Montréal Impact take step toward CCL final with first leg win over Alajuelense
Montréal Impact took a significant step toward their first CONCACAF Champions League final by securing a 2-0 victory over L.D. Alajuelense in the first leg of their semifinal tie at Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night.
Ignacio Piatti and Victor Cabrera struck inside the opening minutes to reward the Impact for a bright start and set the home side on course for a famous victory on home soil.
Montréal navigated safely through a potentially perilous second half to prevent Alajuelense from securing a precious away goal. The prudence after the interval allowed the Impact to cobble together a two-goal advantage ahead of the return leg in Costa Rica on April 8 (10:00p.m. ET, FOX Sports 2, FOX Soccer 2Go).
The victory at least provides the Impact with a chance to join Real Salt Lake as the only MLS teams to win a semifinal tie in the Champions League era, but it does not ensure safe passage to the final, either. Alajuelense defeated Cruz Azul at home during group play and swept away D.C. United 5-2 in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie. Those fixtures underscore the amount of work left to do despite a wonderful first leg performance in Quebec.
Montréal established the tempo from the outset against the sluggish Costa Ricans and used their encouraging opening period to grab a firm foothold in the tie.
Piatti stamped his influence on the game by snatching the opener after just 10 minutes. Dominic Oduro drove forward menacingly on the right and swung a tempting cross into the penalty area. The delivery eventually fell to the Argentine playmaker at the back post. The former San Lorenzo man kept his composure and placed his effort off the inside of the post to give his side the early lead.
Alajuelense goalkeeper Dexter Lewis prevented Piatti from grabbing a second shortly thereafter, but the Impact eventually doubled their advantage four minutes later. Alajuelense failed to cope with the initial service and watched the ball fall kindly to the Impact fullback. Cabrera tucked his effort through the crowd to claim a second goal and send the Olympic Stadium crowd into rapture.
Both teams enjoyed their moments as the match progressed, though Evan Bush found himself called into action only intermittently. Alajuelense pushed forward in the late stages in a bid to snatch a late consolation goal, but Cameron Porter prompted a fine save in second-half stoppage time as the Impact nearly located a third at the death.
