The Montreal Impact (french: Impact de Montréal) was a Canadian professional
soccer club based in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
. Founded in 1993, the team played in the United Soccer League. Later, the Impact played in the
North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of pro ...
until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
team
CF Montréal
CF Montréal is a Soccer in Canada, Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. Found ...
, which also carried the Montreal Impact name until 2021.
The team played its home games at
Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard until 2008 when it moved to the new
Saputo Stadium
Saputo Stadium (french: link=no, Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montré ...
where it played until its move to MLS. The team's colours were blue and white. The Impact had 11 different head coaches during these years.
The Impact also operated a reserve team, the Trois-Rivières Attak, from 2006 until 2010 which played in the
Canadian Soccer League until 2010 when the Impact created their own
Montreal Impact Academy
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...
. They also used to operate an indoor team (of the same name) in the
NPSL (at the
Bell Centre
Bell Centre (), formerly known as Molson Centre (), is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Montr ...
, then at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard) with many of the same players, from 1997–1998 to 1999–2000.
On May 7, 2010, Impact owner
Joey Saputo was granted a Major League Soccer expansion franchise set to begin play in Saputo Stadium in 2012. Although, in a legal sense, the Montreal team is an entirely separate legal entity, the new team carried the Impact name until 2021 -- now known as
CF Montréal
CF Montréal is a Soccer in Canada, Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Montreal, Montréal, Québec, Canada. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. Found ...
-- and maintains the team's legacy in MLS.
History
The Impact club was founded in 1992 by the Saputo family, as the owners of the
Montreal Supra
Montreal Supra was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec that played in the Canadian Soccer League from 1988 to 1992.
History
Montreal Supra joined the Canadian Soccer League as an expansion franchise for the league's ...
of the
Canadian Soccer League did not pursue an
APSL franchise by the deadline set by the U.S. league. The Montreal ownership and front office split with their main financial sponsor announcing the start of a new APSL club on December 13, 1992, with the Supra coach. In 1993, the APSL was trying to gain the USSF Division 1 sanctioning required by FIFA with the award of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the estimated $60 million in World Cup profits; it was seen as a league with much more upside than the CSL. They became a dominant club in the APSL (1993–1996) and the
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
(1997–2004), renamed the USL First Division (2005). The team did not compete during the 1999 A-League season. Their main rivals were the
Rochester Rhinos
Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States.
Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos t ...
and the
Toronto Lynx
Toronto Lynx was a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team last played in the 2014 season of the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes ...
prior to the latter's move to the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league sy ...
.
Following a lacklustre first year, the Impact surprised the defending champion
Colorado Foxes
The Colorado Foxes were a professional soccer team, based in Commerce City, Colorado, that played in the American Professional Soccer League, and later in the A-League, between 1990 and 1997. The Foxes won two APSL titles, in 1992 and 1993. In 1 ...
(1–0) on October 15, 1994, at home in front of a sold out Montreal crowd to claim their first league title. Subsequently, the team finished first or tied for first during the regular season in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2003 without making it back to the final. The Impact lost to archrivals Rochester in their first four playoff encounters, in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2003, before finally defeating them in 2004 en route to their second title. The club was favoured to repeat in 2005, but after a near-flawless season (3 losses in 28 games) the Impact were ousted in the semi-finals by the eventual champions, the Seattle Sounders (2–2, 1–2). The team also won the inaugural
Voyageurs Cup
The Voyageurs Cup (french: Coupe des Voyageurs) is the domestic trophy for professional soccer in Canada, awarded to the best men's and women's clubs in the country.
The Cup was conceived and commissioned by fans of the Canada men's national ...
in 2002 and successfully defended this title from 2003 to 2008. In 2009, the Impact were crowned at home for their third title, beating the
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
by an aggregate score of 6–3 in a Cinderella ending to a tumultuous season.
