matthew Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Am I the only one dreading having to listen to Lloyd Barker and Gerry Dobson tonight? It's bad enough that we had to listen to Barker praise Jonathan DeGuzman throughout the World Cup, but when it comes to the Champions League he has zero idea what he's talking about. Which is a problem when you've been hired as a pundit. Somehow the Montreal Gazette gave him a column and yesterday he wrote about Alajuelense danger men Johan Ulloa and Jose Picado. The only problem is that their named are Johan Venegas and Jose Ortiz. So fine, he got confused with Spanish naming customs (though I eagerly await him writing 'Lionel Cuccittini' from Barcelona), but the bigger issue is that it's clear he has no idea who these guys actually are. He's never seen them play, isn't aware that Venegas scored in Costa Rica's 3-3 draw and Uruguay in the fall and just looked up who scored in their recent matches. Sportsnet tries to hype up a Champions League semifinal (as they should) and yet their on-air people don't put in any work to learn about what they're going to call. That might seem a little harsh, but after their performance in the return leg from Pachuca (where I felt like they were almost trolling their audience), it feels justified. The most remarkable of their errors that night included Gerry not understanding the formation Pachuca played in either leg, not knowing who Walter Ayovi was, nor having the first clue where he was playing and constantly calling players of a different ethnicity Ayovi, them mentioning that one of Pachuca's most influential players, Jorge Hernandez, had been signed earlier in the week and they were surprised he was playing!? when the resting of the three-year veteran in leg 1 should have been a major talking point. Anyway, you get the point, but I needed to vent as Sportsnet seems to be actually getting worse at covering the domestic game in this country. I wish the Impact well, I think Toia is going to have his hands full with Venegas and I expect Alajuelense to try to spring Ortiz and McDonald and use their pace to counter quickly, so the central defenders and Reo-Coker and Donadel are going to have to be aware. On the other hand, I think if they play Oduro out wide in place of Mapp he could have a good go at the left back Peralta. It'll be interesting to see what Tissot can do if he ends up out there instead. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamiltonfan Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 1 - 0 MTL - 10 mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamiltonfan Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 2 - 0 MTL - 14 Min This is beautiful. Montreal is looking very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shermanator Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Good for the Impact, but from my standpoint, it's hard to get really excited about this if the Impact continue to have their Canadians riding the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shermanator Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 And as soon as I type that, Tissot enters the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baulderdash77 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 How many people are in the stands? It sounds very good on TV. The Big O is amazing when it's rocking. Tissot is starting the 2nd half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baulderdash77 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Montreal is playing a 4-1-4-1 to start the 2nd half which is an interesting tactical change. I do like their possession style of play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1996 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Ok calm down now regarding Dobson and Barker they are not the best but come on not as bad as you make them out to be, the most overrated play by play guy in Canada is Nigel Reed, but because of his English accent people think he is the real deal but talk about being uninformed about what he is talking about and he makes Barker look like a genius! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baulderdash77 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 So with 33,675 people in attendance this is the 5th highest CONCACAF Champions league game attendance which is why it sounds so good. 4 of the 5 highest attendance games are in Canada. If Montreal makes the final I would expect a sellout next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red and White Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 So with 33,675 people in attendance this is the 5th highest CONCACAF Champions league game attendance which is why it sounds so good. 4 of the 5 highest attendance games are in Canada. If Montreal makes the final I would expect a sellout next time. I personally couldn't find a source that confirms them, but those numbers should not be understated or brushed aside. There's appetite for properly run and well marketed footy in Canada. Concacaf doesn't even do a great job with its CL, yet Canada has shown up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFC07 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 So with 33,675 people in attendance this is the 5th highest CONCACAF Champions league game attendance which is why it sounds so good. 4 of the 5 highest attendance games are in Canada. If Montreal makes the final I would expect a sellout next time. Who's one number? Well played, Montreal. Good game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Don't look now but actual Canadians played for the Canadian team in CCl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Good god John Molinaro at least pretend to be an impartial journalist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Alajuelense coach is correct that the ref missed a crucial penalty, in the sense that usually that penalty would be given in CONCACAF. A single tear rolls down my cheek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 What a great game! Well played. I am surprised I am finding myself supporting Montreal so much. Though after the game I had a thought... what if they win this bloody thing? What kind of crap are Montreal fans gonna talk to TFC fans? "You haven't made it to the playoffs AND you haven't even won a Champions League!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 ^ Crap to TFC fans? I am as big a TFC fan as there is and I want Montreal to win it for Canada! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baulderdash77 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 There was a thread on Big Soccer. They announced the attendance on the TV broadcast as 33,675 tonight. Going into tonight here is the list: 1. 55,571 - Montreal v. Santos Laguna - February 25, 2009 - Canada 2. 47,658 - Toronto v. Los Angeles - March 7, 2012 - Canada 3. 43,000 - America v. Saprissa - March 4, 2015 - Mexico 4. 38,104 - Montreal v. Pachuca - March 3, 2015 - Canada 5. 33,667 - Monterrey v. Santos Laguna - May 1, 2013 - Mexico 6. 33,000 - Monterrey v. Morelia - March 13, 2012 - Mexico 7. 32,810 - UANL v. Seattle - March 6, 2013 - Mexico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Hell will freeze over and the Impact are going to win CCL. You heard it here first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aloyol Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Alajuelense coach is correct that the ref missed a crucial penalty, in the sense that usually that penalty would be given in CONCACAF. A single tear rolls down my cheek. Mtl played well but that should ve been a pk at the end. Soumare was lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonte Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Don't look now but actual Canadians played for the Canadian team in CCl. I have to point out that Alajuelense played 14 Costa Rica players tonight. I'm not trying to be negative, just food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrock Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Apples and Oranges. You do realize Alajualense is almost 100 years old and Costa Rica has had its own league since 1921? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I have to point out that Alajuelense played 14 Costa Rica players tonight. I'm not trying to be negative, just food for thought. Oh believe me, I was being 100% snide and sarcastic. On the other hand wishing there were more Canadians who could start that game doesn't make them magically exist, or leave Besiktas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtlfan Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 So with 33,675 people in attendance this is the 5th highest CONCACAF Champions league game attendance which is why it sounds so good. 4 of the 5 highest attendance games are in Canada. If Montreal makes the final I would expect a sellout next time. If they make the final they will play on either April 22 or 29th and therefore play at Stade Saputo 20,000+ capacity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014%E2%80%9315_CONCACAF_Champions_League The Ultras did get through to the crowd last night but nothing compared to what they provide at Saputo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xabuep2 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 The second leg of the final will be played in Montreal , if Impact quailifies. wouldn' t be much better to play that historical game in front of 60.000 people in the big Owe , than in Saputo ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonte Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Apples and Oranges. You do realize Alajualense is almost 100 years old and Costa Rica has had its own league since 1921? Boy, I hope I live to 136 years old, so I can see a Montreal Impact team that plays 14 Canadians! (Edit :Sorry if that came us as snide, but in other words, what's your point? I was just making an interesting observation...impressed with Costa Rican football lately, huge win for Montreal, but I wouldn't necessarily celebrate a Canada over Costa Rica victory here. That's MY point. At least not yet. Maybe 20 years of football culture will bring a difference, but then I've preached ever since I joined these boards that eventually having pro teams influencing youth culture in Canada would eventually breed talented Canadian players. I would never disagree with you on that, I've been known to make that same point myself multiple times and have been doing so a long time. Better bloody not take 100 years though) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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