Martin Nash joins the Impact

[François]

MARTIN NASH JOINS THE IMPACT


MONTREAL, April 29, 2003 — Martin Nash, an attacking midfielder who helped Canada win the CONCACAF championship title at the 2000 Gold Cup tournament, will play the 2003 A-League season with the Montreal Impact. The 27-year-old athlete also helped the Rochester Raging Rhinos win the A-League championship title in 2000 and 2001, in addition to finishing first in the Northeast Division last year, tied with the Impact. In 2000, he also played in six of Canada’s eight games in World Cup qualifying. He has a total of 23 caps and two goals with Canada’s World Cup team.

"Martin will bring a lot of experience to this team," said Impact head coach Bob Lilley. "He is a high-quality player with a winning background, so he can definitely help us. He’s a very good passer, he serves the ball up well, and he also has the ability to score. He’s very good in free-kick situations. He’s definitely an attacking player, who can play midfield or up front, but he’s also a well-rounded player."

"We have a lot of young players again this year, so his experience will help, there’s no doubt about it," said captain Mauro Biello. "He has a creative style and he can strike the ball well with both feet."

Nash was chosen on the first All A-League team in 1996, when he played for Vancouver, as well as on the second team in 2000. That year, his first with Rochester, he collected nine assists, a Rhinos team record. He also picked up two assists in the 2000 championship final against the Minnesota Thunder, for a total of four assists during the playoffs, tying a Rhinos team record.

He is the brother of Steve Nash, the Dallas Mavericks star in the NBA who was selected by the Canadian Press as the 2002 Canadian Male Athlete of the Year.

Nash just completed the season with Macclesfield Town, a third-division club in England and he is expected to join his new teammates at the Impact’s practice session, Thursday morning at the Catalogna Soccerplexe in Lachine, after a physical on Wednesday. He should therefore be available for the Montreal squad’s next A-League game, May 10, in Toronto, against the Lynx, pending international clearance.

But local soccer fans will be able to see Nash play as early as this Sunday at 5 pm at the Catalogna Soccerplexe. On that occasion, the Impact will be facing the Quebec Elite Soccer League All-Stars in an exhibition match as part of the LSEQ’s official opening day activities.