Montreal Impact News Release - www.montrealimpact.com

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

MONTREAL, QUE -- Greg Sutton will not be back with the Montreal Impact next season. The 29-year-old goalkeeper, who was still under contract with Montreal until 2008, was transferred to Major League Soccer (MLS) Tuesday. The club for which he will play has not been announced yet.

“It’s always hard to see a player like Greg go but on the other hand, it’s part of the reality of soccer,” said Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo. “We were able to count on his precious services for the past six seasons and he was ready for a new challenge. Out of respect for what he has accomplished with us over the years, we agreed to negotiate with Major League Soccer.”

“This isn’t the first time that teams have expressed interest in Greg and it’s normal because of everything he has done in our league,” said Montreal Impact head coach Nick De Santis. “In these situations, we have to take into consideration what is best for the club as well as the player’s aspirations. Given the context, I think everyone is pleased with the agreement.”

Last season with the Impact, Sutton started 14 games and boasted a record of six wins, four losses and four ties, keeping a goals against average of 0,500, earning him the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award for the fourth straight season. He allowed seven goals in 1,260 minutes of play, and registered nine shutouts.

Sutton missed half the season due to a fractured left index finger, June 11, and was replaced in the lineup by goalkeeper Andrew Weber, who went on to win the Impact’s Unsung Hero Award.

Acquired from the now-defunct Cincinnati Riverhawks in 2001, Sutton was the starting goalkeeper when the Montreal Impact won the 2004 league championship, beating the Seattle Sounders 2-0. That year, he was named league MVP and the club’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Picked on the first All-League team for four straight years (2003 to 2006), he holds the club record for all-time regular-season career shutouts (67), wins (72), games played (132) and minutes played (12,309).