The Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1993, the team played in various leagues in the second tier of the United States soccer league system, beginning with the American Professional Soccer League. They later played in the A-League/USL First Division, the USSF D2 Pro League, and the North American Soccer League. Following the 2011 season, the Impact were replaced by a team of the same name which joined Major League Soccer in 2012.
Félix Brillant is a Canadian former soccer player.
David Testo is an American retired soccer player who, after his playing career ended in 2011, became the first male American professional player of that sport to come out as gay. Testo played professionally from 2003 to 2011, including two years in with the Columbus Crew from 2004 to 2005. He began his career with the Richmond Kickers, and also played for the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact before he was released by the Impact in 2011. He played collegiately for South Carolina and North Carolina.
Martin Nash is a Canadian soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of York United of the Canadian Premier League.
Joel John Bailey is a forward who last played for the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division. He played three seasons in Major Indoor Soccer League.
Charles Gbeke is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Born in Ivory Coast, he made three appearances for the Canada national team.
Sita-Taty Matondo is a Congolese-born Canadian former soccer player who played the majority of his career in Quebec with clubs in the Ligue de Soccer Elite Quebec, USL A-League/First Division, and Canadian Soccer League. He also played abroad in the Superettan, and represented Canada at the international level.
Marco Reda is a Canadian former soccer player who began his professional career in the USL A-League with the Toronto Lynx where he developed his skills as a solid defender. This led to his transfer to Europe to sign with Sogndal, where he would eventually have a tenure in Scandinavia for six years. Reda would return to Toronto, this time to sign with expansion franchise Toronto FC, and would conclude his career in the USL First Division. He also played at the indoor level in the National Professional Soccer League with the Toronto ThunderHawks in 2000–2001.
Eduardo Sebrango Rodríguez is a retired Cuban footballer.
Alex Surprenant is a Canadian soccer player currently unattached.
Daniel Antoniuk is an American soccer player who last played for the Tacoma Stars in the Major Arena Soccer League.
Peter Byers is an Antiguan footballer who plays professionally for SAP FC and the Antigua and Barbuda national team as a striker.
Evan William Bush is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.
Hicham Aâboubou is a Moroccan professional footballer who last played as a defender for FC Lanaudière in the Première Ligue de soccer du Québec.
The 2009 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the club's 24th year of existence, as well as their 17th and 2nd last year as a Division 2 club in the franchise model of US-based soccer leagues. Vancouver was officially named an MLS expansion city on March 18, 2009. Following the end of the 2010 season, the Whitecaps FC joined MLS, becoming the second Canadian club and 19th overall to enter the league.
The 2008 Vancouver Whitecaps season was the club's 23rd year of existence, as well as their 16th as a Division 2 club in the franchise model of US-based soccer leagues. With games against well supported MLS side Toronto FC in the Voyageurs Cup and local rival Seattle Sounders selling 22,000 season tickets for MLS in 2009, the Vancouver Whitecaps were marketed as one of the leading markets for a 2011 MLS expansion side. This included expanding the ownership to include Victoria, BC raised NBA star Steve Nash in July. The Division 1 MLS speculation along with the higher profile that came with public negotiations with Vancouver City Council and the Port of Metro Vancouver to develop the Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium gave a boost to media coverage and game attendances. The privately financed stadium, first proposed in 2006, appeared to be reaching its final government land use approvals in 2008.
The 2007 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the club's 22nd year of existence, as well as their 15th as a Division 2 club in the franchise model of US-based soccer leagues. After their championship 2006 season despite a number of lingering injuries, the Whitecaps started well and led the league going undefeated until late May. However, with the sudden departure to England of starting goalkeeper Tony Caig and unexpected early season loss of Serge Djekanovic to MLS, the Whitecaps had goalkeeping instability as they gave significant minutes to four goalkeepers in 2007. Combined with injuries, the club never recovered from the challenging schedule due to 2007 FIFA U-20 venue conflicts, the team finished 7th in the USL-1, set a club record twelve game streak without a win, subsequently executed a blockbuster four player trade of 2006 USL MVP Joey Gjertsen, and midfielder David Testo for role players Ze Roberto and Surrey, BC native Alen Marcina, and set a club record for number of draws with twelve. A run of games at home to end the season in seventh place and the resolution of injuries left the Whitecaps competitive in the second season of the playoffs. They lost a close playoff series to rival Portland Timbers with a 1–0 home leg getting overturned in a much closer than the score indicated 3–0 second leg loss to finish their disappointing season. Coach Bob Lilley was released at the end of the playoffs before the LA Galaxy friendly.
The 2006 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the club's 21st year of existence, as well as their 14th as a Division 2 club in the franchise model of US-based soccer leagues. 2006 was Bob Lilley's second season as head coach, and they started the season with many draws while the team sorted itself out. In the last ten games after some player additions, the Whitecaps lost only two of their last ten games. In the playoffs Vancouver went on a run as the fourth seed. They first had a play-in round series against Miami FC Blues and Romário before upsetting regular season champion or Commissioner's Cup winner and Canadian rival Montreal Impact with two second half of overtime goals in the second leg away in La belle province. The first goal scorer was Eduardo Sebrango, a striker out of favour in Montreal in 2005 that Vancouver signed in the off season. In the single championship game at the regular season runner-up Rochester Rhinos' new home, PAETEC Park, the Whitecaps scored via an own goal just before half time and then put the game out of reach with two more goals to win 0 – 3.
The 2005 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season was the club's 19th year of play, as well as their 13th as a Division 2 club in the franchise model of US-based soccer leagues. They played in the now defunct USL First Division which in 2005 was rebranded from A-League and was the highest level of Canadian club soccer. 2005 was Bob Lilley's first season as head coach after Tony Fonseca was released to take on the new District Development Centre Technical Director position with the BCSA. Under Tony Fonseca the Whitecaps had playoffs qualifications three straight years and advanced to the semifinals once. Part of the re-organization of BC youth soccer involved the Whitecaps expanding their youth program to ten Super Y League teams. The Whitecaps were one of only a few US or Canadian clubs with a complete youth system. MLS teams in 2005 did not have as extensive a club structure.
Montreal Impact 1–6 Toronto FC, often referred to as the Miracle in Montreal, was a soccer match played on June 18, 2009 at Saputo Stadium in Montreal, Quebec between Montreal Impact of the USL First Division and Toronto FC of Major League Soccer.