In 2004, the Impact finished first in the A-League's Eastern Conference before disposing of Rochester (1–0, 1–0), Syracuse (2–0, 1–1), and Seattle (2–0) in the playoffs to capture their second championship, 10 years after their first. The final in Montreal saw an all-time-record 13,648 fans at
Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard Stadium (whose
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile th ...
for the day was adjusted from 10,100). The MVP was
Mauricio Vincello who scored the winner at the 33rd minute of play.
Frederick Commodore sealed the game with a goal at the 78th minute.
At the gate, the Impact had always been solid within the league before 1999 with average crowds of 4,000–5,000. After disappointing seasons in 2000 and 2001 (where the average gate was between 2,000 and 3,000 people), the team had new record attendances in 2002 (over 5,000 on average), 2003 (over 7,000 on average), 2004 (over 9,000 on average) and 2005–2006 (over 11,000 on average). The all-time single-game high was the 55,571 fans in attendance for the 2009
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Amer ...
quarter-final against
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. (), commonly known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club that competes in the Liga MX. It is located in northern Mexico and represents the urban area of La Comarca Lagunera, made u ...
(Mexico) at
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
in Montreal.
In 1999, the owners had a conflict with the league and withdrew the team from competition, but did play
indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football, fast football, or showball) is five-a-side version of minifootball, derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor so ...
that year in the
National Professional Soccer League. After resurfacing in 2000, the club went bankrupt during the 2001 season when the then-owners were Ionian. Administered until the end of the season by one of the original pillars,
Joey Saputo, the club rose from its ashes in 2002, set up as a nonprofit organization owned by the
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
government,
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a public utility that manages the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in the Canadian province of Quebec, as well as the export of power to portions of the Northeast United States.
It was established by th ...
, and Saputo. It also attracted many big-time sponsors such as the
National Bank of Canada
The National Bank of Canada (french: Banque Nationale du Canada) is the sixth largest commercial bank in Canada. It is headquartered in Montreal, and has branches in most Canadian provinces and 2.4 million personal clients. National Bank is the ...
,
Bell Canada
Bell Canada (commonly referred to as Bell) is a Canadian telecommunications company headquartered at 1 Carrefour Alexander-Graham-Bell in the borough of Verdun in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is an ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) in t ...
and
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atla ...
, among others. The team's mandate is to develop local talent and to serve as a representative of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
for tourism. Since the Impact's renaissance in 2002, Quebec-born players have played a much more central role in the Canadian national team, after many years of non-selection. For the 2005 Gold Cup, players
Gabriel Gervais,
Sandro Grande,
Patrick Leduc
Patrick Leduc (born December 26, 1977 in Saint-Lambert, Quebec) is a Canadian soccer player who formerly played for Montreal Impact in the USSF Division 2 Professional League.
Career
Youth and amateur
Before turning pro Leduc played amateur ...
,
Adam Braz
Adam Braz (born June 7, 1981) is a former professional footballer who last served as Technical Director of the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer. Braz was a Canadian soccer player for nine years including as a player on the national team an ...
and
Ali Gerba
Ali Ngon Gerba (; born September 4, 1981) is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Born in Cameroon, he represented the Canada national team.
Club career
Canada and United States
In 2000 Gerba signed with the Montrea ...
, as well as former player
Patrice Bernier
Patrice Bernier (born September 23, 1979) is a Canadian retired professional soccer player. A long-time mainstay of the Canada national team, the midfielder played the majority of his career with Montreal Impact in addition to playing in Denm ...
and Quebec-born
Olivier Occean
Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver (given name), Oliver. It may refer to:
* Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Olivier (surname), a list of people
* Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery
*Olivier, Loui ...
were all called to the national team and did well by most accounts. The visibility helped Grande and Ali, who both transferred to Scandinavia shortly after the tournament. On July 15, 2006, the team won the 200th victory in its history.
For the first time in its history, the Montreal Impact contracted players to 10 months out of the year in 2008. This extended training camp was a first for the Montreal Impact and many in the media have stated that it is a move to next level in professional soccer. They began the year at the soccer training centre,
Soccerplexe Catalogna before travelling to Italy for more training and three exhibition games against Italian clubs. They drew their first match 0–0 against third division Arezzo, lost their second match 1–0 against second division Frosinone and finally won their third encounter 1–0 against fourth division Cassino.
