revue de Presse.
Publié : 03 juillet 2003 12:05
de la Gazette:
Pizzolitto finishes strongly
Impact 3, Eagles 0. Defender is leaving for national team with win under his belt
RANDY PHILLIPS
The Gazette
Thursday, July 03, 2003
Nevio Pizzolitto played one of his last games with the Impact last night.
Say what?
Actually, the lopsided 3-0 win over the Charlotte Eagles in A-League action before 7,044 at Claude Robillard Stadium was the last the 26-year-old defender will play with the Impact for a while, because, in military parlance, he must serve his country.
Pizzolitto, along with teammate midfielder Martin Nash, leaves Saturday to join the Canadian national team for this month's Gold Cup tournament.
Both will be in the lineup when Montreal plays the Salty Dogs in Syracuse tomorrow night, but will be gone after the game. They could miss the next five Impact games, if Canada reaches the Gold Cup final in Mexico City on July 27.
"I really do have mixed feelings about leaving the team at this time," Pizzolitto said. "Things are going really well, especially having had to play so many games in the first half of the season on the road. Now that we're finally going to be home for most of our remaining games, I could miss a lot of them.
"Still, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play for Canada. I think we've got a pretty good squad and I like our chances."
Nash, a 27-year-old from Victoria, has been a regular with the national team since 1997.
On the other hand, Pizzolitto rejoined the national squad this year after an absence of more than two years. He got his first international cap since returning to the team, the sixth of his career, in a friendly against Germany in late May.
"I'm happy to be back with the team," he said. "I'm not totally surprised to have been called up, because even though I haven't been with the team in a quite a while, I was still in the pool of players who could be available to the team at any time.
"It was just a matter of time in my case. I kind of figured I'd have another opportunity with the team."
Pizzolitto and Nash will travel to Toronto, where they'll spend a few days in training camp in preparation for the national team's opening Gold Cup game against Costa Rica on July 12 in Foxboro, Mass.
Canada plays its other Group D opponent, Cuba, on July 14.
The 12-team event, which features 10 CONCACAF teams, including the United States, in addition to Brazil and Colombia, is being held staged in three cities, including Miami.
Last night, Pizzolitto made his 12th start in the 13 games he's played this season, as the Impact began the second half of its 28-game regular season with an impressive result over a team that didn't belong on the same field, at least not on this night.
Pizzolitto went into the game with one goal this season. In his nine seasons in the league, eight with the Impact, the 6-foot-2 Montreal native has four goals and nearly added another last night on a header than went wide of the goal in the 27th minute.
But Pizzolitto's strength is on defence, where he's been a pillar on a team that has allowed the second-fewest goals in the league. His absence could be a factor in the coming games.
"I'm very pleased with Nevio's performance," head coach Bob Lilley said. "He's shown leadership and maturity."
Forward Mauro Biello opened the scoring in the first minute, on a breakaway after splitting the Eagles defence. Biello's fourth goal of the season tied the team record for the fastest goal from the start of play set by former striker Jean Harbor, who scored on a penalty kick in the first minute of a 1-0 victory over Toronto on July 27, 1994.
Second-year midfielder David Fronimadis, with his first career goal, made it 2-0 in the 10th minute. And forward Sita-Taty Matondo completed the nightmare for Eagles goalie Trevor Upton with a goal in the 80th minute. Impact 'keeper Greg Sutton, meanwhile, didn't have to make a single save as he notched his sixth shutout of the season.
The win extended Montreal's unbeaten record at home this season to five, bettering the club record set last year.
rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com
http://www.canada.com/montreal/sports/t ... A5B01465AC
Pizzolitto finishes strongly
Impact 3, Eagles 0. Defender is leaving for national team with win under his belt
RANDY PHILLIPS
The Gazette
Thursday, July 03, 2003
Nevio Pizzolitto played one of his last games with the Impact last night.
Say what?
Actually, the lopsided 3-0 win over the Charlotte Eagles in A-League action before 7,044 at Claude Robillard Stadium was the last the 26-year-old defender will play with the Impact for a while, because, in military parlance, he must serve his country.
Pizzolitto, along with teammate midfielder Martin Nash, leaves Saturday to join the Canadian national team for this month's Gold Cup tournament.
Both will be in the lineup when Montreal plays the Salty Dogs in Syracuse tomorrow night, but will be gone after the game. They could miss the next five Impact games, if Canada reaches the Gold Cup final in Mexico City on July 27.
"I really do have mixed feelings about leaving the team at this time," Pizzolitto said. "Things are going really well, especially having had to play so many games in the first half of the season on the road. Now that we're finally going to be home for most of our remaining games, I could miss a lot of them.
"Still, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play for Canada. I think we've got a pretty good squad and I like our chances."
Nash, a 27-year-old from Victoria, has been a regular with the national team since 1997.
On the other hand, Pizzolitto rejoined the national squad this year after an absence of more than two years. He got his first international cap since returning to the team, the sixth of his career, in a friendly against Germany in late May.
"I'm happy to be back with the team," he said. "I'm not totally surprised to have been called up, because even though I haven't been with the team in a quite a while, I was still in the pool of players who could be available to the team at any time.
"It was just a matter of time in my case. I kind of figured I'd have another opportunity with the team."
Pizzolitto and Nash will travel to Toronto, where they'll spend a few days in training camp in preparation for the national team's opening Gold Cup game against Costa Rica on July 12 in Foxboro, Mass.
Canada plays its other Group D opponent, Cuba, on July 14.
The 12-team event, which features 10 CONCACAF teams, including the United States, in addition to Brazil and Colombia, is being held staged in three cities, including Miami.
Last night, Pizzolitto made his 12th start in the 13 games he's played this season, as the Impact began the second half of its 28-game regular season with an impressive result over a team that didn't belong on the same field, at least not on this night.
Pizzolitto went into the game with one goal this season. In his nine seasons in the league, eight with the Impact, the 6-foot-2 Montreal native has four goals and nearly added another last night on a header than went wide of the goal in the 27th minute.
But Pizzolitto's strength is on defence, where he's been a pillar on a team that has allowed the second-fewest goals in the league. His absence could be a factor in the coming games.
"I'm very pleased with Nevio's performance," head coach Bob Lilley said. "He's shown leadership and maturity."
Forward Mauro Biello opened the scoring in the first minute, on a breakaway after splitting the Eagles defence. Biello's fourth goal of the season tied the team record for the fastest goal from the start of play set by former striker Jean Harbor, who scored on a penalty kick in the first minute of a 1-0 victory over Toronto on July 27, 1994.
Second-year midfielder David Fronimadis, with his first career goal, made it 2-0 in the 10th minute. And forward Sita-Taty Matondo completed the nightmare for Eagles goalie Trevor Upton with a goal in the 80th minute. Impact 'keeper Greg Sutton, meanwhile, didn't have to make a single save as he notched his sixth shutout of the season.
The win extended Montreal's unbeaten record at home this season to five, bettering the club record set last year.
rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com
http://www.canada.com/montreal/sports/t ... A5B01465AC