Biello set to establish record Sunday in Sherbrooke
August 21, 2004 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Montreal Impact News Release
SHERBROOKE, August 21, 2004 â Eight days after playing in front of 9,763 fans at Laval University's PEPS Stadium in Quebec City, the Impact should be before another good crowd, Sunday afternoon , as the Montreal club will face the Atlanta Silverbacks at Sherbrooke University Stadium (4:00 pm, CJAD, CKAC). While the tradition of playing regular-season A-League "home" games in Quebec City is well established, it will be an Impact first in Sherbrooke. For this premiere hosted by Sherbrooke University's Service du sport et de l'activité physique and by the Soccer Estrie regional association, 1,200 seats have been added.
"It's always great to play elsewhere in the province," said Impact head coach Nick DeSantis. "We saw how great the crowd reacted last week in Quebec City and we hope that again, this Sunday, the crowd will be a big factor in the game."
Although the Impact has already clinched a playoff spot, both teams will have something at stake. With four games to go in the regular season, DeSantis' squad is in a position to finish on top of the Eastern Conference standings for the second straight year, while the Silverbacks are looking to secure a post-season berth.
"The playoffs have already started for them," said DeSantis about Atlanta, who beat the Rochester Rhinos and the Syracuse Salty Dogs over the last week. "We'll have to be in the right frame of mind and stay concentrated because for them, these are all do or die games.
"For us, it's important to maintain a good rhythm going into the playoffs," added the Impact coach, whose team is undefeated in its last six matchs-ups (5-0-1). "We need to get results to try and clinch first place as soon as possible, so that we can rest some players before the playoffs."
BIELLO SEVEN MINUTES AWAY FROM A RECORD
Captain and midfielder Mauro Biello is only seven minutes away from a new club record for most minutes played by an Impact player. Biello has played 18,239 minutes since he made his debut with the team in 1993, while the record, still owned for now by Nick DeSantis, is 18,245 minutes. The 32-year-old Montrealer should therefore set the new record against Atlanta.
"It's a lot of miles. It's funny, you start off by wanting to make the team and try to break into the lineup, and the next thing you know, you've played 11 years," said Biello. "It's still fun although my role has changed over the years. I went from a rookie trying to learn from the veterans, to a veteran that's now working with the rookies. It's still great, but it's a different challenge."
Earlier this season, Biello erased DeSantis' old record of 219 career games with the Impact. The captain had taken part in 232 match-ups before facing the Silverbacks.
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- Biello set to establish record Sunday in Sherbrooke - Montreal Impact
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