In 2008, the Montreal Impact won the Canadian Championship, gaining the chance to represent Canada in the
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Amer ...
. The tournament features the best teams in all of North and Central America and the Caribbean Islands. The Impact won two legs against Real Estali 1–0 and 0–0 to secure a spot in the tournament. Montreal competed then in the group stage where they defeated Joe Public FC of Trinidad 2–0 and 4–1 and CD Olimpia of Honduras 2–1 and 1–1. They finished off against Atlante FC of Mexico which they tied 0–0 and then lost 2–1.
On February 25, 2009, the team won the first leg of the quarterfinals match 2–0 against
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. (), commonly known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club that competes in the Liga MX. It is located in northern Mexico and represents the urban area of La Comarca Lagunera, made u ...
from Mexico. The match was played at Montreal's
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
in front of a club-record crowd of 55,571. The second leg was held on March 5, 2009, at Corona Stadium, in Torreon, Mexico, where the Impact led 2–1 at the half (4–1 on aggregate). With the Impact only a few minutes from a semi-final berth, Santos Laguna's
Carlos Quintero scored twice in stoppage time to rally the homeside to a 5–2 victory, thus eliminating the Impact from the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League 5–4 on aggregate. Following the match, head coach John Limniatis commented that his side "should have done better", noting that it was "unfortunate to finish this way".
For the
2009 Canadian Championship
The 2009 Canadian Championship (officially the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons) was a soccer tournament hosted and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association that took place in the cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancou ...
, the Montreal Impact were eliminated early to the disappointment of fans. In the final match of the
Voyageurs Cup
The Voyageurs Cup (french: Coupe des Voyageurs) is the domestic trophy for professional soccer in Canada, awarded to the best men's and women's clubs in the country.
The Cup was conceived and commissioned by fans of the Canada men's national ...
, with the Impact already eliminated, Head Coach
Marc Dos Santos
Marc Dos Santos (born May 26, 1977) is a Canadian soccer coach who is an assistant coach for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. He was previously the head coach of Montreal Impact in D2 Pro League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, was Nort ...
decision to field a number of reserve team players drew controversy from fans of both the Impact and
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
. The team went on to suffer its worst defeat in history, by losing 6–1 to archrival
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
of
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
.
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
needed to win by 4 goals to advance to the
CONCACAF Champions League 2009-10 preliminary round. As a result, the
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
were eliminated on goal differential, despite holding the same record as
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
.
The Montreal Impact won their third championship in its history, Saturday October 17, 2009, in front of a sellout crowd of 13,034 at Saputo Stadium, defeating the
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
3–1, (6–3 on aggregate goals), in the First Division USL final championship, which was the first all Canadian FIrst Division USL Final. All three of Montreal's championships have been won at home. Montreal had an up and down year that involved firing their coach and struggling early on, so winning the championship was a pleasant surprise to their fans. All the players agreed this championship was more special than their first two because they were expected to win those ones, while the 2009 edition was a surprise finalist, that most experts thought wouldn't advance out of the quarterfinals.
In November 2009 the Impact announced their intent to leave the USL First Division to become the co-founders of a new
North American Soccer League, which would begin play in 2010. The league, which has yet to be sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation or the Canadian Soccer Association, would also comprise the
Atlanta Silverbacks
The Atlanta Silverbacks FC were an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1998 as Atlanta Ruckus, the club played in many leagues over the years before folding after the 2015 season. The team played its home gam ...
,
Carolina Railhawks
North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League One, the third tier of the American league system.
The team has played its home games ...
,
Crystal Palace Baltimore
Crystal Palace Baltimore was an American professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Founded in 2006, the club was originally named Crystal Palace USA and was affiliated with English side Crystal Palace.
The club was a member of th ...
,
Miami FC
The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The club began play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 2016 s ...
,
Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division (USL-1), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its h ...
,
Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tier ...
