Philadelphia Union – Montreal Impact
Saturday, August 31, 2013 – 7:30pm (ET)
PPL Park
TV: TVA Sports
Online: illico web, MLS Live
Mobile: illico mobile
Viewing party: McLean’s Pub
CHESTER, Pennsylvania – The Montreal Impact (12-7-5) travels to PPL Park in Chester Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Union (10-8-8) this Saturday at 7:30pm ET. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports and is available online with illico web, illico mobile and MLS Live. You can also get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter.
The Impact sits in first place in the Eastern Conference standings with 41 points from 24 games played, three points ahead of Philadelphia, and two ahead of Sporting Kansas City and the New York Red Bulls, with two games in hand on all three teams. SKC host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, while RBNY visits D.C. United.
The team is also leading the Eastern Conference and second in MLS with 41 goals for.
Head-To-Head
This is the second of three regular-season games between both teams in 2013. In the first matchup, the Impact beat the Union 5-3 on May 25 at Stade Saputo, following a hat trick from Marco Di Vaio that earned him MLS Player of the Week honours. The Impact and Philadelphia Union will also meet on October 19 at Stade Saputo.
May 25, 2013: MTL 5-3 PHI
Impact News
The Impact got six points from its last two MLS games, winning against D.C. United and Houston, last Saturday, in what was the most lopsided win in Impact history in Major League Soccer. In the 5-0 win, Marco Di Vaio scored a brace, while Felipe, Jeb Brovsky and Andrea Pisanu rounded out the scoring.
Di Vaio’s two goals has him alone atop the leader board in goals scored in MLS with 15, one more than Camilo of Vancouver and Mike Magee of Chicago. He also leads the league in shots on goal with 43 and multi-goal games at three.
Midfielders Justin Mapp and Felipe each earned two assists, putting them into a tie with Patrice Bernier for the team lead in assists at seven.
Di Vaio now has scored four goals in his last two games, while Felipe has two goals and two assists in his last three and Mapp has three assists in his last two matches in MLS.
While the team is undefeated in its last five home games (3-0-2), the Impact has not won in its last five road games, following ties with Toronto and Columbus and losses to New York, D.C. United and Chicago.
Assistant coach Mauro Biello will manage the team this Saturday against Philadelphia following Marco Schällibaum’s ejection on August 17 against D.C. United. Schällibaum will serve his last of a two-game suspension.
Philadelphia Union News
The Union sits in the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference (5th) with 38 points from 26 games played, but has struggled of late winning just once in its last four games over all competitions, including a 5-1 loss at the hands of the New England Revolution last Saturday on the road.
However, the team has never lost two games in a row this season and has lost only three times at home with a record of 6-3-4.
Centre back Amobi Okugo starts a two-game suspension, while Ray Gaddis and Keon Daniel are questionable due to injuries.
Midfielder Sébastien Le Toux leads the league with 12 assists, while Jack McInerney leads the team in goals with 10, but who has fallen from favour in recent weeks, failing to find his form from before the all-star game. Forward Conor Casey has been rejuvenated in Philly, scoring nine goals after a tough season in Colorado in 2012.
Next game
The Impact travels to New England to take on the Revolution at Gillette Stadium next Sunday, August 8, at 7:30pm.
