VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Montreal Impact launches its Canadian Championship semifinal with the first game of a home-and-away series against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, this Tuesday at 10pm EDT at BC Place (RDS [pregame at 9:30pm], 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690 [pregame at 9pm]).
“We are expecting a difficult game, as Vancouver is on a good run and is confident at the moment,” said Impact head coach Mauro Biello. “It’s a rivalry. The Canadian Championship is important for both clubs. We want to get off to a good start and have an opportunity to go through at home next week. We have to manage this game in the right way, as we played this weekend and had a long trip to come here, but we have players who are fresh and ready to go.”
First steps towards Champions League
The Bleu-blanc-noir will thus start its Champions League qualifying campaign in a competition that could bring the club to lift the Voyageurs Cup for a fourth time since 2008, the first edition of the current format, and for a tenth time in history. Exceptionally this year, the 2017 champion will not be automatically qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League knockout stage, but will have to go through a playoff against Toronto FC, who had won the tournament in 2016, at BMO Field, on Wednesday, August 9.
“This Cup allowed us to go very far in the Champions League,” said defender Hassoun Camara. “We lived great stories, great wins too. We hope to do it again, as it is something we wish to share with Montreal and the whole of Quebec. There is also a kind of supremacy at stake on the national level. We aim to do something great this year.”
An important point to note is that starting this year, participating clubs will have to name at least three Canadian players in their starting lineups.
Since it entered MLS, the Impact has never won against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Canadian Championship – though the club won the 2013 Canadian Championship final series against the ‘Caps, thanks to the away goals rule. The series finished 2-2. In four Canadian Championship games against Vancouver, Montreal has a record of 0-1-3, with four goals scored and six against.
In MLS action this past weekend, Vancouver won at home against Sporting Kansas City, the best team in the West, by a 2-0 score. This season in MLS, the Whitecaps hold a record of five wins, five losses and one draw, good for sixth in the Western Conference. Defenders Brett Levis, David Edgar, and Christian Dean, midfielder Yordy Reyna, as well as forwards Erik Hurtado and Bernie Ibini, will be unavailable through injury. The ‘Caps announced that Designated Players Matías Laba, Fredy Montero, and Brek Shea will be amongst the 23 players selected for the semifinal stage and are available to head coach Carl Robinson.
Previous game between both clubs
Taking the lead early on April 29 at Stade Saputo through Marco Donadel’s goal from range, the Impact let this advantage slip and lost by a 2-1 score line. The Bleu-blanc-noir will therefore get a chance to avenge this first home loss in 2017 at BC Place, where it had won its opening game in 2016.
Following game
The Impact will finish this home-and-away aggregate goal series in Montreal, at Stade Saputo, on Tuesday, May 30, at 7:30pm EDT (RDS, TSN, 98,5fm, TSN Radio 690). Excellent tickets for this game, as well as season tickets, are still available on impactmontreal.com.