,
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
and a brand new team led by
St. Louis Soccer United
AC St. Louis was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in December 2009, the team played its first and only season the next year in the NASL Conference of the temporary USSF D2 Pro League, the s ...
.
After lawsuits were filed and heated press statements exchanged, the USSF declared they would sanction neither league for the coming year, and ordered both to work together on a plan to temporarily allow their teams to play a 2010 season. The interim solution was announced on January 7, 2010, with the USSF running the new USSF D-2 league comprising clubs from both USL-1 and NASL.
The Impact and Major League Soccer
Towards the end of 2007, much speculation had been made about a possible franchise move from
USL First Division
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system ...
to
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
. The construction of the expandable
Saputo Stadium
Saputo Stadium (french: link=no, Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montré ...
further suggested such an interest on the part of the Impact to move up to the top level American-Canadian league.
Chairman Joey Saputo held talks with
George Gillett (former owner of
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
and co-owner of
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has ...
) regarding possible joint ownership of an MLS franchise.
On July 24, 2008, MLS announced they were seeking to add two expansion teams for the 2011 season, of which Montreal was listed as a potential candidate.
On November 22, 2008, the team's bid for an MLS franchise, was not retained by commissioner
Don Garber
Donald P. Garber (born October 9, 1957) is an American sports executive who has served as the Commissioner of Major League Soccer since 1999. Garber is also the CEO of Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federati ...
. In response to Vancouver's successful bid in March 2009, Impact GM
Nick De Santis commented that he expected chairman
Joey Saputo to pursue and ultimately realize his vision of Montreal as an MLS franchise someday.
On May 16, 2009, the
Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
reported that MLS commissioner
Don Garber
Donald P. Garber (born October 9, 1957) is an American sports executive who has served as the Commissioner of Major League Soccer since 1999. Garber is also the CEO of Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federati ...
and Montreal Impact president
Joey Saputo have resumed talks for an expansion team to begin play in 2011.
On May 7, 2010, it was officially announced by MLS commissioner
Don Garber
Donald P. Garber (born October 9, 1957) is an American sports executive who has served as the Commissioner of Major League Soccer since 1999. Garber is also the CEO of Soccer United Marketing and a member of the United States Soccer Federati ...
that Montreal had been granted the league's 19th franchise, and will begin play in the 2012 season.
Colours and badge

The team's colours were blue and white, and the team's logo featured a stylized
fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in th ...
in blue and silver, overlaid with the Impact wordmark and a traditional hex-stitched soccer ball in flight. The fleur-de-lis is a globally recognized symbol of French heritage, and features prominently on the
flag of Quebec
The flag of Quebec, called the (), represents the Canadian province of Quebec. It consists of a white cross on a blue background, with four white fleurs-de-lis.
It was the first provincial flag officially adopted in Canada and was originally s ...
as a reflection of
French-Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...
culture. The badge featured
star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...
s to represent the league titles it won. Titles won in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...
and 2004 resulted in the addition of the first two stars. A third star was added after the club won the
USL First Division
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system ...
in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
.
Stadium
*
Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard;
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
(1993–2007)
* Stadium at
Université Laval
Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Mont ...
;
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
3 games (2003–2005)
* Stadium at
Université de Sherbrooke
The University of Sherbrooke (French: Université de Sherbrooke) (UdS) is a large public French-language university in Quebec, Canada with campuses located in Sherbrooke and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It i ...
;
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional cou ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
2 games (2004–2005)
*
Saputo Stadium
Saputo Stadium (french: link=no, Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montré ...
;
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
(2008–2011)
The Impact played its home games at
Saputo Stadium
Saputo Stadium (french: link=no, Stade Saputo) is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montré ...
, a
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-p ...
which opened in May 2008. As the name suggests, the stadium was funded privately (mainly by the Saputo family), and cost $14.1 million
CAD to build, with one-half of the cost paid by the Saputo family, and the rest coming from other private-sector contributions. Saputo Stadium was also the Impact's administrative headquarters and also includes a training field, 20 corporate boxes and full player welfare areas.
