April 22 Impact and Club America in Mexico 1st leg

[shermanator]

I've read that if Bush is indeed out, that either Smits will be loaned again and start for the final, or Crepeau will make his Impact debut in the second leg of the CCL final. Haven't found much info from those close to the club but either option would make me that much more interested in the game.

[hamiltonfan]

All the BS aside, this is a good result. A draw and an away goal in Mexico's most notorious venue.

[mtlfan]

May 14th 2014 Smits was in goal as Montreal advanced past Edmontion but it took a 97th minute penalty to do it. Now with Bush suspended for the final (pending appeal) Smits may be the keeper for the second leg April 29. WOW 

[jonovision]

Will he exact the ultimate revenge?

[Toje]

Full game download (torrent)

 

http://usasoccerarchives.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=e66941ad9d1cb4f6e233452d15cd0b069f367cdb

[shamrock]

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this result. Not there yet but more than still alive as well.

 

I don't think they'll start Smits or Crepeau for the home game. Considering it's only the biggest soccer game in Quebec history they'll get a veteran goalkeeper somehow. 

[madmonte]

I'm so pissed, I was working last night, and my damn PVR somehow messed up and did NOT record the game, even though I quadruple checked.  Awesome.  I subscribe to SNW for no reason, I guess.

[Obinna]

Great that Tissot and Bernier got minutes last night - particularly Tissot. That is huge to get that experience at that age. I hope he can draw on that in future years during WCQ

[jpg75]

Is Smits even eligible to play for Montreal in this competition? If he played for Edmonton in V's Cup (which is CCL qualifying) action then he can't play for any other club in the same competition.

[Keegan]

Is Smits even eligible to play for Montreal in this competition? If he played for Edmonton in V's Cup (which is CCL qualifying) action then he can't play for any other club in the same competition.

 

The V's cup isn't CCL qualifying.  It is a domestic cup that happens to send the winner to the CCL.  That's like saying that the FA Cup is qualifying for Europa League. 

[shermanator]

Plus, if Smits wasn't eligible, do you think Montreal would have had him on their bench? Doubtful....

[nfitz]

I'm so pissed, I was working last night, and my damn PVR somehow messed up and did NOT record the game, even though I quadruple checked.  Awesome.  I subscribe to SNW for no reason, I guess.

 

 

It's the same story (airing only on Sportsnet World) for next week game by the looks of it - assuming there are any NHL playoff game 7s to air on Sportsnet One.

[BuzzAndSting]

Just watched the replay... I really enjoyed the TVA commentators. The Impact are on an unbelievable run but you have to wonder what could have been had a couple of the plugs like NRC and Oduro had come out earlier. Klopas must believe that Bernier doesn't have the legs to go 70-80 minutes any more because there's no way he rates him lower than NRC. Orduro was walking around by the end of the second half and short of the one breakaway was wasted. Tissot played very well in his minutes, one or two bad touches. Unbelievable that a young Canuck is getting club minutes in a place like the Azteca, only bodes well for the NT. The wife is headed to down to MTL on Wendesday to visit friends, I may drive her down and stay for the game, Doug are you going to buy me a beer? And does someone have an extra ticket in the supoorters section? Also it's clear this competition is an infuriating joke, only about making money, not about finding the best team in CONCACAF.

[shamrock]

For all the slack MS get's around here, they deserve some credit for clearing Impacts schedule for these games. Of course this will come back to haunt them, but if Montreal becomes the first MLS-Champion of the new era Champions League, who cares about that right?

[Trillium]

Just watched the replay... I really enjoyed the TVA commentators. The Impact are on an unbelievable run but you have to wonder what could have been had a couple of the plugs like NRC and Oduro had come out earlier. Klopas must believe that Bernier doesn't have the legs to go 70-80 minutes any more because there's no way he rates him lower than NRC. Orduro was walking around by the end of the second half and short of the one breakaway was wasted. Tissot played very well in his minutes, one or two bad touches. Unbelievable that a young Canuck is getting club minutes in a place like the Azteca, only bodes well for the NT. The wife is headed to down to MTL on Wendesday to visit friends, I may drive her down and stay for the game, Doug are you going to buy me a beer? And does someone have an extra ticket in the supoorters section? Also it's clear this competition is an infuriating joke, only about making money, not about finding the best team in CONCACAF.

I will buy you a beer, I sit down low on right side of supporters section.

[Trillium]

Baffled by that non red. Does the guy have to be reaching to tap the ball in on the goal line or what? Just makes a joke of the whole competition really, if the ref in charge of the final can't make such a basic call or even worse *gasp* is corrupt it sets the whole federation to joke status. Here we are with a 2 leg tie with 160,000 fans total across two nations and you make a mockery of the sport.

