Article content continued

“We had our backs against the wall, and the one goal scored that day happened to be by Martin Nash, who pinched between the centre back and our goalkeeper. We talk about it now.

“He went on after that game to join the Whitecaps, while it was my last professional game as a player. I then went onto my coaching pathway, and he kept on playing. But the circle then brought us together.”

Indeed, here they are with Cavalry, hoping to get the better of what is a second incarnation of the Impact.

It’s one Nash starred for in his one-year stint with the club that eventually folded in 2011 after a single season in the North American Soccer League.

The Impact have since re-emerged under the private ownership of the Saputo family as an MLS squad.

This season, it’s a mid-table club, hoping to stave off the aggressive advances of the CPL’s top team, the Cavs, in what’s setting up to be an intriguing Canadian Championship series.

The winner moves on in the ‘Battle of the North’ tournament to play either the MLS Toronto FC or the Ottawa Fury, of the USL Championship, in the final round of the nation’s challenge for the right to represent Canada in the CONCACAF Champions League next season.

“Montreal’s a fantastic club, even back in the days I was there,” said Nash of his one-and-only season with the Impact in 2003. “They built an amazing team and an amazing stadium. They’ve got great ownership. And yeah … it’ll be nice to go back.”

Wheeldon Jr., of course, is hoping for a better result than the last time he took the field against the Montreal side.