Montreal Impact News Release - www.montrealimpact.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

MONTREAL, QC -- The Montreal Impact announced that forward Peter Byers, from Antigua and Barbuda, had come to terms with the club for the next two seasons, contract pending the league’s approval.

Byers, 24, joined the Impact last season on August 19, before the United Soccer Leagues First Division roster freeze deadline. He scored three goals in seven regular season games (480 minutes), in addition to scoring a goal in the 4-1 win against Joe Public FC, October 8, in Trinidad and Tobago, during CONCACAF Champions League group phase.

After taking part in training camp of the Major League Soccer (MLS) San Jose Earthquakes, Byers declined an offer due to a contract disagreement.

“We are very happy to have him back with us,” said Impact technical director Nick De Santis. “We kept in touch during his stay in San Jose. As soon as we knew that it had not worked out for him there, we immediately resumed negotiations.”

“Byers is a player who integrated himself very well to the team,” added De Santis. “We expect him to contribute even more offensively. With Sebrango, Brown and Gjertsen, we have now added a fourth key forward to our lineup.”

Byers will return to Montreal later today. He will be available for the historical quarterfinal game of the CONCACAF Champions League, February 25, at Olympic Stadium.

Byers becomes the fifth foreign player under contract with the Montreal organization who has secured a spot in the 2009 lineup, with defenders Stefano Pesoli (Italy) and Cédric Joqueviel (France), midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo (Argentina), as well as forward Roberto Brown (Panama).

More than 43,000 tickets have already been sold for the quarterfinal game. Several excellent tickets are still available. Approximately 3,000 additional tickets priced at $25 each are on sale since Tuesday. Tickets are available through Admission (514-790-1245 / 1-800-361-4595 / admission.com), and at the ticket offices of Olympic Stadium and Saputo Stadium.

The Montreal Impact announced Friday it had sold more than 42,000 tickets for the quarterfinal game of the CONCACAF Champions League, on February 25, at Olympic Stadium.

With this milestone, the Impact has established a new sales record for a CONCACAF game. In 2005, approximately 40,000 people had assisted to the Champions Cup final game between Pumas UNAM (Mexico) and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica).

“Less than two weeks from the game, fans continue to demonstrate great interest for this historical game,” said Montreal Impact Executive Vice President Richard Legendre. “With the team coming back to Montreal and resuming training at Olympic Stadium, we believe that interest for the match will further increase. Sales could reach unexpected levels. ”


IMPACT TEAMS UP WITH THE EMSB FOR YEAR FOUR OF STAY-IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM

The Montreal Impact and the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) have announced Tuesday the continuation of the successful stay-in-school program called All the Way with the Impact (Jusqu’au Bout avec l’Impact), designed to promote the importance of persevering in school. In addition, the Impact has introduced a new partnership with the EMSB and UNICEF.

The official launch took place at Willingdon Elementary School in N.D.G and featured the presence of Impact president Joey Saputo, defender Adam Braz, as well team builder and former player Lloyd Barker.

For a second year, the All the way with the Impact tour is sponsored by the National Bank and has expanded to include other Montreal area school boards.

“The Montreal Impact is aware of the key role it can play in encouraging children to persevere and aim for excellence, both in the classroom and on the field,” said Joey Saputo. “Both our stay-in-school program and new awareness project on the right to play with UNICEF were designed to allow students to meet these objectives.”

EMSB Chair Angela Mancini applauded the initiative. “Players from the Impact serve as role models for our students,” she remarked. “Our experience over the past four years has been appreciated by everyone, from the school visits to the exciting games we attended. We can’t wait to do it all over again.”

Over the next few weeks, Barker will visit several EMSB elementary and secondary schools to discuss with kids the importance of staying in school and striving for excellence. He will also visit schools to talk about the right to play, promoting the importance of sport, play and leisure in the development of children in developing countries. Emphasis will be given to the importance of physical activity, as well as the values of respect, initiative-taking and cooperation, which are associated to play and sport.

As part of the partnership for the stay-in-school program, EMSB students have purchased tickets to the Impact’s historic CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal game against Club Santos Laguna of Mexico, Wednesday, February 25, 2009 (8 pm) at Olympic Stadium.

There will also be an EMSB Night at Saputo Stadium in Spring, at a date to be announced soon. The Impact will once again hold a special ceremony before the game, highlighting some of the most outstanding students, and bursaries will be awarded to the top students. These bursaries are named in honour of the late Tony Licursi, the longtime Impact statistician who died four years ago.

List of Impact school visits.

Thursday February 19, 2009
9:30 am
James Lyng High School (St. Henri) 5440 Notre Dame
UNICEF

Tuesday February 24
10:20 am to 11:40 am
Hampstead School, (Hampstead) 83 Thurlow

Wednesday Feb 25
12:45 pm to 2 pm
John Caboto (Ahuntsic), 8955 Meunier

Thursday Feb 26
10:15 am
Pierre Elliott Trudeau School (Rosemount) 6855 Cartier Street

Tuesday March 10, 2009
1:35 pm
Parkdale School (St. Laurent)1475 Deguire

Wednesday March 11, 2009
9:30 a,m
Honore Mercier (St. Leonard) 8280 Nantes

Thursday March 12, 2009
9:30 am to 11 am
St. Monica School (NDG), 6440 Terrebonne
UNICEF

Thursday March 19, 2009
10 am to 11:15 am
St Gabriel School (Pointe St. Charles) 600 Dublin
UNICEF

Wednesday March 25, 2009
10 am to 11:30 am
Michelangelo School (RDP) 9360 – 5th Street
UNICEF

Tuesday March 31, 2009
10 am
Pierre de Coubertin (St. Leonard), 4700 Lavoisier
UNICEF