Preseason game to be broadcast live on impactmontreal.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – The Montreal Impact plays its last preseason game of 2017 this Saturday at 7:30pm ET against the host team of the MLS Suncoast Invitational, the USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies, at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida. This game will be available to watch online for free at impactmontreal.com.
The Bleu-blanc-noir has posted a 2-1-1 record thus far in preseason. The team first won 2-0 over the University of South Florida on February 3, in Orlando, before suffering a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Fire on February 15 in St. Petersburg. But the Impact rebounded well, winning 4-2 against D.C. United on February 18 and tying with the Philadelphia Union, 2-2, on Wednesday night. Forwards Nick DePuy and Anthony Jackson-Hamel scored Montreal’s goals against the Union.
“We’re expecting a physical game,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “That was the case last year. Tampa Bay is a high energy team, a team that will push us physically. These are things we need to manage in the game. We need to do that well in both phases of the game.”
In its only Suncoast Invitational outing thus far, the Rowdies lost 1-0 to the Philadelphia Union, last Saturday. The group led by head coach Stuart Campbell features a number of former MLS players such as goalkeeper Matt Pickens, defender Luke Boden and midfielder Michael Nanchoff. Former England international Joe Cole, who turned professional at West Ham United and later played for Chelsea, Liverpool, Lille, Aston Villa and Coventry City, is the Rowdies’ marquee player.
“They are an English and Scottish led team,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “We expect more direct play. We saw them play last week and there was some of that. We will be ready for anything. Hopefully, we will be able to dictate the pace of the game a little bit more so than react to it.”
On Saturday morning, the Impact will also take part in a mini-game, playing two 25-minute halves against D.C. United, which will allow players who will not take on the Rowdies to get some playing time.
The Impact’s 2017 home opener, the climax of a full week of activities, takes place at the Olympic Stadium against the recently crowned MLS Cup champions, Seattle Sounders FC, on Saturday, March 11, at 7pm ET (TICKETS – TVA Sports). In the meantime, the Bleu-blanc-noir plays its first game of the season on Saturday, March 4, against the Earthquakes at San Jose’s Avaya Stadium at 10pm ET (TVA Sports, TSN).
