Once again the fierce rivalry between the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC lived up to its billing.
Delayed more than half an hour because the Olympic Stadium grounds crew had to correct the lines of the 18-yard box — seriously — the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference final was riveting when it finally got underway, and that continued right to the final whistle.
In front of a raucous crowd of 61,000 at The Big O, Montreal stunned Toronto with a pair of goals within 12 minutes of kickoff and dominated the rest of the first half. After a third goal in the 52nd minute appeared to ice it for the Impact, the Reds stormed back with two tallies in a period of just five minutes in the second 45 to set up what should be an equally thrilling return match in Toronto next Wednesday.
Here are three thoughts on the Impact following Tuesday’s first leg…
Front three cause early havoc
The Impact hold a clear advantage despite a disappointing finish: they won. And much of the credit can go to dynamic forwards Ignacio Piatti, Dominic Oduro and Matteo Mancosu, who caused big problems for Toronto from the get-go.
With the game barely 10 minutes old, Canadian Patrice Bernier (more on him later) found Oduro with a spectacular through-ball that the Ghanaian, who was wide open down the right flank, latched onto and made no mistake in slotting past TFC ‘keeper Clint Irwin.
Oduro was at it again not three minutes later, collecting a sloppy Steven Beitashour clearance and finding Piatti on the left side of the newly-painted 18-yard box. Montreal’s leading scorer hit a cross right to the foot of Mancosu in the midst of four static Toronto defenders for his fourth of the playoffs for the Impact, who remain unbeaten when the 31-year-old Italian scores.
The good news for Montreal with a one-goal lead as the second leg looms is the combination of Piatti, Mancosu and Oduro was loads of trouble for TFC’s defence, especially in the first half. It’s a fact Impact coach Mauro Biello will not forget as Montreal looks to book its place in the MLS Cup.
Canadian veteran Bernier plays key role
As mentioned above, Bernier made an immediate impact on the game, assisting the first goal of the game thanks to a jaw-dropping pass to Oduro.
And the Canadian’s position in Montreal’s formation caused some problems for TFC early on in the game. Rather than playing deeper in the midfield as he had in previous playoff contests, Bernier started the East final higher up the pitch in conjunction with the Impact’s high-flying front three.
The change had its desired effect, TFC coach Greg Vanney admitted on the broadcast at the end of the first half, as the Reds’ three-back line of defence looked completely lost in the early going of the game and conceded twice before the paint had even dried.
When all was said and done, Bernier finished with a pair of key passes on 78 per cent passing with a pair of clearances and a tackle but had a much larger impact on the game than the stats will suggest.
Lapse in defending could prove costly
After making the most of a distinct home-field advantage and a shell-shocked Toronto FC in the first half, Montreal looked to have put the series away with a stunning individual effort from Ambroise Oyongo in the 53rd minute. But the Impact came a bit unravelled for a time late in the game and surrendered what could prove to be a pair of costly away goals.
Montreal defended quite well in the first 45, playing organized while frustrating Sebastian Giovinco and the rest of TFC’s attackers. The Impact absorbed pressure well and created chances with the dangerous counter-attack that Montreal has employed with devastating effect throughout the playoffs.
But the high pace earlier in the game clearly winded the Impact defenders in the later stages, as loose marking and tired defending in the box allowed Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley to each to score within five minutes of each other to bring TFC within a goal.
There were plenty of positives to take away from Tuesday’s showing, but the two late goals could spell trouble for Montreal as the series shifts to Toronto.