Soccer Euphoria
 The new home of soccer in Montreal opened its doors to the media yesterday.
Here's a look at the 13,000-seat Saputo Stadium... |
It's going to be a busy season for the Montreal Impact. They play their home opener at the new digs on Monday, May 19th at 3pm and that will be the official start to a whirlwind season filled with regular season games, special events and hopes of a league championship in their first season at their new home.
Needless to say, the players are incredibly excited. They held their first practice at Saputo Stadium on the perfectly manicured natural grass pitch. I love what captain Mauro Biello said -- "It feels like Santa Clause came and dropped off a nice big stadium for us."
Yup, that pretty much sums it up.
Not only will the Impact play USL opposition, but they'll also take part in CONCACAF qualifiers this season, with the first game against soon-to-be MLS rival, Toronto FC. That's on May 27. Saputo Stadium will also host Canada's first qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. That'll be against Saint-Vincent-and-the-Grenadines on June 20th.
With the evolution of soccer in Montreal, Quebec and Canada, the timing of this new stadium couldn't be more perfect and I can't wait to see what it's like to sit along the sidelines on a warm summer evening as the sun sets just beyond the Olympic Stadium.
It's soccer euphoria and you're all invited.
