The win allows the Impact to take first place in USL D1 standings with 26 points, tied with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Impact, however, has five games in hand.
The win also allowed the Impact to set a new club record for the best start of the season at home, playing an eighth consecutive game undefeated (5-0-3).
Goalkeeper Andrew Weber, who played a seventh consecutive game with the Impact since Greg Sutton’s injury, recorded a fifth shutout this season (4-0-3).
The Impact has not lost to the Lynx in its last nine games (7-0-2) and dominates Toronto 13-3 in goals during that sequence.
With 13,367 spectators, the Impact set a new attendance record for the regular season, surpassing the previous mark of 12,952 fans established August 16, 2005. It was also the Impact’s second largest crowd in club history, after the 2004 championship final, September 18, 2005, which attracted 13,648 spectators.
Impact defender Nevio Pizzolitto, who received his fifth yellow card of the season tonight, will have to sit out Montreal’s next game.
The Impact will play its next two games on the road, in less than 24 hours, this Saturday against the Seattle Sounders (10:00 pm) and then Sunday against the Whitecaps, in Vancouver (10:00 pm).
THE GOAL
62nd minute – After receiving a pass from Leonardo Di Lorenzo, forward Mauricio Salles, posted on the left flank, pivoted and took a sudden high shot from 25 yards out that beat Toronto goalkeeper Theo Zagar in the top right corner.
75th minute – After a long run on the right flank, captain Mauro Biello beat his last defender and passed the ball back into the box to Mauricio Salles, who took a low shot to the left of goalkeeper Theo Zagar.
HIGHLIGHTS
19th minute – Following a deep pass from Nevio Pizzolitto, Impact forward Daniel Antoniuk controlled the ball in the box and took a shot, but Toronto goalkeeper Theo Zagar made the save by coming out of his net.
28th minute – After a run on the right flank by Mauro Biello, the captain served a centering pass to the far post to Daniel Antoniuk, who headed the ball just wide of the Toronto net.
41st minute – On a free kick just from the top of the box, Toronto midfielder Jamie Dodds took a low shot that got past the wall, but Impact goalkeeper Andrew Weber made the save, diving to his right.
POST GAME COMMENTS
HEAD COACH NICK DE SANTIS
“The difference tonight was the players who were substituted into the game. In the second half, they brought more control and more creativity to the game. It proves that, once again, we have a team with depth. Salles has a very good left foot and he proved it tonight.”
FORWARD MAURICIO SALLES
“Tonight, I only did my work. Nick (De Santis) asked me to get behind the defence and that’s what I did. I’m happy to have helped the team win and to reach first place in the standings. Yes, I think that I scored one of the most beautiful goals of my career but the most important thing is the win tonight”
CAPTAIN MAURO BIELLO
“We were flat in the first half, but we needed something else in the second half. It’s important to have a good result in front of a good crowd like tonight. We needed those three points for our position in the standings.”
MISSING FROM THE LINE-UP
Team – Player – Position - Reason
MTL – Antonio Ribeiro (M) – hamstring – day to day
MTL – Greg Sutton (G) – finger – could be back in August
NEXT GAMES
Sat. July 15 - Impact @ Seattle Sounders - Qwest Field - 10 pm
Sun. July 16 - Impact @ Vancouver Whitecaps - Swangard Stadium - 10 pm
GAME SUMMARY
Impact line-up
Andrew Weber, Gabriel Gervais, Nevio Pizzolitto, Adam Braz (Jason DiTullio 78), Mauricio Vincello, Lars Lyssand (Patrick Leduc 41), Zé Roberto, Kirk Wilson (Leonardo Di Lorenzo 53), Mauro Biello (Mesut Mert 81), Joel Bailey (Mauricio Salles 60), Daniel Antoniuk
Toronto line-up
Theo Zaggar, Joe Mattacchione (Gordon Chin 10), Andres Arango, Rick Titus, Marco Bedenikovich (Ryan Anstey 82), Cameron Medwin, Robbie Aristodemo, Jamie Dodds, Osni Neto (Matthew Palleschi 63), Damien Pottinger (Jeremy Shepherd 74), Kevin Jeffrey
The goals
MTL : Mauricio Salles (Leonardo Di Lorenzo) 62
MTL : Mauricio Salles (Mauro Biello) 75
Statistics: Toronto - Impact
Shots: 7-16
Saves: 5-5
Fouls: 17-16
Offsides: 2-5
Corners: 2-8
Cautions
TOR: Rick Titus 26
MTL: Nevio Pizzolitto 39
TOR: Cameron Edwin 88
TOR: Jamie Dodds 89
Officials
Domenic Rossetto, Mathieu Bourdeault, Pierre Cantave, Jonathan Lavergne
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Source : Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info : 514-328-3668 Ext. 27
