MLS Club de Foot Montreal

Impact to Face D.C. United on Saturday

Published on August 2, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club de Foot Montreal News Release


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Montreal Impact (10-5-5) travels to RFK Stadium to take on D.C. United (2-15-4) this Saturday at 7:30pm ET.

The team will play its first road game since a 4-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls back on July 13. The game will be broadcast live on TVA Sports and is available online with illico web, illico mobile and MLS Live. You can also get live updates using the Impact mobile app or by following @impactmontreal on twitter.

The Impact is currently tied with the New York Red Bulls for second spot in the Eastern Conference standings with 35 points in 20 games played and is just one point out of first with two games in hand on leaders Sporting Kansas City. Both of these teams will face each other at Sporting Park, this Saturday at 6:30pm ET.

This is the first of two regular season games between these teams in 2013, which tied 1-1 on February 16 in a preseason game at the 2013 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, in Orlando.

Last season, they played on three occasions, splitting the season serious (1-1-1). In their first contest on April 18, the Impact earned a point on the road with a 1-1 draw at RFK Stadium on a Bernardo Corradi goal. A second visit to the U.S. capital saw the Impact shutout 3-0 on June 30, before the Impact exacted revenge almost two months later - at Stade Saputo on August 25 - by the exact same score line thanks to a goal by Marco Di Vaio and a brace for Patrice Bernier.

Pregame comments

Impact news

In its last matchup, midfielder Blake Smith scored at the 96th minute to lead the Impact to a 1-0 shutout against Sporting Kansas City, last Saturday at Stade Saputo. The win against SKC ended a five-game winless streak for the Impact.

The Impact now has a record of seven wins and two losses in games with a one goal margin. The team had four wins and eight losses in that category in 2012.

The Impact has been solid defensively over the last two weeks, having not allowed a goal in its last 182 minutes, following two consecutive shutouts.

Striker Marco Di Vaio (first half) and midfielder Patrice Bernier (second half) returned to the team after they each played 45 minutes in the AT&T MLS All-Star game versus AS Roma on Wednesday night, at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Midfielder Justin Mapp was named to the inactive roster for the AT&T MLS All-Star game, following a league-wide player vote.

Designated Player Hernan Bernardello and central defender Adrian Lopez also trained all week with the Impact, after joining the club last week.

D.C. United News

After finishing the 2012 season as the second best side in the Eastern Conference with 58 points. In 2013, the team from the U.S. capital is sitting in the basement of the entire league with just 10 points from 21 games played. D.C. United has scored just 10 goals since the start of the season.

Forward Chris Pontius should miss his third game in a row due to leg tension, while Canadian midfielder Dwayne De Rosario returned to action in United's last game, against New England, after missing three games with a hip flexor strain.

To help try to turn things around, D.C. has looked to youth to jump start its offence, or at the very least revamp it for next season.

United recently acquired Toronto FC midfielder/forward Luis Silva, who has scored in his first two games with D.C. United.

The team also added former U.S. youth international Conor Doyle on loan from the English Championship's (2nd division) Derby County. The 21-year-old striker has made 21 appearances for the English club since 2010.

Goalkeeper Bill Hamid is back in Washington after winning the Gold Cup with the United States Men's National Team last Sunday night, beating Panama 1-0. Hamid did not see action in the Gold Cup matches and could be available this Saturday.

D.C. United forward Lionard Pajoy is projected to miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair his left inguinal hernia.

Upcoming games

The Impact returns home for a Wednesday night CONCACAF Champions league matchup on August 7; the team's first of the group stage at Stade Saputo against the San Jose Earthquakes, at 8pm (ET).

The team will play its next MLS regular season game on August 10 at 8:30pm (ET), against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park.

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