Jul 04 USL - Montreal Impact Fall 1-0 To Charleston Battery

The last two times that the Montreal impact and the Charleston Battery met, they had to settle for 0-0 ties in both games, so you knew this was not going to be a goal laden game. In the end it would be the team that made the least mistakes that would leave with the win. Unfortunately for the Impact, it would take just one turnover at the 68th minute and the end result was a 1-0 win for Charleston.

"You can't really pinpoint how a play like that gets turned around," said defender Nevio Pizzolitto. "It was lots of little things that made it happen and it's a goal we shouldn't be giving them,"

Stephen deRoux really gave the crowd something to cheer about as he put on a footwork clinic at the 28th minute when, although double teamed, managed to weave his way in and out of both Charleston defenders before passing to Rocco Placentino who caromed a bullet off a defender and out of play. "In the first half we really came on strong and had lots of chances that didn't go our way," said deRoux, "but in the second half we weren't as strong on the ball and that one goal was the difference.

Impact defender Stefano Pesoli, who had been sidelined with a knee injury for 15 games and was a questionable start for today's game, ended up playing the full 90 minutes and looked in fine form, actually thwarting more than one dangerous looking Charleston rush throughout the contest. "It is great to have Stfano back," said dos Santos of Pesoli. "I just hope that he will also be able to play in the next game," making reference to the fact that every time a player comes back from the IR, he seems to aggarvate the same or an older injury, forcing them back onto the sidelines for the next contest.

The Impact tried to go for the tie with time running down on the clock, opting for 3 forwards (Sandro Grande, Roberto Brown and Eduardo Sebrango) as well as putting in the fresh legs of Felix Brillant and Pa Amadou Gai coming in for members of the startin line-up. With 2 close calls off the foot of David Testo going just wide of Battery 'keeper Dusty Hadock, the Battery would escape Saputo Stadium with the 3 points and sole possession of 2nd place in the USL division1 standings.

The Impacts next games will include the third of six international friendlies vs the Syrian national team on Wednesday July 8th, after which the team will head out on a 2 game road trip which sees them stopping off in Minnesota and Rochester.

pic by photos pépé