Whitecaps Return To Montreal For Soccer Day In Canada
June 19, 2009 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release
Vancouver Whitecaps FC men (3W-3L-2D) look to make a positive start to a two-match road trip when they visit Canadian rivals Montreal Impact (3W-4L-2D) on Saturday afternoon.
Teitur Thordarson's side returned to winning ways last week with an entertaining, yet well deserved, 3-2 victory over Miami FC Blues at Swangard Stadium. The victory ended the Blue and White's three-match winless streak in the USL First Division, with the defending league champions currently sitting in the middle of the USL-1 standings after playing a third of their 2009 campaign. They now look to end the month of June on a high note by claiming what would be only their second win at Montreal's Stade Saputo, with the match being part of CBC's 'Soccer Day in Canada' festivities. Early next week, Vancouver head to the US state of Ohio for their first-ever meeting with USL-1 expansion club Cleveland City Stars.
The Whitecaps are sure to have extra motivation for the weekend contest in Montreal after seeing their quest to win the 2009 Nutrilite Canadian Championship cruelly dashed on Thursday evening after the Impact fell to a 6-1 home defeat versus Toronto FC in the tournament's final match. The result meant the Major League Soccer club claimed the Voyageurs Cup and Canada's lone spot in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League.
Though it is their second clash in USL-1 this season, Saturday's game will be the fourth match that these two rivals will have contested inside the space of a month. The first two games went the way of the 'Caps, as Vancouver ended the Impact's title reign as Canadian champions with home and away wins in the three-club competition. Thordarson's side claimed their first-ever win at Stade Saputo, as goals by Marcus Haber and Charles Gbeke resulted in a 2-0 victory at Montreal's soccer-specific stadium on May 20. A week later, youngster Ethan Gage struck his first goal for the Whitecaps men's team in a 1-0 win over Montreal at Swangard. The Impact avenged those defeats on June 7, as goals by the former Whitecaps pair of Eduardo Sebrango and David Testo earned the Quebec-based outfit a 2-1 victory over Vancouver in USL-1.
Saturday's match will be the 44th all-time meeting between the Whitecaps and Montreal, with the Impact leading the all-time series of results with 24 wins, 13 defeats, and six draws. This includes the Impact's record of 11 wins, five defeats, and five draws versus the Whitecaps in Montreal.
WHITECAPS
As eventful as Friday's match with Miami FC was, Vancouver's main aim of claiming three valuable league points was achieved. The 'Caps looked particularly dominant during the second half when the Blues were down a man after midfielder Leo Inacio Nunes was sent off just before halftime. Thordarson felt his side got many aspects of their play back on track last weekend. "We should have won by a bigger margin than we did on Friday, but what matters was that we won the game. That's the most important thing," he told whitecapsfc.com. "We got our defensive part of the game right again, as we played some games where we had committed some defensive errors. That ultimately cost us goals and cost us points. Even though the two goals we gave up were set-pieces that were well taken, I felt Miami never caught us out at any stage during Friday's match."
The look of the Whitecaps attack will be altered in Montreal, with former Impact striker Gbeke unavailable through suspension. That likely means that Thordarson will partner fit-again Marlon James with Haber in attack, with the Icelandic tactician keen to see both players perform up front. "I think Marcus and Marlon make a good combination as strikers because they can both hold the ball up, as well as threaten the space in behind the defenders," Thordarson said. "We will obviously not have the same strength as we would with Gbeke in the team, but we have more speed available in our attack, which is what I'm very much looking forward to utilizing in our two away games. Along with Randy Edwini-Bonsu and Dever Orgill, both Marcus and Marlon are extremely fast front players. It will be up to us to supply them with good balls in behind the opposition's backline, where we know we can hurt teams."
The Whitecaps will be without some keys players on this latest road trip to Montreal and Cleveland. Centre back Wesley Charles and striker Gbeke miss both games after being suspended for one match by the United Soccer Leagues and a further game by the club for their unsportsmanlike behaviour during Friday's win over Miami FC. The pair were also fined an undisclosed amount for their actions at Swangard last weekend. The 'Caps are also without defender Jeff Parke for the trip down east, as the former New York Red Bulls player remains sidelined with turf toe. Defender Geordie Lyall (hamstring) and winger Justin Moose (foot) have also stayed behind in Vancouver with their respective injury concerns.
