Ryan Johnston

Follow TFC and the Champions League with Twitter. I will update from training, on match day and whenever news breaks.

TORONTO -- Montreal Impact coach Marc Dos Santos insists that the fortunes of his club in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship rest on membership in to Major League Soccer, and until that day his luck with officials will not change.

Dos Santos was quick to draw attention to the lack of "courage" shown by Canadian referee Paul Ward in Montreal's 2-0 defeat to Toronto FC on Wednesday night at BMO Field.

"One day this competition will have three teams in MLS and then I think referees will have more pride and be more courageous," Dos Santos explained. "I think when you see Player X or Y fall, the official might not call it.

But when you see (Toronto's) De Rosario or de Guzman fall, he is going to call it right away."

In the three years of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship's existence, games between the sporting-rich rivals have gained a reputation for being feisty. The latest meeting was no different; four yellow card cautions, one red card and a trip to the hospital for Reds defender Ty Harden before the first half was over.

The flash-point came in the 35th minute when Impact forward Roberto Brown was shown a straight red for what replays showed to be a punch to the face of defender Nick Garcia.

"I didn't see the play," Dos Santos confirmed. "If I see it and it is a sure red card then I will sit down with the player ... and he will be in trouble."

Impact captain Nevio Pizzolitto said the incident was brewing between the two players and that his request to the linesman to keep an eye on the situation went unheeded.

"I saw him and Garcia going at it on a free kick. I was telling the linesman to look at it, it didn't happen and the next play it got heated and that is what happens," Pizzolitto said.

Until the sending off, Dos Santos felt his club was the better team, but playing 55 minutes down a player in a game where he felt the 50/50 calls were not going his way made the already difficult task of playing in Toronto even more daunting.

"You need personality in life, if not, then it is not for you," Dos Santos added. "Just because you have the FIFA tag (on the shirt), come on, it is not enough."

Toronto coach Preki was more favourable in his assessment of the referee's work on the evening, and judged the validity of the red-card based on what he learned form his trainer.

"I thought he did a good job. We lost two players and I have to see the replay on Garcia's foul and red card, but he was down and my trainer said he was out for a while," Preki said. "If a guy is down and out, something happened out there."

The six-game Nutrilite tournament continues every Wednesday until June 2 when a winner will be determined by overall points.

Toronto will face Montreal at Saputo Stadium on May 12.

"There is a lot of feistiness against Montreal, and when they get in to the league that will be our rival," said Chad Barrett, who got the Reds' second goal in the win. "Next time I wish we would just play soccer and show we are the classier team."