Last game of the season to be played Sunday at Stade Saputo
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will bring its 2019 MLS season to an end, this Sunday at 4pm on Decision Day, by taking on the New York Red Bulls at Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5, TSN 690). Excellent tickets remain available on impactmontreal.com.
“We feel good,” said Impact head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “The players have been working well, and they’ve had a good approach to the work we’ve been making them do. The energy from them on and off the field has been very positive, and that’s very important. On Sunday, we have to win. We want to finish our season with a win for our supporters, against a very tough opponent.”
The Impact will be hosting its Supporters’ Day, during which gifts, prizes, and the players’ traditional lap of honour after the game will all be on the program. Stade Saputo's gates will open at 2pm, allowing you to take advantage of the atmosphere. From 2 to 3pm, the 2-for-1 special on all drinks will be in place, and animations, numerous activities, and photobooths will be available beneath the stands. Video game enthusiasts can try their luck against LyesMTL, the Impact's eSports player in the BMO Celebration Zone, on FIFA 20 on PS4. Finally, a new pregame ritual, during which supporters will be able to welcome players in the stadium's North stand, will take place as of 2:30pm, 90 minutes before kickoff. Please note as well that our new IMFC grilled cheeses made by chef Danny Smiles will henceforth be on the concessions' menu at Stade Saputo, starting as low as $2.83 (plus tax).
The MLS bag policy will be in place for this game. Backpacks, camera bags, and big tote bags, as well as any bag larger than 35cm x 35cm x 15cm will not be accepted inside the stadium.
Also, please note that more traffic than usual is to be expected in the Sherbrooke/Pie-IX/Pierre-de-Coubertin/Viau area, as well as to access the different parking lots around Stade Saputo due to roadwork.
The Viau metro station is undergoing an important renovation project. Construction on the new bus rapid transit corridor (BRT) on Pie-IX Boulevard has begun, and as such, traffic on Pie-IX between the A40 and Pierre-de-Coubertin Street will be impeded, while bus routes may be diverted. The P1, P2, P3, P4 parking lots are available. The P5 parking lot is reserved for Members with a parking pass.
Finishing on a good note
Montreal will want to finish the season on a positive note in front of their supporters at Stade Saputo, against a Red Bulls side that’s never won a game in the Impact’s home. In Montreal, including games at Olympic Stadium, the Impact has a record of five wins, one loss and two draws in eight regular-season games.
Saphir Taïder became just the second player in Impact history to start 30 games or more in two consecutive MLS seasons. The Algerian, who leads Montreal in the goalscoring category, is tied for third leaguewide with five goals from the penalty spot.
“We play to win, even if we haven’t won a lot in the past few games,” said midfielder Saphir Taïder. “We’re going to try and enjoy ourselves, as always, but by following our game plan. In the end, we want to win. It would do us good, and we can bring our season to an end in a nice way.”
Red Bulls heating up
After losing three consecutive games starting at the end of August, Chris Armas’ men have found their game again as the MLS Cup playoffs approach, now with two wins and a draw since then. New York is still in a race to secure home-field advantage for the playoffs; we should therefore expect a solid line-up on Sunday. Defender Amro Tarek, however, and midfielder Florian Valot will both be absent due to injury, while forward Brian White, who’s had a breakout season this year with nine goals in 18 games, remains doubtful.
“It’s our last game of the season, here at home,” said Impact midfielder Nacho Piatti. “We need to finish the season on a positive note and thank all the supporters that stood behind us this year. We want win Sunday. Every point counts in the end and we need to understand that to qualify for the playoffs. Montreal needs to be featured in the postseason, because we are a big club.”
Upcoming game
The Montreal Impact’s next game will be in the Concacaf Champions League the round of 16, in February. The identity of the opponent will be announced in December. 2020 season ticket members will receive their ticket free of charge for the Impact’s first home game in the Champions League; 2020 memberships are available for as low as $33 per game.