And I've been hearing so much talk about how intimidating Azteca is to play at etc. etc. I'm sure it's extremely hard from a physical perspective but in terms of atmosphere it has a very Serie A feel as if the fans are far away and not really on top of you as in other third world stadiums.

Costa Rica was a more intimate, and intimatding atmosphere,and in many ways more fun as a visiting fan. Azteca gets you with its size,like the big stadia for Brazil World cup, when all of Americas fans are chanting in unison it is impressive.

The Big O packed with every fan chanting will be massive.Security will be tight with body searches in supporters area to confiscate smoke and flares so we may miss the smell of cordite...fans watching on TV should enjoy the flags...the Big O, I understand is restricting hanging tifos, hoping the ultras have an alternate plan.

[nfitz]

Big O packed, will be lucky not to collapse if the crowd starts bouncing.

[Grizzly]

 And does someone have an extra ticket in the supoorters section? 

 

The supporters section sold out about 2 hours after tickets went on sale. It is hard to get any tickets now let alone supporters section tickets. Even those of us who have seasons tickets in the supporters section were unable to buy extra tickets there on the first day of sale. Our season ticket seat was reserved for 3 days but it was not possible to get any other in the section if you did not buy it before noon on the first day of sale. I have a friend visiting from Russia and even though I bought him a ticket in the afternoon of the first day they went on sale I could not get a ticket in our section.

 

The club and MLS are putting a lot of restrictions on the supporters this year. We are supposed to fireproof any banners or tifos, there are pat downs and security checks every time anyone enters the supporters section, Montreal supporters are not allowed to have banners or flags on away trips, more and more people are getting banned from the stadium, etc. Yet when our section goes on sale it sells out in a couple of hours. I understand that the American businessmen running this league are bean counters who do not care about soccer or its culture but one would hope they would at least realize what sells tickets in this league and it is not their Disneyland/family entertainment/NFL ideal in which the game is less important than commercials and half time entertainment. Also disappointing to see our club management collaborating with the league to punish the fans who travel to Azteca to support the team in a hostile environment (with no help from the club). Maybe all these management types from the league and club will succeed in pushing the true fans out of the stadium and then they will find out how many of the other 60 000 fans that will be there on Wednesday will actually come to the games on a regular basis. Just like all those people who showed up for Beckham went to Impact games last year.

[mtlfan]

................................. Maybe all these management types from the league and club will succeed in pushing the true fans out of the stadium and then they will find out how many of the other 60 000 fans that will be there on Wednesday will actually come to the games on a regular basis. Just like all those people who showed up for Beckham went to Impact games last year.

 

Tried to get tickets for my friends.......my account manager would not return my calls or answer email for almost 2 days.......ended up in the 400 section. Totally pathetic treatment of season ticket holders by management. Yes how many fair weather fans will go to Stade Saputo....we shall see.

[nfitz]

2000 tickets on sale today at noon.  http://www.impactmontreal.com/en/news/2015/04/approximately-2000-additional-tickets-sale-noon

Though I guess they are probably gone already ...

[Keegan]

 

The club and MLS are putting a lot of restrictions on the supporters this year. We are supposed to fireproof any banners or tifos, there are pat downs and security checks every time anyone enters the supporters section, Montreal supporters are not allowed to have banners or flags on away trips, more and more people are getting banned from the stadium, etc. Yet when our section goes on sale it sells out in a couple of hours. I understand that the American businessmen running this league are bean counters who do not care about soccer or its culture but one would hope they would at least realize what sells tickets in this league and it is not their Disneyland/family entertainment/NFL ideal in which the game is less important than commercials and half time entertainment. Also disappointing to see our club management collaborating with the league to punish the fans who travel to Azteca to support the team in a hostile environment (with no help from the club). Maybe all these management types from the league and club will succeed in pushing the true fans out of the stadium and then they will find out how many of the other 60 000 fans that will be there on Wednesday will actually come to the games on a regular basis. Just like all those people who showed up for Beckham went to Impact games last year.

 

Who made/enforces the no flags/banners on away trips?

 

It really is disappointing to see people out of touch with the soccer demographic.  These suits think that one day they'll get 60,000 and suddenly it will turn into a Habs/Leafs atmosphere with sell outs no matter what.  Wrong.  The Habs/Leafs cake eater types want to come to soccer games so they can tell their friends about the "crazy atmosphere" if it's a stadium full of these people there is no atmosphere.  The clubs should be doing everything short of PAYING supporters groups for what they have done for their clubs.  Without supporters clubs MLS is playing on grid iron lines in NFL stadiums in front of 12,000.