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

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.


 

MLS week 1 - First Kick 2011.

Week 1 on the MLS. Lots of expectations created during the pre-season. 2 expansions teams which create the Northwestern rivalry between Seattle, Portland and Vancouver and also starts the Canadian rivalry against Toronto waiting the Montreal Impact in 2012. New designated players coming in like Omar Bravo (Kansas City), Eric Hassli (Vancouver). The last year in contract for Beckham, the first full season for Henry and Marquez.

The first kick started with LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders. Another sold out in Qwest field, 36.000 fans, never forget Premier league average attendance is 34,700.

Beckham with a new fresh air, very dangerous on free kicks and always delivering good passes. Donovan had a world class breakaway which ended in the post, but nothing else for the US star. Juninho an all around midfield who covers a lot of space and also has a dangerous long distance shot. Disappointing the debut from Chad Barret, Birchall, Dunivant, I really expected more from this guys, their presence make the Galaxy roster very uneven talent wise.

Seattle, they offer a very attractive football. But they don't give the expected results. It seems very unfair. I'm sure the Nkufo loss right before the game might have affected in the results, since they had to depend in O'Brian White, a slow skill-less guy who frustrated offensively Toronto fans last year.

I really had high expectations in watching Uruguayan international Matias Fernandez as starter after the departure of Nyassi to Colorado, but the charrua could not complete 63 minutes on the field and even he knew the substitution was deserved.

On the other side, I was very happy seeing Friberg on the first half, showing lots of determination and skills and for moments showed like the ideal partner for Alonso who still shows signs to be the best defensive mid in MLS.

Galaxy won 1 - 0 with a long distance goal from Juninho. Seattle insisted specially with Montero but Josh Saunders stopped every shot on goal.

A whole new season just started! Lets follow it together!



  

Real Madrid and the quest of a striker.

How can we make Karim Benzema behave like the striker and number 9 of the best team of the last century? Last season he passed almost undercover when competing the spot against the 16th season of Madrid idol Raul Gonzalez and a red hot campaign of Argentinian Gonzalo Higuain. I would not say it was understandable, because you don't pay 30MM Euros for a player that can't compete in the big leagues, but the organization gave him another chance this season, that is for sure. 

The 2010-2011 begins with a new Coach and without Raul, a good moment to forget past failure and reborn in the white house, but Higuain started as hot as he finished last season and Mourinho just did not count with the frenchman from September to November, only a few substitutions on the 80th minute. 


Since December, Higuain injured due to a herniated disk, Benzema has been used as the only striker available and therefore the expectations raised high about the ex Lyon. He scored 2 hatricks but in non-transcendent games and, rather than that, Karim unfortunately hasn't showed much, not hunger, not sacrifice nor results. 

Karim Benzema has had more chances in the starter line-up than any other striker in the last 10 years on Real Madrid. I Remember players like Samuel Etoo, Michael Owen, Portillo, Soldado, Huntelaar whose always fought a spot against superstars like Morientes, Ronaldo, Robinho, Van Nisteelroy. These strikers always delivered 110% during the few minutes on the pitch and even scored important goals as substitutes.


 The frenchman has only scored one important and elaborated goal, yesterday's goal, where we all start thinking "he finally broke the ice!, from now on we will see a better striker". But after the nice and skilled goal, he continue to miss the same opportunities he has been missing since he arrived in Madrid. 

Only one player has had a similar disappointing campaign as striker and he was Antonio Cassano, an attacker that never woke up and never delivered the quality the Bernabeu was looking for. I think Benzema is now on the same category.






So, can we say Karim Benzema is the striker Real Madrid needs to remain unbeaten for the rest of the season, to fight La Copa del Rey semifinals and Champions league Quarter finals? I would say no, but only Mourinho will know.