Montreal coach: We can't give Timbers 'a glimmer of hope'

Impact, Portland in fierce playoff battle going into Saturday's game at PGE Park

By Tony Schick

The Portland Tribune, Aug 14, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

The Portland Timbers’ next game against the Montreal Impact seems to get more important every day.

With Montreal’s 1-0 win over Rochester on Wednesday, the Impact and Timbers are tied for eighth place – and only the top seven teams will make the playoffs in the United Soccer Leagues First Division.

So Saturday’s 7 p.m. Portland-Montreal game at PGE Park should be a fierce battle.

Both franchises are historically high finishes, and both were expected to have performed much better this year. The Impact (7-9-4) have missed the playoffs only three times since their inception in 1993 and been first in the league five times.

“By no means is this a franchise that is happy with how the team has been playing this year,” Montreal coach John Liamniatis says. “We are always one of the top teams.”

Montreal has won its last two games, though, having topped Carolina 2-0 on Aug. 8.

“We started off not very well, and that was frustrating,” Liamniatis says. “But now we’re playing all the teams – Carolina, Rochester, Portland – that we’re battling for spots for the playoffs. And we’re faring well so far. The beginning of the season was tough, but now we’re doing a lot better, I think.”

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