TORONTO - The Montreal Impact will have another chance to face its huge rivals the Toronto FC in the Amway Canadian Championship. The Impact is travelling to BMO Field to play the first leg of the ACC final this Wednesday night (7:30pm, TVA sports, Sportsnet One).
TFC is a very different side this year than the one that played in the 2013 edition of the tournament, with the addition of strike force Jermaine Defoe among others, but the rivalry remains just as intense as ever.
“It’s a huge game, a championship game,” said Impact assistant coach Mauro Biello. “You don’t often get a chance to play in a championship final. The game will be aggressive and full of emotions. A good result there with an away goal would put us in a good position to come home and lift the trophy.”
The Reds, however, will be without a number of its key players, with the likes of midfielder Michael Bradley and goalkeeper Julio Cesar away on World Cup duty with their respective national teams. It is also being reported by local media that midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Jackson, as well as forward Luke Moore, will not be available for the first leg.
And with midfielder Collen Warner unavailable, having already appeared for the Impact in this tournament prior to his acquisition and therefore ineligible to play for the Reds, TFC will be thin in the middle of the park.
The Impact is not without its own challenges, particularly on the left wing, as Sanna Nyassi is out with injury and Issey Nakajima-Farran ineligible (for the same reasons as Warner). However center back Nelson Rivas should be available Wednesday and could play his first game in 2014.
“We’ve been facing adversity all season long,” explained defender Heath Pearce. “We believe in our plan and we are going to stick to it. A cup game can bring a whole other dynamic to what’s been a difficult season. There is a different energy because you playing for something in particular and it could change a season.”
Game notes:
- NEXT GAME: The return leg of the ACC final will be played on June 4, at Stade Saputo in Montreal. Before that game the Impact will host the Eastern Conference leading New England Revolution at Stade Saputo this Saturday, at 7pm in MLS regular season play.
- The Montreal Impact beat FC Edmonton 5-4 on aggregate goals, in the semi-final of the 2014 Amway Canadian Championship. The Impact lost the first leg 2-1 on May 7, at Clarke Field, in Edmonton before winning 4-2 the following Wednesday at Stade Saputo.
- The Impact won 6-2 in the home and away aggregate goal series against TFC in the semi-final of the Amway Canadian Championship, losing the first leg 2-0 on April 24 at BMO Field before winning 6-0 on May 1 at Stade Saputo.
- Midfielder Justin Mapp has recorded one goal and one assist in Amway Canadian Championship play against Toronto FC, while striker Marco Di Vaio has registered two goals and two assists.
- Mapp was named the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship Most Valuable Player after recording one goal and two assists in four games. He has so far recorded two assists in the semi-final against FC Edmonton.
- The Impact is still looking for its first win in Toronto since 2008, with a 0-5-3 record in all competitions.
