TORONTO – As Didier Drogba walked off the pitch on Wednesday night—perhaps for the last time ever, as a player—confetti rained down.
It could’ve been a fitting tribute for one of the legends of the game, but the celebration, of course, was for members of Toronto FC, who beat Drogba and the Montreal Impact in extra time to become the first Canadian team ever to advance to the MLS Cup final.
If it was the Chelsea legend’s final game, Drogba wasn’t prepared to make the announcement after the loss. The 38-year-old, who said last week that he won’t be back with the Impact next season, didn’t speak to media after the game.
“Guys are down in the dressing room,” said Impact head coach, Mauro Biello. “It’s gruelling out there. It was a tough team and a lot of emotions in playoffs and a long season. In the end the players did everything, all the way to the end.”
Added Biello: “We were close. We were right there.”
And the thing is, few expected Montreal to be. The fifth seed in the East, they slayed some giants to get to this conference final, including the No. 1 seed from New York. And after a 3-2 win at home in Montreal in the first of this two-game aggregate series against Toronto, they were in the driver’s seat, so to speak, heading into Game 2 at BMO Field. A tie would’ve meant they were moving on to the final for the first time in franchise history.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think anybody expected us to be here,” said Impact keeper, Evan Bush. “We’re certainly proud of getting to this point and it’s disappointing that we couldn’t finish the job and get to the MLS Cup, but I think we’ll look back on it with a favourable outlook.”
Montreal even struck first in Game 2, in the 24th minute, after Matteo Mancosu beat a couple defenders and threaded a pass to Dominic Oduro, who placed the ball nicely in the bottom left corner and managed to silence the 36,000 fans here—a record for a TFC game, due to the expanded stands from the Grey Cup—for about a couple seconds.
But the “TFC!” chants started right back up.
And TFC stormed back with two goals before the half was over. In the second half, when Impact captain Ignacio Piatti made it 2-2 in the 53rd minute, Montreal was again minutes away from a ticket to the final.
“It felt like it was in our grasp with about 15 minutes left there, to find the winner,” Bush said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”
No, TFC struck again to make it 3-2 and force overtime. And goals two minutes apart at the 98th and 100th minute meant this one was over. TFC players were even celebrating at the sidelines after that fifth goal, despite the fact there were more than 15 minutes to play.
This one was chippy, too. Jersey grabbing, flying elbows, you name it.
“We played these guys seven times this year, which in itself is a bit ridiculous,” Bush said. “You play a team three times and there’s gonna be tension on the field. You play a team seven times, there’s no surprise, there’s animosity from previous games and stuff like that.
“I thought we handled it well—we got the first goal, and the first goal was an important one to get. But it’s only important if you don’t give up five.”
Of the seven goals TFC scored in this series, five were headers. “That in itself is probably the series in a nutshell,” Bush said.
Three of TFC’s five goals Wednesday came off of corner kicks and other set pieces, which Biello called “the difference.”
“It’s a tough moment for sure for everyone, when you’re so close and falling short,” Biello said. “But in the end, we’ll be back and we’ll be even stronger.”
Drogba entered the game at the 73rd minute, subbing in for Matteo Manusco, who took his starting job earlier this season. He had one good scoring chance, off a free kick, but it was one of 14 shots TFC goalie Clint Irwin stopped in the winning effort.
Bush said despite the fact Drogba won’t be back next season, in his time in Montreal, he has made a lasting impression.
“He’s an outstanding person first and foremost,” Bush said. “He’s an amazing player, he’s one of the legends of the game for sure, especially this generation, so to have a guy like him be in our locker room and guide some of the guys, whether it’s a younger guy or a guy like Patrice Bernier, he’s one of the older guys, he had an impact on everybody.
“I don’t think that impact’s gonna leave when he’s gone.”