Next Stop: Puerto Rico!
The Montreal Impact have moved on to the Semifinals in the USL First Division after a 2-1 win (4-1 on aggregate goals) over the Charleston Battery, Sunday, at Blackbaud Stadium, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Defender Nevio Pizzolitto, who surpassed 2000 playoff minutes played (second all time on the Impact) scored the first Impact goal in the 23rd minute after Montreal was a little tentative having given up the games first goal only moments before.
On a cross from the right flank from Leonardo Di Lorenzo in the six-yard area, forward Roberto Brown headed the ball, but goalkeeper Chris McClellan deflected it off the crossbar. Never giving up on the play and in order to ensure the marker, Pizzolitto jumped on the rebound and scored with a header.
"It's very special to make it to the semifinals," said Pizzolitto. “We are playing very well now and we are confident on the field. We scored a very important goal because we were starting to play on our heels after their goal."
Midfielder Tony Donatelli scored the insurance goal of the series at the 74th minute, by completing a long sequence of passes in the Battery territory. Donatelli, inside the penalty box, one-timed a short pass from Roberto Brown that beat McClellan to his right.
Talk about a homer call: The game referee Mark Kadlecik took a controversial decision at halftime by ejecting Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos for having walked towards the officials on the field. The Impact will appeal this decision.
"We followed the game plan entirely," declared Dos Santos. "We are really happy with the result tonight. The players showed lots of character and our leaders were perfect. We are playing very well these days and it's certainly not the referees who are going to stop us."
By the end of their game, the Impact already knew who their semifinals competitors would be. The Puerto Rico Islanders defeated the Rochester Rhinos 5-3 on total goals. The series will start at Saputo Stadium, Thursday evening at 7:30 pm, and the return game will be played Sunday, at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium, in Bayamon.
Tickets for the semifinal match will go on sale Monday at noon and will be available through Admission (514-790-1245 / 1-800-361-4595 / admission.com), at the Saputo Stadium ticketing office or at 514-328-3668 (group packages only).
Elsewhere in the league, the 2008 USL Champion Vancouver Whitecaps advanced to the semifinals with a 1-0 aggregate goal win against the Carolina RailHawks. The Whitecaps will face the regular season champion Portland Timbers who were enjoying a bye in the first round.
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