If we could use some of that vanishing spray from Brazil 2014 to remove the 1999 A League Season which was spent in Raleigh, North Carolina as the Impact sat out an outdoor season - Saturday afternoons league match at home to arch rival Toronto FC will represent the first time in over two decades the Montreal Impact will take to a football pitch without Nick De Santis leading from the front. Who would have known that when he was signed by the club for its inaugural 1993 season, De Santis would go on to carve out for himself one of the most distinguished careers, on and off the pitch in North American soccer history. Ask yourself now, who else comes to mind? Exactly. Through his tenures as player, player/assistant coach, head coach, GM and Sporting Director - outside of an MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions League title, De Santis has been a winner. Seen it all too. Many tag De Santis as the Face of the Organization. He was much more than that. De Santis is both the face and force of the Impact. Driven, possessing of an unbridled competitive spirit -- like very few others ever to take to the pitch in North America -- and with an overriding passion, will and determination to succeed, De Santis was loved by many and loathed by others. Even the Dalia Lama has his detractors. De Santis left an impression, not always favourable with whomever he came into contact with. Like a few others that come to mind across world football, De Santis could spark a furious debate in a phone booth. The man cared. Like no other I have seen in all my years, from those early, Impact incubating days sitting in the empty stands over at Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard right on through the clubs entire history. Relieved of his duties in midweek - a vast chasm and gap just like the abundance of pot holes and sink holes which define Montreal these days now exists over at Saputo Stadium. Everyone might be replaceable, as the old adage goes, but these are mighty big shoes to fill. Just as in 2006 when Mike Moretto left the club, it will take two people to fulfill the roles De Santis did. We got our first indication De Santis was on thinner ice during the clubs 2013 post-mortem last November when Joey Saputo announced that from now on, his Sporting Director and dear friend, would now solely focus on the senior team. As the winter turned to spring and now in the midst of deep summer with defeats forming like an iceberg, that thin ice De Santis was skating on slowly ebbed and flowed away. De Santis, as he has done throughout his entire career, went down fighting. From some ex-teammates and coaches through to certain sections of the supporter base and media, there will be those who will take a form of pleasure in his demise. Rivals and foes formed over two decades wont though. The very best definition I have of the Saputo/De Santis relationship comes from an old teammate who once described it to me in very simple terms. "Nick is Joeys confidence." Confidant, Counsel and Consciousness, not many football club owners are fortunate enough to have such a relationship and conduit. Saputo could always count on De Santis. Make no mistake; the De Santis DNA touched in some way, shape or form all aspects of the club on and off the pitch. These past few months could not have been easy for Saputo as he slowly realised De Santis time was up and the president had to face up to the inevitable. He had to let go of the man who he walked stride in stride with for nearly half of his entire life. Not only in the professional sense, but as crucially in the family, and personal sense as well. Anyone who has been fortunate, as I have over the years, to attend and witness the likes of pre-season team introduction events, post-season banquets through to the Saputo Stadium ground breaking ceremony and inaugural weekend, let alone the championship matches and other defining football moments, knows De Santis commands the love and respect of the extended Saputo family. Saputos apt choice of word Wednesday morning, "relieved when announcing De Santis had paid the price, likely also best describes how Saputo himself felt. The inner anguish, the personal and professional turmoil the Impacts president has suffered through these past few months especially, was finally at an end. De Santis time with the club though is not. Announced to become part of the clubs administration in as yet undefined role is only right and fitting. Two things immediately spring to mind. The first was in June 2008 when it was announced De Santis was let go as head coach but was appointed as GM - someone in the media questioned why he had been promoted. Saputo let it be known right there, De Santis would always be a part of the club. The other occasion was down on the pitch in October 2009 shortly after the Impact had clinched their third playoff title. Live on the radio I put it to De Santis – youve won it as a player, a coach and now as GM when will you win it as President? "Lets not talk about that, lets just enjoy this moment," was his deadpan response. A place in the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame awaits. As a club tribute, a statue of De Santis should grace Saputo Stadium. To be placed just outside the players entrance. After two decades of football service the local lad from east end St Michel might be gone from the pitch, but he will not ever be forgotten. Je me souviens. Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Montreal Impact Vs Toronto FC live on TSN690 [TSN690.ca] Saturday. Kick Off 5:00pm – Brian Wilde [@BrianWilde] and Grant Needham [@GrantNeedham] with your call. Asics Shoes Online Australia . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W. Asics Shoes Sale Australia . -- A year ago, Flavia Pennetta was close to retiring from tennis. http://www.cheapaustraliaasics.com/. However, Jim Popp isnt sure how long hell be able to admire wide receiver Duron Carter. Asics Shoes Australia Cheap . Canadas 5-1 loss to Finland in the semifinal ranks as the tournaments most-watched game with a record 2.7 million viewers, the largest ever for a World Juniors game played outside of North America, and winning Saturday as the most-watched program on Canadian television. Asics Shoes Australia Sale .35 million. The right-hander had agreed last February to a deal that pays him $3.775 million this year and allows him to earn an additional $225,000 in bonuses based on games finished.ST. LOUIS -- Bosnia-Herzogovina made its second appearance in St. Louis in six months. This time, it gave its large, raucous local fan base plenty to cheer about. Edin Dzeko scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Friday night in the run-up to the countrys first World Cup appearance. "We knew they were going to be a powerful team with good pace and they showed that," goalkeeper Asmir Begovic said. "It was a good test for us to play against a good team and we enjoyed it." Its estimated more than 30,000 Bosnians relocated to St. Louis from the former war-torn Yugoslavia, and the games have provided an opportunity to display national pride. Argentina shut out the national team 2-0 in November across downtown at Busch Stadium. "It was the engagement, Im happy with the way they were involved in the game," coach Safet Susic said through an interpreter. "The last time they left disappointed, not in the result, in the way they played." Long-time Ivory Coast standout Didier Drogba scored on a free kick in the 91st minute. The 36-year-old Drogba did not start but had another good scoring chance after entering in the second half. "The coach needs to see everyone before he makes his decisions," Drogba said. "I feel good. I was working out, I was injured a few weeks ago and I worked hard to come back to fitness. Im pretty happy with what Im doing at the moment." Drogba was almost apologetic about getting the free kick, said it was "not a good reason." The attendance was 14,101, less than half thee turnout for the Argentina match and more than 50,000 shy of capacity at the Edward Jones Dome while the Cardinals-Giants game was sold out.dddddddddddd Virtually all of the fans were near field level and Bosnian supporters concentrated behind the net defended by team in the first half did their best to make up for the low numbers, chanting and singing songs to an incessant drum beat. Fans hurled numerous smoke bombs and some flares, too, in the vicinity of Ivory Coast goalkeeper Sylvain Gbouhouo in the second half. Gbouhouo tossed them aside when he had the chance while clouds accompanied by an acrid odour hung over the pitch. "It is something which is normal for us, for our supporters," Susic said. "We have had more." A grass field at the dome, where the Rams play on field turf, was installed earlier in the week for the game. Crews began digging it out a little more than an hour after the game ended. Dzeko, a striker for Manchester City and Bosnias top offensive threat, scored 10 of the countrys 30 goals in World Cup qualifying. Dzeko had an empty net in the 17th minute after an Ivory Coast defender blocked a shot by Zvjezdan Misimovic. He corralled a hard pass from Miralem Pjanic in the 53rd minute and scored just inside the left post. Bosnian forward Vedad Ibisevic, who played at Saint Louis University, was a reserve and entered in the 60th minute. Susic said Ibisevic didnt start because he didnt want two offensive players at forward. Next week, Bosnia plays Mexico in Chicago and Ivory Coast plays El Salvador in Frisco, Texas. ' ' '