Montréal - August 10, 2005 - The Montreal Impact (12-2-5) lost at home for the first time this season in a lackluster affair as the Portland Timbers outlasted the home squad 1-0 before 9,278 spectators at Claude-Robillard Stadium.
The winning marker was scored by Daniel Antoniuk on a headed redirection of a free kick from Hugo Alvacez-Cuellar.
"The goal was a set play," explained Timbers head coach Bobby Howe. "It was a little ball into the box, and Daniel Antoniuk just out-jumper everybody. It was a well-played ball, good timing, great header - simple as that, really."
"I don't know what Adam (Braz) was doing there", explained a perplex Nick DeSantis, Impact head coach, on the play that resulted in the free kick for the Timbers. "It was a useless free kick. The ball was already centered. Aside from that free kick, they had no other opportunities".
Antoniuk's goal, the best chance, if not the only one, for the visitors all evening, tied Byron Alvarez for the Timber goal-scoring team lead with six. The Timbers nearly doubled their advantage in the 77th minute, but despite the fact that the ball again beat Impact keeper Greg Sutton, the play was whistled offside.
Unfortunately for Montreal fans who were forced to wonder whether watching paint dry would be a more rewarding activity, the goal finally woke up the home side. The Impact suddenly came alive as they were forced to press forwards, realizing their unbeaten record at home was finally being jeopardized for the first time this season. Darko Kolic, who came on as a late substitute in the 76th minute for defender Jason DiTullio, forced keeper Josh Saunders to make an exceptional save, diving low to his right. The scramble around the Timber net was not over, but it took a vigilant visiting defence to clear the ball out of bounds to repeal the Montreal swarm.
Another late substitute also nearly became the hero, but, despite not hearing the offside whistle (neither did Saunders), Carlos Garcia had the keeper beat, hitting the left post. The play came within a minute following Mauro Biello's shot from 35 yards out, easily saved by Saunders who went down on both knees to catch the ball right in his chest.
Charles Gbeke continued his stellar play since his return with the Impact. In only his second game (he was signed to an end-of-season contract at the league-wide August 1 deadline), the Ivory Coast native, who grew up in Montreal, was all over the field, making himself a nuisance to the Timber defence whenever possible. The pesky Gbeke (pronounced Beh-key) had the best scoring chance for both clubs in the first half as his header just sailed over the net in the 20th minute. He also had four of the team's five fouls in the first 45 minutes of play. Gbeke finished the night with five of his club's thirteen fouls, but only two of the Impact's 14 shots at goal.
But DeSantis was not dismayed by his team's offensive output. "In general, I was happy. We created a few opportunities in the first half. The only thing in which we could have been better was in their third of the pitch with our midfielders and forwards. We just couldn't capitalize. Again, the match looked like it could be decided on a free kick or an error, and that's what happened."
A small rain shower before the game kept the attendance figure below the 10,000 mark for only the second time this season, in the club's eighth home game. In fact, the 9,278 was the lowest figure of the season, just below the 9,864 who watched the Impact and the Toronto Lynx run out a scoreless tie on June 3.
Corner Kicks: Defender Nevio Pizzolitto returned to the lineup after sitting out the Impact's last game, a 2-0 home victory over the Atlanta Silverbacks on August 7. The Montrealer had received a one-game suspension from the USL for an over-accumulation of yellow cards… On the injury front, forward Zé Roberto, who left the Silverbacks game in the 15th minute due to a knee injury, was not available… Furthermore, forward Eduardo Sebrango, listed as day-to-day, should be back in the lineup at any time. The transplanted Cuban has missed the last eight contests due to a fractured bone in his right foot suffered in a 1-0 road victory over the Timbers at PGE Stadium on June 30, in front of 5,435 spectators… In fact, that contest was only the second ever between the two franchises. The Timbers also defeated the visiting Montreal eleven 1-0 in their first ever meeting on August 29, 2002, before 9,141…
Although the Impact outshot the Timbers 14-5, Impact goalkeeper Greg Sutton was only forced to make a single save on the night while Josh Sanders made eight at the opposite end of the pitch… Both clubs were more or less even on fouls, as the Impact edged the visitors 13-12. The Impact also had the dubious distinction at the end of the night of having more offsides (7-2) than the Timbers. The fact that the Montréal eleven had one more corner (4-3) than the westerners was also meaningless… Although the Impact made four substitutions, the Timbers were conservative in making only two (Paul Conway for Byron Alvarez in the 65th minute and Aaron Lines for Daniel Antoniuk in the 85th…
In the "Only In Soccer" department, part 1: Sutton left the game with more shutouts (a USL D1-leading 10) than victories (9). In his fifth year with the club, the 28-year-old played in his sixteenth game this season… Sanders continues to be the Timbers ironman. The keeper has not missed a single minute for the club this season, a string of 1,800 minutes over 20 games. However, including tonight's matchup, he has allowed 34 goals in the process… Only In Soccer Department, Part 2: Where else can you get a can of Heineken at a sporting event for only $5 Canadian? For those south of the border, that's about $4.10 in U.S. greenbacks… Speaking of milestones, the Mauro Biello watch is still on. After playing all 90 minutes against the Timbers, Captain B has now played a total of 19,963 in 255 contests with the Impact. (Biello was also a member of the 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos, playing 2,340 minutes in 28 games, while the Impact was on hiatus for a year). He should become the first Montreal player to surpass the 20,000-minutes mark when the club hosts the Puerto Rico Islanders at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City on Sunday, August 14. Game time is 2 p.m.
