Montreal Impact – Philadelphia Union
Saturday, August 4, 2012 – 7:30pm (ET)
Stade Saputo, Montreal
Broadcast: TVA Sports, CJAD 800
Also available on: illico web, illico mobile, MLS Live
MONTREAL, Quebec – The Montreal Impact (8-13-3) will look to extend its three-game home unbeaten streak against the Philadelphia Union (7-10-2) on Saturday at 7:30pm (ET), at Stade Saputo.
Less than 2,000 tickets are available for the game. Individual tickets for the match can be purchased through admission.com or at Stade Saputo. The Impact played in front of a sellout crowd of 19,441 spectators last Saturday versus New York.
The Impact has a record of 7-3-2 at home, including five wins in seven games since Stade Saputo reopened.
Philadelphia sits right behind the Impact in the Eastern Conference standings with 23pts, four less than the Impact, but has five games in hand.
This will be the second of two meetings this season between these two clubs, with the Impact falling to the Union at PPL Park back on July 14 by a 2-1 score. The Union scored the game winning goal in the 91st minute off of a long throw in to steal all three points.
WATCH: Preview vs PHI
Pregame comments
“It was really frustrating to get scored on so late last time we played them,” said Impact defender Hassoun Camara. “Overall we played a pretty good game that night and didn’t get the result, but we have another chance at them Saturday night.”
“They are good with the ball and like to play possession,” said Impact midfielder Justin Mapp, who played with the Union in 2010 and 2011. “They are a young squad with a lot of energy and good attacking players. It’s a new game on Saturday, and we have some momentum from last week’s good performance.”
“There is definitely a bitter taste in our mouths from the game in Philly,” said Impact assistant coach Mike Sorber. “It’s important for us to be disciplined. They have a good mentality and they fight till the very end. We will have to take advantage of our chances and limit their good players.”
Team News
The Impact is coming off of a convincing 3-1 victory of the Eastern Conference leading New York Red Bulls last weekend, in which Designated Player Marco Di Vaio scored his first goal in MLS and Brazilian midfielder Felipe was an accomplice on all three of Montreal’s markers. Forward Sanna Nyassi and captain Davy Arnaud also scored.
With the win, the Impact has three league victories in a row at home, including consecutive 2-1 wins over the Columbus Crew on July 8 and the New England Revolution on July 18. During that run, the club played Olympique Lyonnais in and international matchup to a 1-1 draw back on July 24.
World Cup winning defender Alessandro Nesta made his MLS debut in an Impact uniform versus New York, alongside Nelson Rivas in central defence, who made his return to regular season action after an abdominal injury kept him out of the lineup for over a month. Fellow defender Matteo Ferrari also returned to the pitch for the Impact following a lengthy injury to his thigh, coming on as a second half substitute for Rivas in the 78th minute. For the first time, all three of the club’s former Serie A defenders will start the match.
READ:Ferrari, Nesta and Rivas set to start vs Philadelphia
INJURY REPORT: OUT - F Bernardo Corradi (Left knee torn ACL), D Zarek Valentin (ankle)
Union news
The Philadelphia Union is coming off of a dramatic 2-1 win versus the New England Revolution last weekend, when 19-year-old forward Jack McInerney scored a 90th minute goal to secure the win. McInerney has scored all four of his goals in his last six games.
The team from the city of brotherly love used late game heroics in three of the team’s four wins in the month of July.
The Union has struggled on the road, going 2-6-1 in nine games this season.
Upcoming match
On Sunday, the Impact and the Union will play in Reserve League action, at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex, at 11am (ET). Admission is free.
The Impact will hit the road to face the New England Revolution for the second time this season, next Sunday, at 7pm (ET), at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, MA.
The club will then return home to take on the Western Conference leading San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, August 18, at 7:30pm (ET) at Stade Saputo.
Individual tickets for games at Stade Saputo are available via the Admission Network. Three-game mini-season packages at Stade Saputo are now available, starting at $53, by calling 514-328-3668, via impactmontreal.com, or visit the Seat Store, located just behind the south grandstands. Special family and friend packages, as well as new student rates are also available.
Game Notes
- The Montreal Impact is currently second in MLS with a total of 288,628 spectators at home, and also second with an average of 24,052 spectators at home.
- The Montreal Impact is currently first among MLS teams with seven goals on penalty kicks and 77 offside calls, second with 310 fouls committed, as well as third with 316 shots and tied for seventh with 33 goals.
- Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is currently first amongst MLS goalkeepers with 23 games started and 2,046 minutes of play.
- Midfielder Davy Arnaud is first in the league with 62 fouls suffered.
- The Impact has already scored 33 goals this season, 7 goals short of the expansion record set by the Portland Timbers in 2011 with 40.
- Midfielder Patrice Bernier has scored three goals in his last four home games, and leads the team with four goals at Stade Saputo.
- Defender Zarek Valentin and forward Andrew Wenger were born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
- Midfielder Felipe tied a team record with three assists in one game, last Saturday against New York. The record was previously set by Patrice Bernier on June 16 against Seattle.
- Midfielder Justin Mapp needs just two assists to reach 50 career MLS assists.
- Midfielder Davy Arnaud needs just three goals to reach 50 career MLS goals.
- Selected by the Impact in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft, midfielder Justin Mapp played 44 games, including 34 starts, with the Union between 2010 and 2011, scoring four goals and eight assists.
- The Impact U21 returned from France following a series of matches versus the reserve teams of clubs from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. The Impact tied Auxerre and Troyes before winning 2-1 against Reims on August 1.
