Impact Visits the Rhinos in Rochester Saturday
Published on July 2, 2010 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Montreal Impact News Release
ROCHESTER, New York - The Montreal Impact (4-4-5) plays its 14th game of the season on Saturday against the Rochester Rhinos (6-3-4) at Paetec Park, at 7 pm (rhinosoccer.com).
The Impact looks to rebound on the road after losing a heartbreaker to the Vancouver Whitecaps by a score of 2-1, last Wednesday, at Saputo Stadium.
"It is another important game, especially after losing our last match at home," said midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo, who earned his 35th career point with the Impact Wednesday, putting him in 10th place on the club's all-time list. "We had a lot of scoring chances, which is positive, but we have to find a way to score more goals while continuing to play responsibly in our own end. We have played very well in our last three games, but we have not managed to win."
This will be the second time these two teams meet this season. During the first contest, on June 20, the Impact drew the Rhinos 1-1 in Montreal. The Impact dominated the Rhinos with a 9-2 shot advantage and 6-0 advantage in corners.
"During our last game against the Rhinos, we played one of our best matches of the season, but a mistake early on put us in a difficult spot," added Di Lorenzo. "We have to go get the three points in Rochester tomorrow night."
"We play for a grand club and expectations are high, so even if we play well, we can't be satisfied with just that. We must win," said midfielder Rocco Placentino. "But at the same time, we can't put too much additional pressure on ourselves. I think we just need to remain focused for 90 minutes and do the little things well which helped us win the championship last season."
The Impact has not lost in its last three meetings versus Rochester. Since the arrival of the Rochester Rhinos in 1996, the Impact has a 26-15-8 (58GF-42GA) record against its rivals.
However, the Impact is below .500 when playing in Rochester with an 8-12-5 record. But last season, the Impact earned points in both games in Rochester, with a 1-0 win and a 0-0 scoreless draw.
The Rhinos are holding down second place in the USL division. The team, coached by Bob Lilley, has lost only one game at home this season (4-1-2) and is unbeaten in its last five regular season games. During their last match at Paetec Park, Saturday, the Rhinos blanked the Puerto Rico Islanders 3-0.
The name of midfielder David Testo has been added to the Impact injury list. Testo did not travel with the team to Rochester after suffering a contusion on his right thigh early in match against Vancouver. He should be out of the lineup for one week.
Goalkeepers Matt Jordan (groin) and Andrei Badescu (knee), striker Eduardo Sebrango (groin), as well as defenders Stefano Pesoli (toe) and Hicham Aaboubou (personal reasons), will not be available Saturday.
Due to the absence of these six players, two players from the Impact Academy have traveled with the team to Rochester: goalkeeper Dominic Provost and midfielder Kevin Cossette.
The Impact will then play its next two in St. Louis on July 10. The team will then play home on July 14 against the Carolina RailHawks. Tickets are still available, and could be purchased through the Admission ticket office (514-790-1245 / 1-800-361-4595 / admission.com), or at the box office at Saputo Stadium.
OTHER FACTS
- Tony Donatelli, who scored the lone goal against Vancouver, is the Impact leading scorer with four goals and 10 points. He is currently in 8th spot in scoring in the USSF Second division.
- Midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo (1,083 minutes) and defender Stephen deRoux (1,056 minutes) have both reached the 1,000-minute played mark for the Impact this season.
- On June 29, the Rochester Rhinos lost 2-1 its 3rd round US Open Cup match up against the Columbus Crew (MLS).
- The Rhinos leading scorer is Anthony Hamilton with four goals this season. He is one of the three Rhinos players who have played in every match so far.
NEXT THREE MATCHES
- Saturday, July 10 - IMPACT @ St. Louis - Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park - 8:10pm (ac-stlouis.com)
- Wednesday, July 14 - Carolina @ IMPACT - Saputo Stadium - 7:30pm (radio-canada.ca/sports, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990)
- Sunday, July 18 - Baltimore @ IMPACT - Saputo Stadium - 2 pm (Radio-Canada, radio-canada.ca/sports, CKAC Sports, THE TEAM 990)
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from July 2, 2010
- AC St. Louis Ready for Carolina - AC St. Louis
- NSC Minnesota Stars Ready for Rematch with Crystal Palace Baltimore - Minnesota United FC
- Impact Visits the Rhinos in Rochester Saturday - Montreal Impact
- RailHawks Begin Four-Game Road Trip in St Louis - North Carolina FC
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.
