Les années précédentes, c'est à peine si on avait un article dans un coin de page qui disait: "L'Impact amorce sa saison ce soir..." et un le lendemain "L'Impact a perdu son premier match"...-----------------------------------------------
Impact faces tough challenge in opener
Defence might be a key against Charleston as team tries to adjust to playing on grass
http://www.canada.com/montreal/sports/s ... A264FF95F3
PAT HICKEY
The Gazette
Friday, April 25, 2003
Impact coach Bob Lilley wants to play an entertaining, up-tempo style this season, but defence might be the key when the team goes on the road to open the
A-League season tomorrow night against the Charleston Battery.
"We've been working on a system that allows us to get open for scoring chances, but we know we're facing a tough challenge in our opener," Lilley said after the Impact practised yesterday at Sportsplexe Catalogna in Lachine.
"Charleston is able to start a little earlier because the weather is better down there and they've already played a game. They beat Richmond 2-0, so we know they're going to be good."
Lilley figures that his team will get better as the season goes on and tomorrow's game will give him a better idea of where the team stands.
"We have a couple of guys like Lloyd (Barker) and Nevio (Pizzolitto) who could be starting and they might give us 60 minutes, so we'll probably use them off the bench," Lilley said. "We have to get some contributions from the bench and I'll probably substitute early in the second half. But we're only allowed five changes, so that means there are five guys who'll have to play the whole 90 minutes."
The Impact will have to make some adjustments. They have spent most of their time indoors, practising on a FieldTurf surface. They'll have a workout on the Bermuda grass in Charleston this afternoon.
"There will be a little difference, but the FieldTurf is very good," said Lilley. "You get a good bounce; it's not hard like an AstroTurf field. There's only a little adjustment to be made."
The weather might also create some problems. Lilley noted that Charleston will be warmer than Montreal "but it will be OK as long as it doesn't rain."
The Impact might be disappointed on that count. The forecast today calls for a thunderstorm and tomorrow shapes up as a hot, muggy day with a high of 26C and scattered showers in the forecast.
"We're lucky we're playing them early in the season," captain Mauro Biello said. "That's where (Lilley) is smart getting this game scheduled early in the season, because it gets really hot and humid in July and August."
Veteran Nick DeSantis said he was happy the way the team has come together through a series of exhibition games that produced a 4-0-1 record.
"I think we have a good team, but the competition gets better each year," DeSantis said. "The game is really taking off in the U.S. and you see a lot of good college players playing in the
A-League before going on to the MLS or MLS players going down. The level of play improves each year."
The Impact has two players from the U.S. college ranks among seven newcomers this season. They are defender Larry McDonald and midfielder Chris Williams. McDonald, a second-round draft pick, is from Trinidad by way of American University in Washington, while Toronto native Williams, is an all-American from NAIA champion University of Mobile.
Williams joins Canadian Olympic teammate Sita-Taty Matondo to provide the Impact with two of the top young players in the country. Other newcomers are goalkeeper Michael Ueltschey from the A-League Cincinnati Riverhawks, Andres Arango from the York Region Shooters of the Canadian Professional Soccer League, Chris Lemire from the A-League's Calgary Storm and François Abraham from the CPSL's Laval Dynamites.
After tomorrow night's game, the Impact has two weeks off before travelling to meet the Toronto Lynx on May 10.
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