UEFA Champions League final will be broadcast at the stadium as of 3pm
MONTREAL – The Montreal Impact will play the second of three games in eight days, this Saturday, June 1, at 5pm, against Orlando City SC at Stade Saputo (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5, TSN 690). Excellent tickets remain available on impactmontreal.com. Please note that this game was originally scheduled to take place at 4pm and was moved; tickets showing 4pm are still valid at Stade Saputo.
“This Orlando team has matured and become more solid,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “There’s only one other team that managed to beat them by more than a goal. They keep attacking you, and they don’t give up very easily. I think they’ve progressed. Nani has integrated into the team. He’s become an important piece, which he wasn’t yet when we played there because he had just arrived. We’re playing at home, but it won’t be easy. I’m expecting an enthusiastic performance from my players. I’m under the impression that there will be a lot of people at the stadium tomorrow. Their support will be important, against a team that’s had eight days to prepare. I feel that my players are very motivated to collect these points.”
Stade Saputo's West gates will open at 2:30pm, allowing you to come watch the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, broadcast at the stadium as of 3pm. From 2:30pm to 3:30pm, 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 19 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 3:30pm, 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.
Chasing first in the East
Montreal continues its four-game stretch on Quebec soil following a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake last Wednesday. Currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference standings, Rémi Garde’s men could momentarily climb all the way to first with a win this weekend.
“We feel good and we’re confident,” said full-back Bacary Sagna. “We’re coming off a win and it feels good, because it had been a while since we collected all three points. We set the tone right from the beginning and we could’ve scored right away. It’s good for us to have a conqueror’s mindset. We need to keep that aspect of our game. There were a lot of positives to take out of our last game and we’ll try and use them to win a second consecutive game.”
As announced by the club on Thursday, Designated Player Nacho Piatti will miss a period of two to three months due to a knee injury. Homegrown player Mathieu Choinière, on his end, is following concussion protocol and will be unavailable for Saturday’s game.
Success against Orlando
The Impact has recently found success against Orlando City SC, remaining unbeaten in its last six games against the Floridian side, a sequence that includes five wins and that dates back to September 2016. At Stade Saputo, the Lions have just one win in four visits since they joined MLS in 2015.
James O’Connor’s men are going through a difficult spell, having lost four of their last five games, although Designated Player Nani, who joined the club in the beginning of the season, remains clinical for Orlando, with already seven goals and four assists in 12 games this season.
“They’re a different team than when we played them,” said full-back Daniel Lovitz. “They were a little out of sorts last time, but they’re trying find their identity, and I think they’ve turned a corner a little bit in that sense. They’re a little bit more solid and more together in the way they approach their matchups. I’ve watched a couple of their games and they had a lot of opportunities to get good results.”
Upcoming games
The Impact has one more game schedule before a three-week international break: Montreal will host the Seattle Sounders FC at Stade Saputo on Wednesday, June 5, at 7:30pm (TICKETS – TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5, TSN 690). The following game will also take place at Stade Saputo, on Wednesday, June 26, as the Portland Timbers will be in town (TICKETS – TVA Sports, 98.5, TSN 690).
