A few of the Montreal Impact players visited the field of Stade Saputo on Wednesday afternoon and had a walk on the new pitch.
Zarek Valentin
“Actually, one of the first things that Andrew (Wenger) told me was that this was the grass we played on growing up,” said defender Zarek Valentin. “We have a good feel for it, we played together on it and now we’re playing in a nicer stadium.”
“I’m actually impressed, it’s even better than what I thought,” he explained. “From what I can see, it’s one of the best in the league. It’s amazing.”
“I look at the Ultras section and I’m pretty excited to see it packed. I know we still have a few tickets left but I’m confident that they’re going to be sold.”
Evan Bush
“It looks incredible, and we have a feel of a top stadium,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “It feels completely different, tighter than it was last year. Anytime you change a surface it’s going to be different. I think that they’re doing well to roll the field.”
Andrew Wenger
“Wow! They’ve done a great job,” said forward Andrew Wenger. “We’re excited to finally be here. Saturday is going to be awesome. The stadium looks very good; it’s going to be a good surface to play on. It’s top-notch; it’s right up there with the best stadiums in MLS.”
“It’s a big field, which is something that our team likes, so it suits us very well. “
Jesse Marsch
“The grass is in fine shape,” said head coach Jesse Marsch. “I know that the grounds people have worked tirelessly day and night to get this into good shape.”
“I think this is one of the premier venues in the league. It has everything that you’re looking for in a soccer stadium. It’s smaller so it should have a really intimate atmosphere. The stands are really close to the field and the noise will stay inside.”
“Once we put all our passionate fans in here, I think it will be it a great venue.”
