MONTREAL - May 16, 2004 - What a difference three years make! In 2001, the Montreal Impact was on the brink of extinction as the former ownership group, Ionian Financial Group, bilked the club's financial coffers of almost all of its assets, prompting the A-League to take over the team for the second half of the season following the Impact's bankruptcy. Crowds were regularly below the 1,000 mark, media were scarce, and a playoff berth fell through the team's cleats in the final three games of the season.
Fast forward to 2004. A franchise-record, opening-day crowd of 8,877 greeted the Impact at Claude Robillard Stadium, a club that had captured its first three regular season games of the season by shutout, all on the road. In fact, with the second-highest attendance figure in team history flowing through the turnstiles, management made the decision of allowing latecomers to camp on the grassy incline behind the track to catch a reduced glimpse of the play on the field.
"Unbelievable," exclaimed head coach Nick DeSantis on the overflow attendance figure. "I think we expected it from ending off last year with great crowds."
Although the game ended in a scoreless tie with the Virginia Beach Mariners, fans were treated to action at both ends of the pitch, following a lackluster opening fourteen minutes. The Impact, who dominated the offensive action, was not able to capitalize on its numerous scoring chances throughout the game. For example, scoring star Eduardo Sebrango's high blast from the left side on a partial breakaway in the 14th minute, Darko Kolic's weak left-footed turnaround shot five minutes later, Maurizio Vincello's nice effort in the 30th also sailing over the net - and this was just in the first half.
"We created chances. Unfortunately, we didn't put them away," added DeSantis.
The chances were even more numerous in the second half, despite referee Stephen DePiero's over-zealous ejection of Sandro Grande. In all fairness, the midfielder did attract too much attention from the officials, complaining on one too many calls, including his throwing of a corner flag in the 39th minute - earning him his first yellow card of the afternoon. The Impact found itself one man short in the 48th following Grande's aggressive tackle on a Mariner player, a second yellow that might have gone unpunished had it not been for the 26-year-old's previous immature behaviour on the field.
Nevertheless, the Impact's swarming attack was non-relenting, "We had to play with ten guys," exclaimed a frustrated Sebrango, strongly objecting to the referee's decision to eject Grande. "But even then, we still created chances - that's a good thing…. we kept going forward."
Mariner 'keeper Matt Pickens was forced to make his best saves of the afternoon in the second frame, including a game-saving stretching effort off a Sebrango point-blank shot from close in on the right side in the 54th.
The Mariners could have stolen this one in the 86th minute had it not been for All-Star 'keeper Greg Sutton, who made key back-to-back saves off Nate Winkel and Jeff Bilyk. Sutton, who earned his fourth shutout of the season in as many starts, was beaten four minutes earlier by Winkle, but defender Gabriel Gervais was at the right place at the right time, clearing the ball away from the goal line to keep the game scoreless.
Which is what this game was destined to be as neither club was able to put the game away, with most shots, especially from the home side, failing to hit the mark.
But despite the result, DeSantis remained upbeat, "We did display a good offensive game… too bad we didn't score, but these are the good things to come… Again, another shutout, very well disciplined defensively, hats off to (the players)."
The Impact will next take the field on Sunday, May 23, as they host a Haitian Select side at 5 pm at Claude Robillard Stadium. The Impact returns to A-League action on May 28 as it hosts the Toronto Lynx in the first of back-to-back games, with a return engagement at Centennial Stadium the following day.
Notes: The franchise record for the highest attendance figure was set on August 13, 2003 against the Rochester Raging Rhinos - another 0-0 tie… The previous attendance for an Impact home opener was also set last season, as 7,128 witnesses, you guessed it, a scoreless tie, this time with the Richmond Kickers… The smallest home opening crowd was on May 28, 2000, as the Impact defeated the Connecticut Wolves 1-0. The tie was their second ever in home openers. The club has won eight, including their first seven, while losing only once (2-1 in overtime to the Wolves on May 27, 2001)…
The Impact had previously sported a record of 3-1-2 against the Virginia Beach Mariners, who were previously known as the Hampton Roads Hurricane (1994) and Hampton Roads Mariners (1995 to 2002)… With the tie, the 1998 club still holds the franchise record for best start in a season, winning their first seven games (including four by shootout). The club had outscored the opposition 16-8 in regulation in the seven contests… The four shutouts matches the longest shutout string to start a season, as the 1995 team captured their first four games by a combined 5 goals to none before falling 2-0 to the Silverbacks in Atlanta on June 2, 1995 (ending a string of 415 minutes). The current shutout streak stands at 380 minutes.
