Montreal Impact says good bye to Champions League again...

Is it just me or since the Impact was a goal close to Concacaf Champions League semifinals in 2009, with the 55.000 fans in the Olympic Stadium, we now feel  no other Canadian club can honor the competition the same way? Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps know they have to make an exceptional continental campaign in order to be remembered the way Montreal is.

Well, last night we could enjoy how can a team with more than three times Montreal's salary budget could not score a goal, in their magic Empire Field, until minute 113 in the overtime. It was also nice to see Montreal playing as the underdogs and dominating ball possession, in the feet of ex-whitecap David Testo, during the first 30 minutes of the game. I admit I really enjoyed it.

At the end of 1st half, the Whitecaps started to explain why they compete in MLS. Davide Chiumiento, a player who back in 2003 substituted Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero in a UEFA Champions League match against Ajax, pulled Vancouver from all strings and set the attacking pace all over the terrain. Also Russel Teibert, young canadian sensation, helped the Caps bring the attack on the left flank creating all sorts of opportunities and forcing Montreal to the counter attack. On minute 83, after several non conclusive attempts of long balls crosses it was one aimed to Ali Gerba which led to Montreal's penalty kick after a challenge suffered in the zone. This tied the game in aggregate 1-1 and forced the overtime.

Overtime was almost one Vancouver monologue thanks to late substitution in of fresh legs Camilo who led the attack of the Caps. The young Brazilian received a foul very close to Montreal area, which led to Vancouver goal in overtime.

A dramatic finish, for those who always believe in miracles, was set by a fantastic play between Le Gall and Gerba ending with a diving header that hit the post, on minute 120. This would have meant a Montreal direct victory by outscoring the Whitecaps in visitors goals, but history was not on Impact's side that night.

I was very much satisfied with David Testo's performance in the first half. This is the midfield could led the Impact to big wins, but he needs the rest of the team to play more as a group in order to be more effective. I also liked the intensity of Lowery on the midfield, destroying every creation around him. But the best of the night was Nevio Pizzolito, very solid in the back, intimidating and keeping danger away Gaudette's net.

NCC will be another story next year and I hope the MLS fever here in Montreal does not overshadow the beauty of this cup.

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

The season is over for the Impact of Montreal. Thanks to the referee?

It's been a wild disappointing Sunday night in the NASL with 2 dramatic finishes in the 2nd leg of the semifinals.

The good news is that Vancouver lost! Come on!, don't say you are not a bit happy because our only Canada rival in NASL just did not make it either. Also, I think they hate us more than we do, specially for the Nutrilite cup 1-6 against Toronto.

The bad news, we lost the chance to go to the finals for a 2nd year in a row. I must say we only play good football the first half in Montreal. Since then, 2nd Half in Montreal Carolina could have won and they even score a legitimate goal that referee called back because it was offside (yes, we have to remember that), and the entire 90min in Cary, NC were mostly dominated by the Railhawks, at least the the ball movement towards the attack. Carolina played good football and never gave up, that is true.

Even though we know we were not deserving qualify to the finals, being eliminated in the 89min by an offside goal hurts deep in the heart. But it can kill you the fact that Montreal scored an "on side" goal in the 92min to pass to the finals and it was called back. Certainly this is like a horror movie, the same movie we saw in the 2nd leg of the Concacaf Champions League Quarterfinals against Santos Laguna, where we were up by 2 goals with 5min left and the Mexican team scored 2 goals to eliminate us.

We can judge ourselves the plays in the following link:

http://le12ejoueur.ca/2010/10/video-limpact-elimine-decisions-douteuses-de-larbitre/

The season is over and we still have one more year in the NASL before take the expected journey to the MLS. I hope we can have some work to expand the number of seats in Saputo stadium and start testing our attendance to the stadium before jumping to the big league. I recall several sold-out games this season, meaning we might be able to seat more than 13,200 fans if we complete the new terraces.

Impact draws in BC and gets a valuable point on the road last week

Line-up for the impact had some light changes, and one of them was leave Billy in the bench and use Donatelli from the beginning.

With a dynamic 1st time Whitecaps started with an offensive spirit led by Haber and Toure while the Impact showed a midfield engaged in defense.

The first clear occasion was a tricky header by Placentino from a center pass by Soares. In minute XX' came the play of the game where Donatelli in a heavily disputed midfield receives the ball and, Maradona like, stumbling and almost no looking give a quick release pass to an empty spot where Byers reached it in the area and beat Nolly to score a 5 stars goal. It was a great moment for Montreal in the game.

The Whitecaps brought danger in the feet of Marcus Haber with the most clear opportunity with a header but before finish the first half, Montreal had another chance thanks to Felipe Soares that was inches away of the net.

In the second half Ansu Toure brought chances for Vancouver thanks to his stamina and determination in long run that missed the target by little. Montreal still had more chances in a center pass ball headed by the captain Pizzolito which was stopped by Caps goalie.

Montreal was dominating the game and resisting Caps attack before Adam Braz ruined it with a immature defensive reaction in the area which caused the penalty, taken by Haber, that tied the game 1-1.

Montreal has to behave more professional if they want to achieve big things in the future ahead, especially in the MLS.