Almost anyone who visits Montreal is well aware of the city’s obsession with hockey, in particular their hometown Canadiens. While the NHL has long been a fixture of the local sports scene, there have been several other professional leagues which have attempted to make a go of it in this hockey-mad culture. The Montreal Expos spent many years in Quebec as a Major League Ball Franchise, and the Canadian Football League has also tried hard to establish a presence on Montreal.
Professional soccer is not nearly as popular in North America as it is in Europe. However, Montreal does have a significant representation of cultures where soccer is revered as the sport of choice. As a result the Montreal Impact were formed in 1993 to compete in the American Professional Soccer League.
Early success, early frustration
The Montreal Impact were able to post impressive numbers during their short run in the APSL. In 1997, they moved on to the A-League, which was eventually renamed the USL First Division. The team was fielded every year between 1993 and 2008, with the exception of 1999. Due to their success in the various leagues, with championship seasons coming in 1994 and 2004, the team has attracted attention from the media and soccer executives alike. This has led to talk that the Impact may be interested in joining Major League Soccer, one level up from their current competition and the pinnacle of North American Soccer. This would make them only the second Canadian franchise in the league. In order for the franchise to make the move up, the owners would have to pay a significant fee, as well as increase the seating size of their stadium by almost 50 percent.
Presence in the city
The Montreal Impact play at Stade Saputo, which is located near the Olympic Stadium in Montreal’s east end. It is capable of holding 13 000 spectators. Saputo is a major Quebec business concern, primarily known for their food products. The stadium was actually built privately by the Saputo family to the tune of 14 million dollars, demonstrating their incredible love for soccer.
Despite the championships and the new stadium, (it was built in 2007), the Impact have a very low profile in Montreal. While soccer continues to be popular amongst children and teenagers as a youth activity, on a professional level it does not attract nearly as much attention as the Canadiens or even the poorly supported, now defunct Montreal Expos. It is rare to see anyone sporting an Impact jersey or any other piece of branded merchandise while walking down the street in Montreal, and media coverage of the sport is limited.
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