Dwight Barnett (17th minute), Leonardo Di Lorenzo (35th) and Charles Gbeke (49th) scored for the Impact, while the goal from Honduras, ranked 43rd in the world by the FIFA, came late in the game, in the 59th minute.
“It’s an exceptional win today,” noted Impact team captain Mauro Biello. “To dominate them with all their regular players on the field says a lot on our level of play and our progression. Every member of our team is performing well right now, which explains a victory like the one today.”
“We can’t ask for anything more right now,” said Impact head coach Nick De Santis. “Team confidence is high and it shows on the field. They believe in what they are doing and they’re taking good decisions. It’s always positive for club morale to win a game against a team of this level.”
Invited forward Dwight Barnett opened the score for the Impact, in the 17th minute, scoring with his chest after taking a rebound from Honduras goalkeeper.
Midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo doubled the score for Montreal in the last minute of the first half, placing a 20-meter free kick in the top right corner of the net.
Forward Charles Gbeke, who came into the game in the 43rd minute, scored the third goal for the Impact in the 49th minute, taking advantage of an error from the Honduran defense. After having intercepted a pass, Gbeke went alone against the goalkeeper, beating him with a low shot to his right.
Forward Roberto Brown also had a good scoring chance when he took a low shot from the corner of the 18-yard box, but Honduras goalkeeper made the save by diving to his left.
Impact goalkeeper Andrew Weber, who played the second half of the game, gave up his first goal of training camp. Weber nevertheless made a spectacular save in the 46th minute, stopping a strike from point blank range, from the penalty spot.
Goalkeeper Matt Jordan, defenders Adam Braz, Nevio Pizzolitto, Stefano Pesoli and Simon Gatti, midfielders Joey Gjertsen, Patrick Leduc, David Testo and Leonardo Di Lorenzo, and forwards Dwight Barnett and Roberto Brown, started the game for the Impact.
The Impact and Honduras played a 70-minute game, as the Central American team will face Colombia, Wednesday.
The Impact, which has now a record of four wins, two losses and two ties, in eight exhibition games, will face its USL First Division rivals, the Miami FC Blues, Sunday, March 30.
IMPACT LINEUP
Matt Jordan (Andrew Weber, 35th minute), Adam Braz (Chris Williams, 48th), Nevio Pizzolitto (Gabriel Gervais, 35th), Stefano Pesoli (Cédric Joqueviel, 35th), Simon Gatti (Alex Surprenant, 49th), Joey Gjertsen (Sita-Taty Matondo, 49th), Patrick Leduc (Cristian Nuñez, 50th), David Testo (Antonio Ribeiro, 45th), Leonardo Di Lorenzo (Matthew Palleschi, 49th), Dwight Barnett (Mauro Biello, 45th), Roberto Brown (Charles Gbeke, 43rd)
PHOTOS PÉPÉ
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, ext. 227
