As our rebroadcasting of classic Impact games continues this Wednesday at 7:30pm on impactmontreal.com, we’ve come to a game that left supporters at Stade Saputo speechless.
If you’re looking for a goal fest, this is the game for you.
The year was 2013, and the Impact was in a fight for first place in the Eastern Conference. Montreal hosted Houston in late August with the season winding down, the Texans breathing down their necks just three points behind. A win would put the Impact in first place.
I won’t spoil the game you, but the Impact did manage to get five past the ‘keeper in one of their most outstanding wins in club history.
Here are the other times the Impact managed to get five past the ‘keeper in MLS. Am I the only one happy to see TFC twice on this list?
May 1, 2013 – 6-0 v Toronto FC – Stade Saputo
I remember attending this game with my grandfather. To give you an idea, he’s the type of person who would rather watch a game at home than drag himself to a stadium. But this time we went, despite his grumblings.
We went to watch a lot more games after that day.
In a game in which the Impact was written off early due to a loss in the first leg, Montreal stormed back and knocked six past TFC. It was as perfect a night as you get in the Canadian Championship, with an unforgettable atmosphere as the Impact pummeled its biggest rival to the point of embarrassment.
May 25, 2013 – 5-3 v Philadelphia Union – Stade Saputo
Just 24 days later, the Impact decided it was time to treat Stade Saputo’s supporters to another show. And this time, it was signed Marco Di Vaio.
It took the Italian Designated Player just 29 minutes to blow three past the Union’s goalkeeper for his first and only Impact hat trick. Di Vaio was on a tear in the beginning of the 2013 season, with six goals in MLS already before that game, having also notched another two in the Impact’s 6-0 blowout over TFC (see above)
July 23, 2016 – 5-1 v Philadelphia Union – Stade Saputo
Unfortunately for the Union, they were the ones on the wrong end of the Impact’s next five-goal performance, once again in front of the Stade Saputo crowd.
And before you say déja vu, yes, the Impact won thanks to another hat trick from one of its Designated Players.
The King gave the opposition no chance that day, scoring the game’s first three goals to put it our of reach for his second hat-trick in an Impact uniform.
September 20, 2017 – 5-3 v Toronto FC – BMO Field
There are so many reasons why this win means so much to Impact supporters to this day.
First of all, simply winning at BMO Field, against your biggest rival, is a great accomplishment in itself. Putting five past your enemy, with the score at 5-1 at one point during the games, makes it that much better.
There’s also the fact that the Impact scored their three fastest goals in club history in the first half.
You may also like the fact that the club’s homegrown player with the most goals, Anthony Jacskon-Hamel, got two past goalkeeper Alex Bono.
But my favourite part of this win lies in what Toronto FC missed out on. With just a few games to go, TFC was on the verge of going unbeaten at home for an entire season.
Who better than the Impact to rain on that parade?
