“I am expecting a technical team similar to Atlante,” said defender Nevio Pizzolitto. “They will be quick and because they’re at home, they will try to attack as much as they can. It will be tough to win but we’re motivated to go on in this tournament and we want to stay in first place. Every team is beatable.”
In its last CONCACAF Champions League game, the Impact played to a 0-0 draw with Mexican team Atlante FC, on September 24 at Saputo Stadium. The Impact shut out Joe Public FC 2-0 in its first game of the group stage at home on September 17,
“We have a lot of momentum right now and everything is going well for the team,” said defender Adam Braz. Everybody worked hard in training and in games and the results are positive. We are like a family because all of the players want to win. It will tough mentally and physically Wednesday but we are ready.”
« The game in Honduras is important because if we get a good result it would put us in a very good situation,” noted Impact head coach John Limniatis. “I’m expecting us to be more organized on the field but it’s the individual things offensively that will make the difference. It will be a huge challenge for us.”
After playing a total of 11 games in September, the Impact will now play four games in the next eight days, including the semifinal series against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
“We are all happy to be in the position we are in now and have the chance to play big games like Wednesday’s match,” added Braz. “We are tired but you forget it the minute that you step on the pitch. Adrenaline takes over and you give everything.”
Goalkeeper Matt Jordan registered four shutouts in as many games in the CONCACAF Champions League. He had also allowed only two goals in four games in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
Midfielder Sandro Grande and forward Peter Byers will miss Wednesday’s game due to a one-game suspension for accumulating two yellow cards.
On September 18 in Mexico, CD Olimpia was blanked 1-0 by Atlante FC, but in Trinidad & Tobago on September 24, the Honduran squad defeated Joe Public FC by a score of 3-1. In that game, midfielder Washington Ramiro Bruschi scored twice and midfielder Hendry Thomas scored the other goal.
CD Olimpia, coached by Juan de Dios Castillo, is currently fifth in the Honduras First division championship with a record of 2-1-4 (6 GF – 5 GA). In its last game, Olimpia shut out Desportes Savio 2-0, September 21.
OTHER FACTS
• Still injured, midfielder Patrick Leduc (ankle) and defender Gabriel Gervais (blood clot) did not travel to Honduras. Defender Alex Surprenant, as well as midfielder Félix Brillant, Gason Gregory and Sita-Taty Matondo also stayed in Montreal.
• Out of all the teams that played the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round, only the Impact has not conceded a goal since the beginning of the tournament.
• In the home-and-away series on aggregate goals giving access to group C, the Impact had shut out the Nicaraguan champion team, Real Estelí FC, 1-0.
• Founded in 1912, the Honduran club has won 27 championship titles and was runner-up 14 times. The team qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League after finishing in first place in the season-ending championship in 2007-2008. CD Olimpia also won the CONCACAF Champions Cup twice in 1972 and 1988.
• The group stage consists of four groups of four. Every team in each group plays each other in a round-robin tournament for a total of six games (three home games, three away games) until October 30. The top two clubs from each group will then advance to the knock-out phase and play a home-and-away series.
IMPACT IN THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE
• Wednesday, October 8 – IMPACT @ Joe Public – Trinidad & Tobago
- Live at 8 pm: bold TV, CBCSports.ca, Radio-Canada.ca/sports
- Tape delayed: CBC (midnight)
• Tuesday, October 21 – CD Olimpia @ IMPACT
- Live at 8 pm: Radio-Canada.ca/sports, bold TV, CBCSports.ca, CKAC Sports
- Tape delayed: Radio-Canada (11:45 pm), CBC (midnight)
• Tuesday, October 28 – IMPACT @ Atlante FC – Mexico
- Live at 10 pm: bold TV, CBCSports.ca, Radio-Canada.ca/sports
- Tape delayed CBC (midnight)
IMPACT SEMI-FINAL GAMES
• Friday, October 3 – Vancouver @ IMPACT – 8 pm (THE TEAM 990, CKAC Sports, USLlive.com)
• Sunday, October 5 – IMPACT @ Vancouver – 6:30 pm (FSW, THE TEAM 990, CKAC Sports)
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, Ext. 227