Prior to its 2012 expansion, Saputo Stadium seated 13,034 supporters in three main stands, and was expanded to seat 20,341. It is located just east of
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
in the city's east end. Prior to moving to the new stadium, the Impact played their home games at mainly
Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard, with a handful of games also being held in stadia on University campuses at
Université Laval
Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Mont ...
and
Université de Sherbrooke
The University of Sherbrooke (French: Université de Sherbrooke) (UdS) is a large public French-language university in Quebec, Canada with campuses located in Sherbrooke and Longueuil, a suburb of Montreal approximately west of Sherbrooke. It i ...
.
Club culture
Supporters
The Montreal Impact had one of the most vocal groups of supporters in the USSF D-2, the UM02, which stands for Ultras Montréal 2002. The group was created in 2002, after the re-opening of the Montréal Impact, when a group of fans decided to bring organized and vocal support to Impact games. Since their start in 2002, the group had grown from a handful of friends to a group that regularly numbers in the hundreds. The largest number of people within the group was during the February 25 match against
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. (), commonly known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club that competes in the Liga MX. It is located in northern Mexico and represents the urban area of La Comarca Lagunera, made u ...
. Their slogan is "Toujours Fidèles" which is French for ''"Always Faithful"''. The UM02 has a rivalry with the supporters of the
Rochester Rhinos
Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States.
Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos t ...
which was at that time the Rochester Stampede, as well as the organized support of rival
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
. The UM02 were located in section 132 of Saputo Stadium, the designated supporters section before the stadium was reconfigured for MLS.
Rivalries
Montreal Impact had a rivalry with the
Rochester Rhinos
Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States.
Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos t ...
, when the two were in the USL's First Division. In games between the two franchises, it was not uncommon for supporters of the two teams to travel to the opposing sides' stadium.
The Impact also had a rivalry with MLS side
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
. Toronto FC and Montreal Impact both participated in the
Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship (french: Championnat canadien) is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and Canada's berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. It is contes ...
annually along with Vancouver. On June 18, 2009, the Impact suffered its worst defeat, losing 6–1 to Toronto FC.
The lopsided loss by the Impact eliminated the
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
from the 2009
Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship (french: Championnat canadien) is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and Canada's berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. It is contes ...
, thus causing resentment among some Whitecaps fans towards the Impact. As a result, another chapter was added to the rivalry between the Whitecaps and the Impact.
Broadcasting
The Montreal Impact had a French language television deal with
Radio-Canada
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
that ran through the 2011 season.
Philippe Germain
Philippe Germain is a French politician who served as President of the Government of New Caledonia from 2015 to 2019. He was elected to the presidency on 1 April 2015 with a five-year mandate.
Presidency
Before Germain's election on 1 April 2015 ...
did the play-by-play and
Guillaume Dumas Guillaume may refer to:
People
* Guillaume (given name), the French equivalent of William
* Guillaume (surname)
Other uses
* Guillaume (crater)
See also
* '' Chanson de Guillaume'', an 11th or 12th century poem
* Guillaume affair, a Cold War ...
was the colour commentator. Pre-game, post-game and half-time shows featured
Marie-José Turcotte and former Impact star
Gabriel Gervais.
CKGM
CKGM ('' TSN 690 Montreal'') is an English-language AM radio station in Montreal, Quebec, owned by Bell Media Radio. Formerly an affiliate of sports radio network " The Team," it was one of three stations to retain the sports format after the ...
(The Team 990) was the Impact's English language radio broadcaster. Brian Wilde handled the play-by-play while
Noel Butler
Noel or Noël may refer to:
Christmas
* , French for Christmas
* Noel is another name for a Christmas carol
Places
*Noel, Missouri, United States, a city
* Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community
*1563 Noël, an asteroid
* Mount Noel, Brit ...
was the colour commentator.
CKAC
CKAC is a French language, French-language radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Owned by Cogeco, the station operates as a commercial Highway advisory radio, traffic information service branded as ''Radio Circulation 730''. Its stud ...
is the Impact's French language broadcaster with
Jean-Philippe Bertrand Jean-Philippe may refer to:
* ''Jean-Philippe'' (film)
*Jean-Philippe (given name)
Jean-Philippe is a French male given name.
