Impact returns home after Florida tourney win
‘Ready to work’ for Seattle opener
The Impact doesn’t kick off the Major League Soccer season until next weekend, but the club already has an addition to its trophy cabinet.
The Impact beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 Saturday night in Orlando, Fla., to win the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. Midfielder Justin Mapp scored the game’s only goal in the 54th minute, coming off a corner kick. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins earned the shutout.
“We are very satisfied with the tournament. We finished this game very professionally and we were almost perfect defensively,” Impact head coach Marco Schallibaum said. “We came away with the trophy and are heading back on a high note.”
Said Mapp: “It feels good, even though it’s just pre- season, but it’s our last game leading up to the opener next weekend. I think we’ve gotten what we wanted out of this trip and it feels good to leave with a good taste in our mouths and confidence going into next week.”
Added defender Hassoun Camara: “It’s always fun to win this type of event. We got to work on all the stuff that we’ve been practising during the camp and now we head back ready to work for next Saturday’s game.”
The Impact will open the MLS season Saturday in Seattle and play in Portland on March 9 before returning to Montreal for its home opener March 16 at Olympic Stadium against Toronto FC.
The Impact returned to Montreal on Sunday for three days of training at the Marie Victorin Sports Complex, before heading to Seattle on Thursday. The season opener against the Sounders will be televised live on TVA Sports at 10:30 p.m.
The Impact announced Sunday that Toronto FC fans are hoping to break a league record for largest number of travelling fans to a road game for Montreal’s home opener. Toronto supporters set the MLS record in 2008 in Columbus when 2,400 Reds fans made the trip.
The Impact is offering a free scarf to the first 500 fans who purchase Category 1 ($72) and Category 2 ($52) tickets for the home opener, starting Monday at 9 a.m. Call the Impact ticket office at 514-328-3668 for more information.
“More than ever, we are counting on our 12th player, the team’s supporters,” Impact executive vice-president Richard Legendre said in a news release. “We invite all our supporters at the stadium to sing and chant with the Ultras. We want our players to feel that the city is behind them, just as they were in last year’s home opener. March 16 could set the tone for the rest of our second season in MLS.”
The Montreal-Toronto game is part of the Rivalry Week in MLS.