Impact start the USL season with a loss
The Montreal Impact got burned by a familiar face in Vancouver on Saturday night... |
Former Impact player Eddie Sebrango beat Montreal goalkeeper Matt Jordan with a 20-yard blast late in the first half for what turned out to be the game's only goal in a 1-0 victory for the Whitecaps.
That was also the first time the Whitecaps had scored against the Impact on home soil since 1998. The Impact now has a lifetime regular season record of 20 wins, eight losses and four ties against their Canadian rivals, and a record of six wins, six losses and three ties in opening games.
This was a pretty disappointing result for the Impact. Many of the guys told me before leaving on their road trip that they felt really prepared for the season opener after all of the preparation they had in the offseason. Trips to Italy, Portugal and Florida provided great tune-up matches as Montreal spent more time preparing for a season than ever before, but it's safe to say the Whitecaps were ready.
There were a couple of milestones in this game. Impact defender Gabriel Gervais, who is playing his seventh season with the Impact, started his 150th match in USL Division 1 while midfielder Antonio Ribeiro played his 100th match with Montreal, coming in at the 86th minute.
Montreal's next match is on Saturday, April 19th at Tropical Park Stadium against Miami FC (7:30 pm, USLlive.com). The Impact's home opener at the new Saputo Stadium is on May 19th against the Whitecaps.
