Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Montreal Impact's most important game of the season, tonight.


With the last season in second division on their way, not much attention or expectations are set so far for our football team, only a place in the Champions League will make 2011 a thriving experience for fans and that is why tonight is an acid test for the football in Montreal. The Impact is playing semifinals against Vancouver to gain only spot given to Canadian teams in the CONCACAF club's top competition.

MLS in 2012 will affect city's sports dynamic in many ways, some of them remain unknown, some of them are being borne now. Is not a secret that Montreal Impact, fans and players, are not 100% motivated to follow the last season in second division (NASL), and you can note it in the current league results where Impact is at the bottom of the table with only 1 point in 3 matches only above Atlanta Silverbacks. You can also note it in the media, where you have only heard about Montreal football when MLS commissioner Don Garber came to the Belle Province for 3 or 4 days.

Even the fans, everybody is saving their energies for MLS next season, it seems like this season does not exist.

Well, I have news for Montrealers which have the desire to become a football fan when MLS enters next year. A great MLS team will come tonight to Saputo Stadium, the Vancouver Whitecaps and they are not coming for an exhibition game, they come to beat the Impact in order to pass and play the finals against Toronto FC.

Eric Hassli in Vancouver game opener
For those who still do not follow MLS, the Whitecaps are one of the most exciting teams in the league in the first 6 weeks, featuring players with UEFA champions league experience like Eric Hassli or Davide Chiumiento , young Latin American promises like Camilo Sanvezzo and Omar Salgado and key players of the successful US National Team with English league experience like Jay DeMerit . I know, they are not David Beckham or Thierry Henry but they bring tons of quality to north American football and they are the players that are making MLS an exciting league.



I hope many people come with me tonight to Saputo stadium and support the Impact at 8:00pm.

For more info, you can read the following:

CKAC preview (French)
Pascal Milano preview (French)
Canada Soccer 
Le 12ejoueur

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Big night for Madrid in Champions League.




It's prime time Tuesday afternoon for us in America when the UEFA Champions league 4er finals starts and from the first time in 7 years the most recognized team in the history of the Competition, The Real Madrid, makes his appearance.


I haven't feel this way in a long long time. Always remembering the last time Los Merengues were in quarter-finals beaten by the AS Monaco of Didier Deschamps, Fernando Morientes and Manu Adebayor with 1 more away goals. It was devastating and the beginning of the end of the Galactic era.

By that time, Fernando Morientes was traded to Monaco the previous year because he did not have spot in the galactic bench and tonight we see Rafael Van Der Vart in the same position, having and extraordinary season in Tottenham hotspur and coming back to Santiago Bernabeu to show he is a top class midfielder and should not have received such a treatment being traded.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, Di Maria and Kaka are coming back from injuries and it seems Mourinho does not want to miss a star in his do or die match tonight. Are the ready? we don't know, but we are sure Mou does not want to be criticized for excluding them.

Tottenham also have many players on injury problems, but fortunately stars Garreth Bale and Aaron Lennon will start but bafana bafana capitain Steven Pienaar won't be able to play.

We will see if Jose Mourinho spell in European competitions will help Los Merengues this year. Well, all set for first leg between Real Madrid FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC for TSN and RSN in Canada.