Impact Faces the Haitian National Team Wednesday
June 30, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Montreal Impact News Release
MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact plays against the Haitian National Team, Wednesday, at Saputo Stadium, in its first friendly international game of the season (7:30 pm).
In its last game, Sunday, the Impact lost 4-0 against the Portland Timbers, at PGE Park.
"After a difficult loss against Portland, it's good for us to play Wednesday to get back on the right track," declared defender Adam Braz, who played in Portland after missing five games due to a thigh injury. "It's always interesting to play against a national team. Personally, I see and prepare myself for this game the same way I would for others."
The three Haiti native players Félix Brillant, Pierre-Rudolph Mayard and Elkana Mayard, should play Wednesday.
"It will be special to play in front of all my family, who will come in greater numbers tomorrow," explained midfielder Félix Brillant. "It's a friendly game, but we cannot afford ourselves to adopt bad habits. After a number of victories, it's not normal to lose the way we did in Portland. We absolutely need to find constancy in our play."
Two players are currently trying out with the Impact until July 9: midfielders Ciaran O'Brien and Tyler Roselund. O'Brien, a 21-year-old American, who plays for the Colorado Rapids, was recently lent to the Seattle Sounders, in 2008, and to the Austin Aztex, in 2009. Roselund, a 22-year-old Canadian, played the 2008 season with Toronto FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS), scoring one goal in eight games.
"These two international games are a good occasion to see these players in game-situation settings against a skilled team," said Impact technical director Nick De Santis. "This will also give a rest to a number of regular players who will have taken part in two regular season games in the course of one week."
In the first international game this summer at Saputo Stadium, Saturday, the Syrian National Team defeated the Haitian National Team 2-1. Forward Léonel St-Preux scored the only goal for the Haitian selection.
The Haitian National Team is ranked 124th in the FIFA world standings. The team is finalizing its preparation for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will start Friday.
Tickets for this game are currently available through Admission (514-790-1245 / admission.com) or at the ticketing office of Saputo Stadium. Prices range from $10 to $30 (taxes included).
OTHER FACTS - Trois-Rivières Attak forward Reda Agourram, who scored seven goals in six games since the beginning of the season, was called back by the Impact for the game Wednesday. He is currently the best goal scorer in the Canadian Soccer League. - Defenders Cédric Joqueviel (thigh) and Stefano Pesoli (knee), as well as midfielders Leonardo Di Lorenzo (thigh) and Patrick Leduc (foot), are out of the lineup due to injuries, while forward Roberto Brown is still in Panama for personal reasons. - One player from the Haitian selection currently plays in the USL First Division: forward Léonel St-Preux, who wears the colours of the Minnesota Thunder. Also, forward Jean-Marc Alexandre plays in the MLS with Real Salt Lake. - Haiti plays its first game of the Gold Cup Saturday against Honduras in Seattle, before facing Grenada, July 8 in Washington, and then the United States, July 11 in Boston.
NEXT GAMES - Sunday, July 5 - Charleston @ IMPACT - Saputo Stadium - 3:30 pm (Radio-Canada, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990, USLlive.com) - Wednesday, July 8 - Syria VS IMPACT - Saputo Stadium - 7:30 pm* - Saturday, July 11 - IMPACT @ Minnesota - National Sports Center - 8h05 pm (USLlive.com) * International game
USL First Division Stories from June 30, 2009
- Thunder Eliminated from US Open Cup by Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer in Penalty Kicks - Minnesota Thunder
- Thunder Eliminated from US Open Cup by Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer in Penalty Kicks - Minnesota Thunder
- Tickets Still Remain for Seattle-Timbers Game - Portland Timbers
- Charleston Battery Knocks CD Chivas USA Out of U.S. Open Cup - Charleston Battery
- RailHawks Snap Slide, Squeak Past Panama, 1-0 - North Carolina FC
- Timbers' Host MLS Seattle - Portland Timbers
- U.S. Open Cup 3rd Round - Austin Aztex FC vs. Houston Dynamo - Austin Aztex
- Israel Sesay Named To Week 12 USL First Division Team of the Week - Cleveland City Stars
- USL Week 12 pro honors announced - USL-1
- Impact Faces the Haitian National Team Wednesday - Montreal Impact
- US Open Cup resumes Tuesday - USL-1
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