by Al Clark
al@canucks-abroad.com

Deciding game of the 2009 NCC tonight - Toronto need a 4 goal win. Montreal have only pride to play for, which can't be underestimated. But with one eye on the league game on Saturday, Could-Toronto-Do-It?!

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Montreal Impact:

#3 Adam Braz

Braz has played for the opposition tonight, but also spent 2003 in Sweden in their 2nd tier with Västerås. It was his only year away from soccer in Canada where he played mainly with his current club, aside from a poor 2007 season with TFC. Braz has some experience with the CMNT side, appearing in 12 games since 2004.

#8 Sandro Grande

Arguably the best Canadian player currently plying his trade in the USL, Grande has played most of his career outside of North America. Starting in Italy in 1999, he played for 8 different clubs over 5 seasons (3 on loan). Brescia were the biggest club he signed for, but he never made an appearance. In 2004 he returned home to play for the Impact, before heading to Norway for 2 seasons - one with Stavanger and then with Molde. Despite being talented enough for Toronto, Grande headed staright back to re-sign with the impact last season and is their playmaker and star midfielder. He also has experience in 12 internationals with CMNT.

#9 Rocco Placentino

Another Italian connection on Montreal, Placentino's career also started in Italy in 1999 with Foggia. A stint at the Impact in 2000-02 was follwed up with 6 clubs in the Italian lower divisions over the subsequent 6 seasons. He may have been at a lower level than Grande, but he saw more playing time. Just the one cap for Canada, back in 2005 against Spain.

#21 Felix Brillant

The 28 year old former New England Revolution player, played a solitary season abroad at Sparta Sarpsborg in 2007 before returning home last year to Montreal. Brillant went through the NCAA playing Division II soccer at Franklin Pierce College, but prior to that was in the French club AS Cannes youth system.

#22 Srdjan Djekanovic

Another former TFC player, Srdjan was born in Bosnia and actually started his career there in the lower leagues with Zmaj (loan) and Železničar Belgrade before attending UBC. A former Canadian U20 keeper, he's played for all three Voyageurs Cup teams.

The Impact also feature Simon Gatti, who didn't play abroad but was in the youth system of both Sochaux and RC Paris. Both Mauro Biello and Patrick Leduc have represented Canada internationally (4/3 respectively) without ever playing for a foreign club. 32 y/o Nevio Pizzolitto is their most capped player with 9 appearances for the CMNT without going abroad.

Montreal also boasts some good young Canadian talent - as does Vancouver - who could well go abroad in the future. Pierre-Rudoph Mayard, an U20 midfielder and Alex Suprenant, a defender, lead the pack.