In the first game of the series, Friday at Saputo Stadium, the Impact shut out the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0, thanks to Antonio Ribeiro's goal in the 61st minute of play. Ribeiro became only the fifth player in club history to score in two consecutive playoff games.
"In the first half we had a lot of scoring opportunities and we could not capitalize but in the end we got a great result in front of our fans," said midfielder Sandro Grande. "Now the pressure is on them because they have to beat us on their field."
The Impact, which has a record of 5-9-2 (15GF-22GA) in 16 playoff games played on the road, has not won in its last four games, since September 10, 2004, in Syracuse. That year the Impact won the championship under head coach Nick De Santis, who was coaching his first full season.
"We are expecting another tough game in Vancouver," said Impact head coach John Limniatis, who is a finalist for USL Coach of the Year. "We knew that the series was going to be hard and the first game in Montreal was a battle. Our advantage right now is that they absolutely have to win Sunday to win the series. A 1-0 lead is good, knowing that we are doing well defensively. We are not going there to play for a tie. We will try to win the game and to capitalize on our scoring chances."
Whitecaps number one goalkeeper Jay Nolly will miss Sunday's game because he will be serving a one-game suspension. Nolly was ejected from the last game after grabbing Antonio Ribeiro by the throat.
On the Impact side, midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo should be back in the line-up Sunday after missing Friday's game due to a light concussion. Defender Adam Braz, who missed the first game of the series due to a one-game suspension after having received a red card, should also be back in the starting eleven.
The Impact has an excellent record of 11-4-4 in its last 19 games played in only 57 days.
"We are tired right now because it's a lot of games but we are trying to do our best and we are giving all we have on the field. We want to play in the championship final next Saturday," added Grande.
A total of 22 players made the trip to Vancouver, which continues in Trinidad & Tobago, where the team will play Wednesday its next game in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage against Joe Public FC. Defender Gabriel Gervais and midfielder Patrick Leduc, both injured, did not travel with the team, as well as midfielders Sita-Taty Matondo and Pato Aguilera, who stayed in Montreal. On Monday, the Impact will leave Vancouver and head directly to Port of Spain, in Trinidad & Tobago.
In the other semi-final, the Rochester Rhinos shut out the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-0, Friday, at PAETEC Park. The return game of the series will be played Sunday at 6 pm.
OTHER FACTS
• Since the beginning of the season, goalkeeper Matt Jordan has an overall record (including the regular season, the playoffs, the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and the CONCACAF Champions League) of 17-11-9, 16 shutouts and a goal-allowed average of 0,676 in 37 games.
• This is only the second time that both clubs meet in the playoffs. In 2006, the Impact lost in the semi-final series 2-0 on aggregate goals.
• Since 1993, the year Vancouver joined the league (the 86ers eventually became the Whitecaps), the Impact has a regular season lifetime record of 20-9-5 against its Canadian rivals.
• In 2008, the Impact failed to win three regular season games against the Whitecaps (0-2-1) but won both Nutrilite Canadian Championship games by a 2-0 score.
IMPACT IN THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE
• Wednesday, October 8 – IMPACT @ Joe Public – Trinidad & Tobago
- Live at 8 pm: bold TV, CBCSports.ca, Radio-Canada.ca/sports
- Tape delayed: CBC (midnight)
• Tuesday, October 21 – CD Olimpia @ IMPACT
- Live at 8 pm: Radio-Canada.ca/sports, bold TV, CBCSports.ca, CKAC Sports
- Tape delayed: Radio-Canada (11:45 pm), CBC (midnight)
• Tuesday, October 28 – IMPACT @ Atlante FC – Mexico
- Live at 10 pm: bold TV, CBCSports.ca, Radio-Canada.ca/sports
- Tape delayed CBC (midnight)
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, Ext. 227
