In case you missed it, here are the highlights from Wednesday’s Amway Canadian Championship final first leg.
The result
The Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps played to a 0-0 draw at Stade Saputo in a chippy and physical opening leg, leaving the tie completely to play for in the return fixture on May 29 in Vancouver. While the Whitecaps will be happy to not have conceded on the road, they’ll return home knowing that a draw result that produces goals would be good enough to see the Impact be crowned champions of Canada.
The day’s main talking points:
1. Whitecaps defend with gusto: Vancouver has struggled to earn victories on the road since joining MLS, so it was hardly a surprise to see coach Martin Rennie field such a defensive lineup. The Whitecaps’ intention was to get out of Montreal without conceding a goal and they achieved that. What was surprising was the changes Rennie made to his starting 11, foremost among them being midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker slotting in at right back. Also, centre back Brad Rusin was deployed as a holding midfielder and left back Alain Rochat filled in on the left side of midfield. Fullbacks Y-P Lee and Rochat have looked poor in recent MLS matches, so Rennie took a bit of a gamble in Montreal and changed things up, hoping that his personnel switches would result in a clean sheet. And he had to have been happy with the results. Reo-Coker looked hardly looked out of place on the back line, and Rusin did a very good job of protecting the back four, making central defender Andy O’Brien’s job a bit easier. Although the Impact dominated possession (over 66 per cent) they rarely threatened to open up Vancouver. Over all, the Whitecaps did a good job of limiting Montreal’s scoring chances, and kept Marco Di Vaio in check for most of the game.
2. Physical affair: These teams don’t like each other. That much was made clear Wednesday night. A testy and physical affair saw the Impact and Whitecaps combine for 35 fouls, and referee Silviu Petrescu hand out four yellow cards – three alone to the Impact in the first half. How ugly did it get? So ugly that even Di Vaio got in on the action, earning a caution for a foul on Mark Watson. Both Hassoun Camara and Collen Warner earned yellow cards for ugly challenges in the first half, but that didn’t seem to slow them down as they walked a fine line, refusing to whither when it came time to get stuck into a tackle. Things became so heated that Montreal coach Marco Schallibaum exchanged words with Whitecaps assistant coach Paul Ritchie on the sidelines after the Impact earned three yellow cards in a span of seven minutes.
3. Canadian content: Though the Whitecaps came to Montreal to defend, there were a few moments of attacking inspiration provided by young Canadian Russell Teibert. Coming off a two-goal performance in MLS on the weekend, Teibert caused some moments of worry for Montreal’s defence, using his speed to get sight of goal, only to be let down by some poor finishing. The Impact’s Patrice Bernier had another strong game; the veteran Canadian marshalled a sturdy Montreal midfield that really pressed the Vancouver defence for the final 15 minutes. It was nice to see Canadian talent shine in this tournament. It hasn’t always happened in the past – both the Whitecaps and Impact have fielded starting lineups that didn’t include a single Canadian international. But Teibert has really impressed this season and has earned his spot in Rennie’s lineup, while Bernier continues to be one of the best midfield generals in MLS. That they were given a chance to show off their considerable talents in this Canadian showcase reflects well on Montreal and Vancouver.
Facts and stats
– Vancouver leads the Canadian championship series over Montreal with three wins, four draws and two losses since 2008.
– The Impact are undefeated in seven home games this season, with five wins and two draws (including one win in this tournament).
– Montreal striker Marco Di Vaio needs one goal to tie the record for most goals in a single tournament, held by Dwayne De Rosario (2009) and Maicon Santos (2011) with three.
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Save of the day
In the 32nd minute, Mark Watson stripped Collen Warner of possession on the edge of the box. The ball fell to Alain Rochat who unleashed a powerful shor, forcing a reflex one-handed save from Impact goalkeeper Evan Bush.
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Tweet of the day
And the problem when the yellows come out too quickly, is players starting falling a little easily.
— Nick Sabetti (@Nick_Sabetti) May 16, 2013
Burning questions
Who will feel better about this 0-0 draw going into the second leg: Montreal or Vancouver?
Will the teams employ the same tactics in the return leg in Vancouver?
If Alessandro Nesta is fit, will he play for Montreal in Vancouver? Or will coach Marco Schällibaum rest him and continue to save him for MLS play?
3 stars
1) Andy O’Brien: The Whitecaps centre-back put in a marvellous performance, cutting out balls played into the box and making timely tackles that stifled the Impact attack.
2) Justin Mapp: He was the Impact’s most dangerous player, running at defenders off the wing and creating chances for teammates. He also made an important goal-line clearance in the first half.
3) Nigel Reo-Coker: The Englishman was a revelation at right back, providing O’Brien with plenty of support to anchor the back line.
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