Montréal - May 29, 2005 - It was about time. After 253 days away from home, the United Soccer Leagues First Division defending-champion Montreal Impact's return home was another resounding success.
Nick DeSantis' club followed the unveiling of their two-time banner, commemorating their league crowns in 1994 and 2004, by remaining undefeated on the season at 4-0-3 with a 0-0 tie against the Rochester Raging Rhinos in front of an Impact season-opening record crowd of 12,086 at Centre Claude-Robillard.
The stadium has seen some slight changes in preparation for the new season. A four-foot high blue fence now encloses the pitch - perfect for hanging the record number of commercial banners for the franchise. And the demand is there. After all the years of pounding the pavement in search of any sponsorship agreement, the Impact has suddenly become the number two sports attraction in town, behind the Canadian Football League Alouettes, since the National Hockey League has taken the Canadiens out of the picture, with the lockout approaching the nine-month mark, while Major League Baseball has heisted the Expos to D.C. to become the Washington Nationals.
This ascension has certainly not happened overnight. The franchise, born out of the ashes of the old Montreal Supra of the defunct Canadian Soccer League, has seen its shares of highs and lows since seeing the light in 1993. For every peak, such as twice capturing the league crown by winning the title match at Claude-Robillard before franchise-record crowds, there have been serious downs which actually threatened the very existence of the franchise, such as the ownership fiasco of 2001, headed by the Ionian Financial Group, two years after the Impact was forced to sit out the 1999 season due to a dispute with the league.
Yet, that 2001 season may have been a blessing in disguise. Less than a year after selling the club, Joey Saputo was back in the picture by helping the former A-League temporarily manage the club until the end of the season. Saputo turned out to be the Impact's fairy godfather as he spearheaded a new ownership group which has allowed Montréal's darlings to become the most financially viable pro sports franchise in the province of Québec, let alone the USL.
No longer do front office personnel have to worry if they are going to break the 3,000 mark in attendance - in fact, the Impact saw less than 1,000 warm Claude-Robillard seats a few times in 2001 - the franchise attracted less than 9,000 only four times last season and less than 8,000 only twice in fourteen regular season home games. As has now become the rule, fans arriving later than fifteen minutes before game time are forced to sit on either the new bleachers behind the south-side goal, if they are lucky, or on the grass behind the north-end net, beyond the athletics track, or even on the grass on the east sideline. In fact, the upsurge in fan interest in the last three seasons has prompted the club to begin a project which will see a new soccer-only facility to be built on the shores of the Saint-Lawrence river, less than five minutes from the downtown core, in time for the 2007 season.
Although the scoring chances were few and far between in the defensive battle with the Rhinos, the Impact has surged to the upper levels of the Montréal sports landscape. Another chmpionship season wouldn't hurt…
Corner Kicks: The previous franchise record for a home opener was set last season, as 8,877 witnessed a scoreless tie with the Virginia Beach Mariners… The scoreless draw was the third straight in a home opener for the Impact, following the deadlocks on May 18, 2003 (against the Richmond Kickers) and May 16, 2004… The Impact, who eliminated the Raging Rhinos in the first round of the playoffs last season, still holds a lifetime advantage against their northern New York state rivals, with 18 wins, 11 losses, and 2 ties… In fact, the Rhinos have only defeated the Impact once at Centre Claude-Robillard, a 1-0 shutout on June 14, 1998… The Impact, now undefeated in their first seven games this season, are five short of the franchise record of twelve straight regular season games without a loss, set in the first twelve matches of 2004... Furthermore, the Montréal eleven, who lost their last two regular season games last season, extended their overall undefeated streak to twelve games by including all five playoff games from last season, which included four wins and a tie, capped off by a 2-0 championship game victory against the Seattle Sounders on September 18… The Impact's other title game was played on October 1994 as they edged the now-defunct Colorado Foxes…
Keepers were only forced to make a total of 8 saves in the game as each team's defensive scheme bottled up the opponent in the midfield. Impact keeper Greg Sutton was the least busy, stopping 3 saves (on the Rhinos' 5 shots at goal), while Dusty Hudock was a little busier, if you want to call it that, with 5 saves on 9 SHFC… The Impact, who only commitd a total of 10 fouls in the game, were overrun in that department in each half, as the Rhinos managed 11 naughties in the first and another 13 in the second… The Impact had 7 offsides, compared to 3 by the visitors, while taking 5 corners to the Rhinos' 3… Impact substitutions: Kevin Wilson for forward Eddie Sebrango (60th minute), Antonio Ribeiro for Mauro Biello (70th), and newcomer Mesut Mert for Masahiro Fukasawa (80th), who was signed following a walk-on tryout camp in the wintr. Fukasawa was a member of the J-League's Albirex Niigata FC in Japan, while Mert was a member of the Calgary Mustangs in what was then known as the A-League… Other newcomers on the Impact include forward Nicholas Lesage (Toledo Slayers of the Premier Development League), forward Kevin Wilson (Arnett Gardens FC of the Jamaican First Division), and midfielder Lars Lyssand (A-League's Syracuse Salty Dogs). Lyssand becomes the only American on the Impact…
Six Impact players have been selected to participate in the Canadian national team's mini-camp next week: keeper Andrew Olivieri, defenders Adam Braz and Gabriel Gervais (who was not dressed against the Rhinos, due to an injury), midfielders Patrick Leduc and Mesut Mert, as well as forward Ali Gerba… Speaking of Gerba, the Impact's latest addition was named the USL D1 Player of the Week as he scored both goals in a 2-1 road victory against the Rhinos on May 21 - two days after being acquired from the Toronto Lynx… Most unnoticed play of the game: Adam Braz's header to keeper Greg Sutton on a Rhinos throw-in deep in the Impact zone. Very unnoticed… The Montreal Impact has to have the healthiest pre-game buffet in the media section, with different kinds of antipasto and vegetables served for the hungry print, broadcast, and internet folk on hand. Of course, Saputo cheese was prominently served.
