August 17, 2013 -- After spending the day in Ottawa, I took the train back to Montreal, the subway back to the hostel I was staying at, changed clothes and headed to Saputo Stadium in Olympic Park -- the home of the Montreal Impact Major League Soccer club -- for an evening game against my hometown D.C. United.
Along the way to the station I was passed by some D.C. United supporters from La Barra Brava fan club who were riding Bixi bikes. I got off at the Viau metro station and walked across Olympic Park wearing my U.S. soccer jersey among a sea of royal blue Impact jerseys.
Saputo Stadium is an impressive soccer-specific stadium that is a model for how other stadiums should be built, including a potential new D.C. United stadium that is in the planning stages for Buzzard Point in Southwest Washington. The stadium opened in 2008 and with a seating capacity of 20,801 it is the second-largest soccer stadium in Canada after BMO Field in Toronto.
My ticket was for a seat behind the goal next to the loud and raucous Impact supporter club waving their flags and chanting. So I eventually walked around the stadium and found a great seat on the field level right at the middle of the pitch behind the home and visitor benches.
After the player intros and American and Canadian national anthems, the sellout crowd was fired up and kickoff was about to begin. The game had a great pace to it but Impact were clearly the better team as United were having an historically bad season and Impact were having one of their best seasons as a franchise. Plus, the Impact had lost 3-1 to United at a rainy RFK Stadium in a game I attended so they were looking for revenge.
Impact star striker -- Italian international Marco Di Vaio -- finished United off with a wonderful goal in the second half that sent Saputo into a soccer frenzy.
At halftime, children from the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec were honored. Lac-Mégantic is where last summer a freight train carrying crude oil derailed, causing fire and explosions that killed at least forty-two people.
During the second half I had a front row seat as the two animated Impact and United coaches argued over a controversial play and were both ejected. At one point they got so close it looked like they were about to exchange blows. But cooler heads prevailed and they walked to their respective locker rooms, but not before United Coach Ben Olsen taunted the Impact fans on his way off the pitch with a bit of theatrics.
All in all it was a fantastic experience with a world-class stadium, great fans and exciting soccer action. There is no doubt that soccer is here to stay in Montreal and will only get bigger and better.
Here are more photos from the Impact-United game:
Here are more photos of Saputo Stadium, including from the observation deck of the Montreal Tower:
And here is video of fans chanting, the national anthems, player introductions and action from the pitch including an Impact goal and the altercation between United Head Coach Ben Olsen and Impact Head Coach Marco Schällibaum:
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