CKAC Sports, TEAM 990, USLlive.com)
• Tuesday, June 17 – Vancouver @ IMPACT – Saputo Stadium – 7:30 pm
• Sunday, June 22 – Carolina @ IMPACT – Saputo Stadium – 3:30 pm (Radio-Canada, CKAC Sports, TEAM 990, USLlive.com)
• Wednesday, June 25 – IMPACT @ Vancouver – Swangard Stadium – 10 pm
*Nutrilite Canadian Championship
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, Ext. 227
