After being cut by the Montreal Impact in 2011, French defender Kevin Hatchi had the chance to go back to Europe to resume his professional career. But, instead of heading home, he chose to stick it out and look for work in the country that he has grown to love.

Kevin Hatchi made the announcement on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, but FC Edmonton made it official on Thursday. The French defender has agreed to a one-year deal with the NASL club.

The club is not confirming that Hatchi is on his way — but the team’s training camp did open Monday. Director of soccer operations Joe Petrone confirmed today that “two or three” of the players cut by the Montreal Impact would likely come in for trial in the coming weeks.

Marc Dos Santos quit before he was pushed. The Montreal Impact announced Tuesday that Dos Santos has resigned his post as the team’s head coach. Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at FC Edmonton marked left the Impact with a shocking 2-7-3 record, good for second-last in the NASL.

Now that the Montreal Impact has made its major sponsorship announcement for the 2012 MLS season, it can begin the needed housecleaning. On Wednesday, the club announced that it has released French defender Kevin Hatchi, beginning the needed purge. In its final NASL season, the Impact has won just two of its first 10 games, both over FC Edmonton.

“We always have a good game against this team. I really liked it,” said Barbara, who has scored in every NASL game he’s played in this season and already set the RailHawks record for most goals in a season with nine. “Any game we play against Montreal could go either way. Right now I’m on a streak and everything is happening automatically. I could have got another hat trick today.” Reminded that the Impact is moving on up next season Barbara expressed his interest in doing the same thing. “I came here with the intention of not staying in this league. Although I love playing in Carolina my aim is always to play in a higher league. I hope to make an impact because I want to play in MLS.”

Projected to come out on the short end of a one-sided affair against the relentlessly offensive visiting Whitecaps, Marc Dos Santos’s pink and black-kitted crew surprised by showing far better ensemble play than they did on Saturday in its NASL game against Tampa Bay FC and made the game a close one, losing a 1-0 decision to Major League Soccer's Vancouver representative.

The Montreal Impact was hoping to record its first victory of the 2011 campaign over FC Tampa Bay in front of 13,000 fans this afternoon — but inclement weather kept the attendance down as the home team had to settle for a 0-0 draw in front of considerably fewer spectators. Near-freezing temperatures and winds that regularly gusted beyond 30km/h combined to make for an afternoon during which only the 36 media folk on the press gallery and the Ultras in section 114 — their drums banging, flags flying and vocal cords fraying — seemed to be immune. It was weather more appropriate to November than late April.

While the tornadoes that touched down in the Raleigh area earlier today may have kept some fans away from WakeMed Soccer Park, the weather did not put a damper on the Carolina RailHawks, who defeated the Impact 2-1, handing Montreal its second straight loss to open the NASL season.