Notable people so named include:
* Jean-Philippe Baile
* Jean-Philippe Baratier (1721-1740), German scholar & child ...
is the play-by-play announcer,
Francis Millien is the colour commentator and
Jeremy Filosa
Jeremy may refer to:
* Jeremy (given name), a given name
* Jérémy, a French given name
* ''Jeremy'' (film), a 1973 film
* "Jeremy" (song), a song by Pearl Jam
* Jeremy (snail), a left-coiled garden snail that died in 2017
* ''Jeremy'', a 19 ...
reports from the sidelines.
Players and staff
Final roster
''as of September 25, 2011''.
Notable former players
Staff
*
Joey Saputo – ''President''
*
Richard Legendre
Richard Legendre (born January 19, 1953 in Montmagny, Quebec) is a former professional tennis player and politician in Quebec, Canada.
Tennis
Legendre was born in Montmagny, Quebec. He once represented Canada at the Davis Cup and had a care ...
– ''Executive Vice President, Montreal Impact & Saputo Stadium''
* Claude Pinard – ''Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales''
* John Di Terlizzi – ''Vice President, Sales''
* John Papadakis – ''Vice President, Finances''
*
Nick De Santis – ''Sporting Director'' and ''Head Coach''
*
Matt Jordan – ''Director of Soccer Operations''
*
Mauro Biello – ''Assistant Coach''
*
Gil Orriols Jansana – ''Assistant Coach''
*
Youssef Dahha
Youssef Dahha (born 16 July 1972), is the official goalkeeper trainer for the Canadian soccer team, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in British Columbia, Canada.
Career
Dahha played pro soccer in Morocco, and played for Morocco during the 1988 Olympic ...
– ''Goalkeeper Coach''
*
Adam Braz
Adam Braz (born June 7, 1981) is a former professional footballer who last served as Technical Director of the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer. Braz was a Canadian soccer player for nine years including as a player on the national team an ...
– ''Team Manager''
* Dr. Scott Delaney – ''Team Physician''
Retired numbers
Head coaches
*
Eddie Firmani
Edwin Ronald "Eddie" Firmani (; born 7 August 1933) is a former professional football player and manager. A former forward, he spent most of his career in Italy and England. Born in South Africa, he represented the Italy national team interna ...
(1993)
*
Valerio Gazzola (1994–1997)
*
Paul Kitson (1998)
*
Tasso Koutsoukos (1998–2000)
*
Zoran Jankovic (2000)
*
Valerio Gazzola (2000–2001)
*
Bob Lilley (2002–2003)
*
John Limniatis (2008–2009)
*
Marc Dos Santos
Marc Dos Santos (born May 26, 1977) is a Canadian soccer coach who is an assistant coach for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. He was previously the head coach of Montreal Impact in D2 Pro League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, was Nort ...
(2009–2011)
*
Nick DeSantis
Nicolas De Santis (born November 11, 1967) is a former professional soccer player.
Club career
After beginning his pro career in 1987 with the Montreal Supra of the Canadian Soccer League, he signed for the Montreal Impact in 1993 where he h ...
(2001, 2004–2008, 2011)
Achievements
*
USL First Division
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system ...
**Winners (2): 2004,
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
**Northeast Division Champions (2): 1997, 2003
**Eastern Division Champions (2): 2004
*
APSL
**Winners (1):
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson Ma ...
*
Commissioner's Cup
**Winners (5): 1995, 1996, 1997,
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...
,
2006
**Runners-up (2): 2003, 2004
*
Voyageurs Cup
The Voyageurs Cup (french: Coupe des Voyageurs) is the domestic trophy for professional soccer in Canada, awarded to the best men's and women's clubs in the country.
The Cup was conceived and commissioned by fans of the Canada men's national ...
