Impact Fall to Austin 2-0 in Season Opener
April 11, 2010 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Montreal Impact News Release
AUSTIN, Texas - In its first game of the season in the USSF Second Division, the Montreal Impact started the defense of its 2009 championship title with a 2-0 loss against the Austin Aztex, Sunday, at House Park, in Austin, Texas.
The Aztex opened the score at the 18th minute. Following a turnover in the Impact territory, forward Eddie Johnson took a shot about 25 meters out that hit the crossbar. Then, midfielder Lawrence Olum took the rebound and, from a similar distance, beat Impact goalkeeper Matt Jordan with a powerful low shot to his right.
Austin doubled the lead at the 66th minute. Following a series of passes in Impact territory, Aztex forward Jamie Watson fired a shot to the far post inside the 18-yard box that beat Matt Jordan to his left.
"As we expected, it was a difficult match and we faced an opponent that conceded nothing," explained Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos. "We had a hard time with good ball possession because we were playing on a small field and the Aztex put pressure on us all evening. We made a few errors that cost us a lot and that placed us in a very difficult situation."
"This match brings us back to reality. We won the championship last year and we have to start winning again this year," added Dos Santos. "When you are eager to win, you have to fight stronger than the opponent. Tonight, Austin fought harder than us so they deserve the win. We will not panic following this result and we will see what we can improve as of the next game."
The Impact had a good scoring chance notably in the last minutes of the game, when Aztex goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo lost control of the ball and forward Reda Agourram took a low shot that was saved by an Austin defender on the goal line.
"We created a few scoring chances but we were unable to materialize these opportunities," commented Rocco Placentino, who provoked two chances at the end of the first half. "They managed to score two goals in few shots, so we can say they were opportunistic. I think the second goal really cut our legs. We need to be more cautious in the future and be ready to fight for 90 minutes. The essential thing for the next matches will be to finish off our offensive actions in order to stay in the game."
Goalkeeper Matt Jordan, who faced 12 shots, notably dove to his left to stop a shot 18 meters out by Jamie Watson at the 39th minute. He also made a save during stoppage time on a shot by forward Maxwell Griffin from inside the box.
Matt Jordan, Stephen deRoux, Stefano Pesoli, Cédric Joqueviel, Adam Braz, Rocco Placentino, Tyler Hemming, Tony Donatelli, Philippe Billy, Leonardo Di Lorenzo and Roberto Brown were on the starting lineup.
It was a first career start with the Montreal team for Billy and Hemming, while Di Lorenzo was a starter in the first game of the season for a fifth straight year.
The Impact now has a lifetime record of six wins, seven losses and four draws in 17 opening games (18 GF - 17 GA).
The Impact will play its home opener, on Sunday, April 25 at Saputo Stadium, against the Portland Timbers (2 pm, Radio-Canada, radio-canada.ca/sports, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990). Meanwhile, the team will play its first international friendly game of a home-and-away series against the Antigua Barracuda FC, on April 17.
Tickets for the home opener are now on sale through Admission (514-790-1245 / 1-800-361-4595/ admission.com), as well as at the Saputo Stadium ticketing office. 2010 season tickets and mini-season tickets for five or ten matches are also available. For further information, dial 514-328-3668 or visit impactmontreal.com.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
43rd minute - Following a deep pass from Adam Braz, midfielder Rocco Placentino takes a volley shot, but his shot to the far post goes to the right of the Aztex goal.
45th minute - Placentino crosses the ball to the ground, but Philippe Billy just misses the ball near the goal line, while the goalkeeper had been defeated.
NEXT MATCHES
- Saturday, April 17 - IMPACT @ Antigua Barracuda FC - Sir Vivian Richards Stadium - 7:30 pm (International match)
- Sunday, April 25 - Portland @ IMPACT - Saputo Stadium - 2 pm (home opener)
- Wednesday, April 28 - IMPACT @ Toronto - BMO Field - 7:30 pm (Nutrilite Canadian Championship)
North American Soccer League Stories from April 11, 2010
- Whitecaps Open Season with 2-0 Win - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Impact Fall to Austin 2-0 in Season Opener - Montreal Impact
- Miami FC Draws Rochester in Season Opener - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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.
