MLS Club de Foot Montreal

Impact to Play First Preseason Game Wednesday against FC Cincinnati

Published on January 29, 2019 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club de Foot Montreal News Release


BRADENTON, Florida - The Montreal Impact will face 2019 MLS expansion side FC Cincinnati, Wednesday night at 7pm at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, in the first preseason game in 2019 for both clubs. This also marks the Impact's first ever game against the Ohio club.

"We have five preseason games, so the team will progressively grow in strength," said Impact head coach Remi Garde. "For now, it's important for everyone to have playing time and for us to gradually get fitter as a group. The players are coming off an intense week of training, but their state of mind after the first few days is encouraging."

First glance at the group in 2019

The team officially kicked off its training camp on January 21 in the Sarasota/Bradenton region, where it's been balancing fitness sessions with more traditional, tactical sessions in the first part of camp.

"We prepared well during the offseason to be able to come to camp in good shape," explained midfielder Samuel Piette. "We were able to attack the tactical side of the game a little earlier than last year and there are a few reference points that followed from the previous season. We're more advanced as a group than at this time last year."

Changes in player personnel

The group's core remained stable during the offseason this year, although there were a few additions and changes: Maximiliano Urruti and Harry Novillo joined the team and will look to provide flair in attack; Micheal Azira and Bacary Sagna, who joined the team on transfer deadline day last season, are back with the club; defender Zakaria Diallo, who missed the entire 2018 season with an injury, is back in form for the beginning of training camp; finally, Academy products Daniel Kinumbe and Clement Bayiha are back for their second camp, now part of the first team after having signed their MLS contracts during the offseason, joining Mathieu Choiniere, who signed his first MLS contract in July of last year.

Daniel Lovitz, currently with the American national team since January 2, will be unavailable, the USMNT playing again on February 2 against Costa Rica. He'll join the squad for the second part of training camp, set to take place on February 11 in St. Petersburg.

Upcoming games

The Impact will play a total of five preseason games, including two against USL clubs. After this game against FC Cincinnati, the team will face Nashville SC on Wednesday, February 6 at 7pm on the fields of Premier Sports Campus Lakewood Ranch. The Montreal squad will then face the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, February 16 at 4pm, the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wednesday, February 20 at 7pm and D.C. United on Saturday, February 23 at 7pm. The final three games will all be played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The team will then kick off its regular season against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, March 2, at 10pm EST at Avaya Stadium.

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