CONTEXT
It will be the team’s 12th road game of the year.
With a victory over the Rhinos, the Impact would mathematically clinch a playoff spot.
Montreal could also officially earn a post-season berth if the Puerto Rico Islanders lose or tie the Rhinos, Friday night, in Rochester.
The top six teams in the league make the playoffs, with the top two earning a bye into the semi-finals.
The Impact has the best defence in the league, having allowed only 12 goals in 21 games (0.57 average).
In its last game, the Montreal Impact (13-2-6) tied the Puerto Rico Islanders (7-9-5) 1-1, Wednesday, in front of 11,483 spectators at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
Veteran forward Darko Kolic, in his 4th start of the season, scored his second goal of the year. Kolic is one point away from earning the 100th point of his career in the First Division of the USL.
IMPACT VS ROCHESTER
Before tonight’s game against Puerto Rico, the Rhinos are in second place in the league, two points behind the Impact.
Rochester has gone undefeated in four games, and has not lost in their last eight home games.
The Rhinos have the best offence in the league with 37 goals scored in 23 games (average of 1.61 goals per match).
The Impact has an all-time record of 18-11-3 against the Rhinos.
This will be the third of four scheduled meetings between these two teams this season. On May 21, in Rochester, the Impact beat the Rhinos 2-1 at Frontier Field thanks to a two-goal effort by forward Ali Gerba. Then, May 29th, in Montreal’s home opener at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex, the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
In 2004, the Impact collected six out of a possibility of nine points against the Rhinos. In a home and away series on July 7 and 9, The Impact blanked Rochester both times by a score of 1-0. On August 27th, the Impact was defeated 2-0 at Frontier Field, ending Montreal’s undefeated streak at eight games.
De Santis’ squad eliminated the Rhinos in the first round of the playoffs last year. Both games were won by a 1-0 score, and both goals were scored by forward Eduardo Sebrango en route to winning the USL championship. It was the first time the Impact eliminated Rochester in the playoffs.
NOTES
Defender Adam Braz was ejected during the last Wednesday’s game against Puerto Rico, and is suspended for one game.
Defender Gabriel Gervais will not be available for Saturday’s match-up. He injured his leg during the game against the Portland Timbers, August 10, and has missed the last two games. He is expected to miss two weeks of action.
Midfielder Zé Roberto suffered a knee sprain on July 29, against the Atlanta Silverbacks. He is expected to be sidelined 4 to 6 weeks.
Forward Eduardo Sebrango has missed the Impact’s last 10 games with a fractured bone in his right foot. He suffered the injury on June 30, in a 1-0 victory over the Timbers in Portland. He is expected to return sometime this month.
Forward Joel Bailey has begun training with his teammates and could return shortly.
Captain Mauro Biello became the first player in Impact history to reach the 20 000 minutes played mark, last Wednesday. He is the Impact’s leading scorer (7-3-17). He sits in seventh place in league scoring. Biello has scored seven goals in the Impact’s last ten games, five of which were game-winning goals.
PRE-GAME COMMENTS
Head-coach Nick De Santis: " It will be like a playoff game. We are two teams currently fighting for the first place in the league so it will be a very intense match-up. We will have to be very disciplined because every little mistake will make a difference. It will be a tight game on their small field. At the same time last year, we lost against the Rhinos in Rochester because we weren't fully concentrated. We are not going to make the same mistake two years in a row."
Darko Kolic: "It will be a tough game, but we are going to Rochester to get a positive result. We know they will be very motivated to beat us on their field. We will have to take advantage of the fact that they will have played the night before. Also, we want to bounce back after our tie against Puerto Rico, because we feel like we lost two points in that game. We will have to be ready physically and mentally."
UPCOMING GAMES
The Impact plays at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex on Friday, August 26, against the Virginia Beach Mariners (8 pm, RDS, FSW, CKAC). It will be the first of a four-game homestand.
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Source: Patrick Vallée
Info: 514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