**Winners (7): 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
*Can Am Cup
**Winners (3): 1998, 2003, 2004
*Montreal Cup
**Winners (1): 2001
Record
Year-by-year
This is a complete list of seasons for the USL/NASL franchise. For a season-by-season history including the successor
Montreal Impact MLS franchise, see
List of Montreal Impact seasons.
Outdoor team
1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goal scorer includes all goals scored in league, league playoffs, Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship (french: Championnat canadien) is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and Canada's berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. It is contes ...
, CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Amer ...
, FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
, and other competitive continental matches.
3. Points and PPG have been adjusted from non-traditional to traditional scoring systems for seasons prior to 2003 to more effectively compare historical team performance across seasons.
Indoor team
Historical stats
Seasons: 18 (1993–1998, 2000–2011)
First Official Game: May 14, 1993 (against the
Los Angeles Salsa
The Los Angeles Salsa was an American soccer team based in Los Angeles that played in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) and the USISL Pro League. The club played on the campus of California State University, Fullerton at Titan St ...
)
First Game: April 22, 1993 (against
Ponte Boggianese,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
)
First Home Game: May 21, 1993 (against the
Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Championship in the second tier ...
)
Best Finish: Champion (1994, 2004, 2009)
Titles: 3 (1994, 2004, 2009)
Voyageurs Cup
The Voyageurs Cup (french: Coupe des Voyageurs) is the domestic trophy for professional soccer in Canada, awarded to the best men's and women's clubs in the country.
The Cup was conceived and commissioned by fans of the Canada men's national ...
: 7 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Attendance record: 55 571 spectators (February 25, 2009, against the
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. (), commonly known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club that competes in the Liga MX. It is located in northern Mexico and represents the urban area of La Comarca Lagunera, made u ...
CONCACAF)
Most Goals Scored: 58 (in 28 matches in 1997)
Fewest Goals Allowed: 15 (in 28 matches in 2004, 2005 and 2006)
Largest Victory (h): 6–0 (against
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
in 1997)
Largest Victory (a): 0–5 (against
Crystal Palace Baltimore
Crystal Palace Baltimore was an American professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Founded in 2006, the club was originally named Crystal Palace USA and was affiliated with English side Crystal Palace.
The club was a member of th ...
in 2010)
Worst Defeat (h): 1–6 (against
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
in 2009)
Worst Defeat (a): 6–0 (against
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
in 1998)
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Amer ...
: First Canadian participant in 2008, reached quarterfinals
Most goals in a game:
Ali Gerba
Ali Ngon Gerba (; born September 4, 1981) is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Born in Cameroon, he represented the Canada national team.
Club career
Canada and United States
In 2000 Gerba signed with the Montrea ...
3 goals August 21, 2010 (against
Crystal Palace Baltimore
Crystal Palace Baltimore was an American professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Founded in 2006, the club was originally named Crystal Palace USA and was affiliated with English side Crystal Palace.
The club was a member of th ...
)
Earliest goal at the start of a game :
Ali Gerba
Ali Ngon Gerba (; born September 4, 1981) is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Born in Cameroon, he represented the Canada national team.
Club career
Canada and United States
In 2000 Gerba signed with the Montrea ...
18 seconds August 27, 2010 (against
Rochester Rhinos
Rochester New York FC, formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos, are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States.
Founded in 1996, as the Rochester Raging Rhinos, they changed their name to Rochester Rhinos t ...
)
Awards year-by-year
All-time leaders
All-time continental competition win/loss
''Last updated March 22, 2010''
References
External links
Official websiteImpact Soccer fan siteUltras Montréal supporters' site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montreal Impact (1992-2011)
American Professional Soccer League teams
USL First Division teams
North American Soccer League teams
A-League (1995–2004) teams
Association football clubs established in 1993
Impact
Impact may refer to:
* Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period
* Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US
Science and technology
* Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event
* Impac ...
Hydro-Québec
National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) teams
Canadian indoor soccer teams
United Soccer League teams based in Canada
American Professional Soccer League teams based in Canada
1993 establishments in Quebec
2011 disestablishments in Quebec
Association football clubs disestablished in 2011