April 2, 2000
The Impact finishes the NPSL regular season strong. Despite trailing the Kansas City Attack by seven points with 10 minutes remaining at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex, the Bleu-blanc-noir clinches both a 24-20 win and fourth place in its conference. Alas, the Canadian Press also reports that, due to Claude-Robillard hosting the Montreal games, the Impact is forced to “play all of its first-round games away from home, in Cleveland […],” where the team only won one of four games that season…
April 7, 2000
And what was bound to happen did happen. After an initial 21-7 loss on April 5, the Bleu-blanc-noir sees its season end prematurely. The Cleveland Crunch completes a two-game sweep of the Impact with a 21-11 win. Montreal’s Grant Needham and Nevio Pizzolitto both tally twice, with teammate Chris Stathopoulos also scoring once. “At least, this time around, we made them work hard,” says Impact player-coach John Limniatis, according to the Canadian Press. “We held our own until the third quarter. But Cleveland’s one of the toughest places to play in the league. In the end, we lost against a better team which we must rank amongst the favourites to win it all this year.” Indeed, the Crunch would reach the final, losing against Milwaukee, while the Impact gets ready for its outdoors season opener on May 6 in Pittsburgh. And from then on, the Bleu-blanc-noir would play no more indoors soccer, as the Montreal NPSL franchise would move to Toronto during the summer.
