Impact Eliminated From Canadian Championship.

A mid-week game saw the Vancouver Whitecaps play an impressive match over their rival Canadian counterparts the Montreal Impact that saw Freddy Montero score twice in a 3-1 Vancouver win. 

This game for Montreal was a must win so as to finish in the round robin part of the tournament and this loss for the Montreal Impact (5-5-1) gives Toronto FC a first place finish and it’s interesting to note that the MLS schedule at present does not include other games in Canada this season.

The win was only their fifth win of the long drawn out season and somehow managed to escape the cellar in the western conference that sees them head out on a three game road trip.

They will play three games in a span of seven days with the first taking place this Saturday in Real Salt Lake (September 19)played at Rio Tinto Stadium at 6:30 p.m. 

The second of three will be played on September 23rd in Los Angeles against the Galaxy with a 4-3-3 record for 15 points as they head to Portland September 27th for the third of three against the Portland Timbers who have a record of 4-3-4 also with 15 points.

Whitecaps suspended striker Lucas Cavallini was fined and suspended by the MLS for violation for his actions receiving a red card on Sunday in the 58th minute. 

This was the contest that saw a physical aggressive contest against the Montreal Impact on September 13 of the league’s policy regarding hands to the face, head, or neck of an opponent.

Adding insult to injury for failing to leave the field after receiving his second yellow card and ejection in a timely manner for serious foul play in the 57th minute of the match.

Montreal Impact were without midfielder Emanuel Maciel after receiving a card in the 70th minute and suspended for two matches total and fined for a serious foul against Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Cristian Dájome in the 70th minute. 

The opening half for this contest was much different from Sunday’s contest where the space on the pitch by both teams limiting scoring chances in the opening 9 minutes.

Both teams played solid on the back line preventing quality scoring chances for either side to break open keeping the contest scoreless for a full 19 minutes with no real chances for either team..

Vancouver’s Ranko Veselinovic was shown a yellow card in the 30th minute for a late tackle on an impact player and on the ensuing rush and a long shot was easily handled by Thomas Hasal.

The match referee was forced to make a tough call in the 36th minute when Impact player Rudy Camacho thought he was playing hockey for a brief moment when he slugged Vancouver’s Freddy Montero. 

Many who play sport, especially hockey he could have easily been assessed a roughing infraction, but instead he was given a red card and sent off that saw Vancouver awarded a penalty kick that saw Montero give the Whitecaps a 1-nil lead in the 40th minute. 

Cristian Dajome collected his 4th goal of the season a short four minutes later slamming the ball in the back of the net all set-up by David Milinkovic. 

This gave the Whitecaps a comfortable 2-0 Caps lead, that saw the Impact Samuel Piette notch his first of the match in the 46th of the contest.

In what was an interesting second half as it kicked off that saw Montreal down by a pair of goals as the Caps made a sub as Michael Baldisimo came in for Janio Bikel in the 45th minute.

With the Caps in control of the match Leonard Owusu enters the game for Theo Bair as they switch positions up front strikers in the 62nd minute maintaining their two-goal lead going into the 70th minute of the match.

The 70th minute saw Montreal make the match interesting that saw Romell Quioto find the back of the net going top corner making it a 2-1 game.

They made their second sub change with Ali Adnan for Milinkovic in the 73rd minute but only after Freddy Montero added his second of the match in the 78th minute extending their lead to 3-1 on the scoreboard. 

Vancouver’s final sub saw Tosaint Rickets came in Cristian Dajome in the 89th minute giving Vancouver an impressive 3-1 win after dropping Sunday’s heart-breaker.

THANKS TO THE VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

VWFC Man of the Match: Fredy Montero

Referee: Drew Fischer

Scoring Summary

41’ – VAN – Fredy Montero (penalty kick)

44’ – VAN – Cristian Dájome (David Milinković, Fredy Montero)

70’ – MTL – Rommell Quioto (Saphir Taider, Victory Wanyama)

78’ – VAN – Fredy Montero (Leonard Owusu)

Statistics

Possession: VAN 52% – MTL 48%

Shots: VAN 13 – MTL 13

Shots on Goal: VAN 5 – MTL 4

Saves: VAN 3 – MTL 2

Fouls: VAN 8 – MTL 13

Offsides: VAN 3 – MTL 2

Corners: VAN 3 – MTL 3

Cautions

31’ – VAN – Ranko Veselinović

45’+1′ – MTL – Samuel Piette

Ejection 

37’ – MTL – Rudy Camacho