IMPACT
A turbulent start to the season has made way for a more settled period in USL-1 for Montreal. Since replacing John Limniatis as Impact head coach last month, Marc Dos Santos has led the club to a record of three wins, one defeat, and one draw since taking charge.
However, the mood in the Montreal camp is likely to be one of shock following their five-goal home defeat to Toronto FC. With Vancouver's visit being their second match in three days, Dos Santos feels pride needs to be quickly restored following Thursday's heavy loss. "The game on Saturday is extremely important for us and for the club's pride," Dos Santos told the Impact's official website. "The Whitecaps will do everything in their power to avenge what happened on Thursday night. We will have to be ready to face an enraged team. The Montreal Impact have to reveal their true character."
Playing in Montreal is always a big task for the 'Caps, but Thordarson and his players are big fans of the natural turf and dimensions of the Stade Saputo pitch. "That pitch suits us very well, in terms of how we like to play," Thordarson said. "I feel that we have always played well at Stade Saputo, and I see no reason why we won't be able to do the same on Saturday."
The Impact will without striker Sebrango for Saturday's match. The experienced goalscorer has returned to Cuba to tend to personal matters. Defender Zanzan Atte-Oudeyi will also miss the visit of the Whitecaps, as he is on FIFA World Cup qualifying duty with his native Togo. Captain Nevio Pizzolitto is expected to return after sitting out Thursday's game against TFC, while fellow centre back Stefano Pesoli is also available after recovering from offseason knee surgery.
FAMILIAR FACES
One of the many common ties between Montreal and Vancouver has been the number of players that have played for both clubs in recent years. The current Whitecaps squad have two players in Gbeke and Martin Nash that have had previous spells with the Impact.
Montreal, meanwhile, have five former Whitecaps players in their squad. Midfielders Tony Donatelli, Joey Gjertsen, and Testo were all members of the 2006 USL-1 champion Whitecaps squad before heading east to Quebec. The trio were joined this season by goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic and experienced striker Sebrango. The former Cuban international returned to the Impact in the offseason after leading the 'Caps to a second USL-1 championship title in three seasons last year. The forward was also Vancouver's top goalscorer in 2008, having found the net 16 times in all competitions during the course of the campaign.
SOCCER DAY IN CANADA
Saturday's USL-1 match between the Whitecaps and Impact will be shown live across Canada on CBC Television as past of the network's third-annual 'Soccer Day in Canada', which celebrates Canada's passion for 'The Beautiful Game'. Coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. PDT on the full CBC network and on cbcsports.ca. The day's coverage will include features on various aspects of the game in Canada, as well as a match from Group A at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, as European champions Spain take on tournament hosts South Africa in their final group match. Click here for more information about CBC's 'Soccer Day in Canada'.
FINAL ENCOUNTER
The Whitecaps and Impact will meet for the fifth time this season at Stade Saputo on Wednesday, September 9.
Saturday's match between the Whitecaps and Montreal Impact from Stade Saputo in Montreal, Quebec, kicks off at 10:30 a.m. PDT and will be shown live on CBC Television and CBC HD. The match will also be streamed live online in both English and Punjabi at cbcsports.ca, as well as on USLlive.com.
Saturday's game will also be shown as a delayed broadcast on Société Radio-Canada at 1:00 p.m. PDT.
You can also listen to Saturday's game live in English on The Team 990 radio, or live in French on CKAC Sports 730 AM radio.
USL First Division Stories from June 19, 2009
- RailHawks Draw Austin, 1-1 - North Carolina FC
- Miami FC to Play Second Game in Cleveland - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Whitecaps Return To Montreal For Soccer Day In Canada - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Game Preview: Austin Aztex FC vs. Carolina RailHawks - Austin Aztex
- City Stars Rematch With Miami FC Saturday At 7 - Cleveland City Stars
- Impact to Face Whitecaps Saturday - Montreal Impact
- Toronto FC Crush Impact for Title - Montreal Impact
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