Gerba Paces Impact to Big 3-0 Win
Published on September 19, 2010 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Montreal Impact News Release
MONTREAL - Forward Ali Gerba scored twice (45th and 83rd minutes) and midfielder Tony Donatelli scored on a penalty to lift the Montreal Impact (10-11-7, 37 pts) to a 3-0 shutout victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies (6-11-11, 29 points) in front of 13,034 fans at Saputo Stadium.
With the win, the Impact is moving up to 6th place in the USSF Second Division overall standings. The Impact could officially qualify for the playoffs if St.Louis fails to win all three of its remaining games this season, or if the Impact earns at least one point in its final two games.
"We played an excellent game today," said Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos. "We worked hard and the win came naturally. We were very focused and we were able to score on key opportunities. These chances made the difference in the game and we are now a step closer to the playoffs."
Donatelli scored the first goal of the match on a penalty, beating Rowdies goalkeeper Josh Lambo to his right in the 10th minute to put the Impact ahead in the game. This was Donatelli's seventh goal of the season and his fourth from the penalty spot. On the previous sequence, Lambo had tripped Ali Gerba in the 18-yard box.
Gerba doubled the Impact lead in the 45th minute. Gerba scored his 8th goal of the season and his 20th career goal with the Impact, beating Lambo with a bicycle kick following a corner from Leonardo Di Lorenzo. It was for Di Lorenzo his 6th assist this season.
Gerba then scored the insurance marker in the 83rd minute, taking a pass from defender Richard Pelletier and dribbling passed a Rowdies defender near the top of the box, Gerba beat Lambo with a low shot to the short side. It was Gerba's ninth goal in his last five games and the first point of Pelletier's career with the club.
"The team is playing well, we are working collectively and I am pleased that this hard work creates opportunities for me in front of the net, "said Impact forward Ali Gerba. "This victory is one step closer to the playoffs and we need to continue to work for our results the rest of the way."
In the 64th minute, the Impact came close to scoring when a shot ricocheted two times of the crossbar. Gerba saw his shot blocked by Rowdies' defender Julian Valentin on the goal line and then deflecting onto the post. Gerba then managed to get his own rebound only to see his next attempt hit the crossbar again.
Near the end of the game, midfielder Anthony Le Gall fired a shot that was stopped by the Rowdies goalkeeper with the tips of his fingers.
Impact goalkeeper Matt Jordan earned his 5th shutout of the season, after facing nine shots.
Central defender Hicham Aaboubou became the third Impact player to reach the 2,000 minutes played plateau this season. Aaboubou and team captain Nevio Pizzolitto made strong individual plays defensively during the second half as they both managed to stop the ball just before crossing the goal line on two separate occasions.
"It was important for us to win today's game to keep control of our destiny," said Pizzolitto. "Defensively, we were very organized. We have become a tough team to beat once we score the first goal. We have come a long way over the last two months and we must continue in the same direction."
At the same time, Tampa Bay and Miami have been eliminated from the playoff race, as both teams no longer have a mathematical chance of finishing in the top eight spots in league standings.
The game was played in front of a sold out crowd for the 6th time this season, with all 13,034 tickets sold.
The Impact plays its second-last game of the season on Friday, September 24, in Vancouver, and will then end its season on October 3 at Saputo Stadium, against the Austin Aztex. Tickets are still available for that game via the Admission Network (514-790-1245 / 1-800-361-4595 / admission.com) or the Saputo Stadium ticket office.
THE LAST 2 GAMES
- Friday, September 24 - IMPACT @ Vancouver - Swangard Stadium - 10:30pm (Radio-Canada, whitecapsfc.com)
- Sunday, October 3 - Austin @ IMPACT - Saputo Stadium- 2pm (radio-canada.ca/sports, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990)
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from September 19, 2010
- Gerba Paces Impact to Big 3-0 Win - Montreal Impact
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
