Pizzolitto, 33, will kick off his 16th season with the Montreal Impact. During regular season play, he played 252 matches (2nd in club history), 211 on the starting lineup (2nd) for a total of 19,702 minutes (2nd). He tallied nine goals and five assists for 23 points. Due to his physical play he is also first in club history with 356 fouls. Pizzolitto was named the Impact Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
“This is a great honour for me,” declared Pizzolitto. “I’m pleased and comfortable in my new role within the team. I’m happy to have rubbed shoulders with two great team captains, Nick (De Santis) and Mauro (Biello). I have assisted Mauro during the past years, so I’m confident that I can perform my work well. I will do my best to fulfill my responsibilities.”
Mauro Biello, who retired on November 19, had been team captain since the club’s relaunch in 2002. The team captains who preceded him were Marco Rizi (1993), Patrice Ferri (1993-1994) and Nick De Santis (1995-2001).
LEGEA NEW OFFICIAL TECHNICAL SUPPLIER
The Impact also announced on this occasion a two-year deal with LEGEA. Under the agreement, LEGEA becomes the official technical supplier for the Montreal Impact for match and training sessions, equipment, and official replicas. LEGEA makes a comeback with the club after having been the team’s technical supplier in 2002 and 2003.
“Our agreement with LEGEA will notably provide us with new custom-made jerseys produced according to our specifications, which will be more suited to our needs,” declared Impact President Joey Saputo. “We are currently working on our jersey design and training gear for 2010. We are looking forward to present our new creations. I would like to thank PUMA for their contribution and support during the last three years.”
FOUR INVITED PLAYERS
Four out of contract players have been invited to take part in training camp. Besides striker Reda Agourram and goalkeeper Andrei Badescu, who mostly played for the Trois-Rivières Attak in 2009, there are two other players trying out: Belarusian midfielder Valentin Radevich (FC Bate, Belarusian 1st Division) and Salvadorian midfielder Eduardo Retana (Alianza, Salvadorian 1st Division).
THE IMPACT ON TWITTER
Starting today, it will be possible to follow the Impact’s activities on Twitter in addition to Facebook, another social media the team adopted at the start of the 2009 season. In addition to receiving the latest club news and match results, fans will be able to know more about team and player activities, notably during training camp in Portugal, from February 21 to March 5.
SEASON TICKETS
2010 season tickets are currently on sale. Packages, which start at $180 in the supporters section and $250 in the Bronze category, are available by contacting the Montreal Impact at 514-328-3668 or at impactmontreal.com.
ABOUT THE NASL
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was established in November 2009 and is comprised of the following active teams: Carolina Rail Hawks, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, Minnesota (whose name is to be determined), Montreal Impact, Rochester Rhinos, AC St. Louis, Tampa Bay Rowdies and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. For the 2010 season, the NASL's nine teams, together with three teams (Austin Aztex, Portland Timbers and Puerto Rico Islanders) from the United Soccer Leagues, will play in a second division league established and administered by the United States Soccer Federation. The league will feature two conferences (NASL and USL) of six teams each, with three NASL teams (Minnesota, Rochester and Tampa Bay) playing in the USL conference. In 2011, the NASL will be joined by teams in Atlanta and certain other cities to be named at a later date. The NASL and its member teams are committed to building on their long tradition of providing a high level of soccer to fans across the United States and Canada in 2010 and beyond.
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668 (ext. 227)
