Montreal Impact – D.C. United
Saturday, August 25, 4pm (ET)
Stade Saputo, Montreal
Broadcast: RDS/TSN2, CJAD 800
Also available on: illico web
MONTREAL, Quebec – The Montreal Impact (11-13-3) look to extend its winning streak to five games as D.C. United (12-8-4) come to town this Saturday, at 4pm (ET), at Stade Saputo. D.C. United is currently holding down the final playoff spot in the Eastern conference, four points ahead of the Impact.
A few hundred of the “new seats” in the East grandstand are now available. The remaining seats for this game can be purchased through admission.com, by calling 1-855-790-1245 or by calling the Impact ticket office at 514-328-3668.
This will be the third and final matchup of the season between these two clubs. The Impact played United to a 1-1 draw in its first meeting in Washington back on April 18 before losing 3-0 in its second visit to RFK Stadium on June 30.
The Impact has a record of 7-2-0 at Stade Saputo and has gone 9-3-2 overall at home, including the games played at Olympic Stadium.
Prior to the start of the game, the Montreal Impact will be honouring some of our local Olympians that represented Canada at the 2012 London Games.
WATCH: Preview vs D.C. United
Team news
The Impact is unbeaten in its last five games at home, having taken its last match at Stade Saputo by a 3-1 score versus the league leading San Jose Earthquakes. Marco Di Vaio (2G), Patrice Bernier (7G) and Lamar Neagle (2G) scored in the win. Neagle’s marker earned him AT&T Goal of the Week honours, a third consecutive time the honour was bestowed upon an Impact player, following Felipe and Sanna Nyassi’s wins.
Over the five home game winning streak, the Impact outscored its opponents 12-4.
Defender Alessandro Nesta is expected to make his return to the starting lineup after missing two games due to a right knee sprain.
Defender Nelson Rivas will not be available for the game as he will be serving the final game of a three-match suspension for a red card infraction against the Union. Hassoun Camara was suspended for two games following a red card that resulted from an altercation with San Jose’s Steven Lenhart in last weekend’s game that saw both men ejected.
INJURY REPORT
OUT: F Bernardo Corradi – Left knee ACL tear, F Eduardo Sebrango - Left shoulder separation;
DOUBTFUL: M Justin Mapp – Hamstring pull;
QUESTIONABLE: sanna Nyassi – Hip flexor strain;
PROBABLE: D Zarek Valentin – Left ankle sprain
D.C. United news
D.C. United is in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, with 40 points, four ahead of the Montreal Impact (6th) who is chasing them for the final playoff spot.
Download our new mobile app!
United is coming off of a midweek game in which they beat the Chicago Fire (4th East) by a 4-2 score on Wednesday night. Newly acquired forward Lionard Pajoy scored his first goal in just his second game with his new team since being acquired from the Philadelphia Union last week. Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario scored his 99th career goal in the game, and will be looking to crack the century mark this weekend in his native country.
Prior to Wednesday’s win, United had been struggling as it went 1-3-1 over a five game span that saw the team score just three goals. De Rosario, the 2011 MLS MVP, had not found the back of the net in over three months until he scored versus Chicago. United has also lost its four last road games, allowing 10 goals against and scoring just three, including being shut out on two occasions. The black and red has an overall record of 3-7-1 away from home.
Midfielder Andy Najar, who just recently returned to United’s lineup following his time at the Olympics with the Honduran National Team, played as a wing-back defender for the first time on Wednesday, assisting on one of his team’s goals versus Chicago, and was a constant threat with accurate crosses into the box.
Joining De Rosario in its potent attack is midfielder Chris Pontius who is having a career year with 10 goals scored and a call up for U.S. National Team duty, alongside Brazilian forward Maicon Santos and his seven markers.
Next games
The first team will play its next game versus the Crew in Columbus on Saturday, September 1, at Crew Stadium at 7:30pm. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports and will be available on illico web, illico mobile and MLS Live.
The club’s next home game is set for September 22 at Stade Saputo, against Sporting Kansas City at 1pm (ET) at Stade Saputo. Individual tickets for games at Stade Saputo are available via the Admission Network.
U21 vs North York: The Impact U21 (6-3-5) plays on Sunday, August 26 at 2pm at the Centre Sportif St-Jean-Vianney versus the North York Astros. The game is open to the public and admission is free.
Game Notes
- The Montreal Impact is currently first among MLS teams with eight goals on penalty kicks and 86 offside, third with 340 fouls committed and 354 shots, as well as fifth with 39 goals.
- Midfielder Felipe leads the team and is tied for sixth in the league with nine assists, while teammate Patrice Bernier is tied for ninth with seven assists.
- Bernier is also tied for third in the league with three game-winning assists.
- Midfielder Davy Arnaud is first in the league with 66 fouls suffered while Felipe is third with 55 fouls suffered.
- Head coach Jesse Marsch began his MLS career with D.C. United, scoring four goals in 15 games between 1996 and 1997.
- Canadian international midfielder Dwayne De Rosario is currently leading MLS with nine assists. He was named the 2011 Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player, after registering 13 goals and seven assists in 18 games with D.C. United, while winning the MLS Golden Boot with 16 goals. He has played 68 games with the Canadian National Team.
- Defender Dejan Jakovic was born in Serbia, but raised in Toronto, Ontario. He has represented Canada at the international level 11 times, playing in the 2009 CONCACAF GoldCup.
- Quebec-born defender Karl W. Ouimette played in his first ever home game, last Saturday against San Jose. It was his second appearance of the season.
