Impact 2- 2 Whitecaps: First leg even

MONTREAL-What a wild and insane game.

Because the Canadian Championship is a two-legged aggregate series, Vancouver has the advantage going into the second leg of the final with its two away goals. Although the performance was not the best, the two away goals should be seen as a positive and placing them in a good position for the second leg at home. Or you can look at it and say we’re very much in the [series]. A 2-0 loss would have been disaster.

The Impact are the reigning two-time champions.

Robinson continued with his squad rotation during Vancouver’s jam-packed August schedule, making eight changes from the team that dismantled Real Salt Lake 4-0 on Saturday in league play. Ignacio Piatti and defender Victor Cabrera did not dress.

Montreal enjoyed the majority of possession in the first half, its slick passing game and quick ball movement forcing Vancouver to chase shadows. Donadel placed his delivery at the penalty spot, where Ciman outjumped every other player to head the ball home.

Still, Klopas thought his team could have done better in the opening 45 minutes. Moments later Nigel Reo-Coker forced a fingertip save from Tornaghi with a low drive from just outside the box. Goalkeeper Erik Kronberg did well to rush off his line and force Mattock out wide as the scoring chance went begging.

Aside from bringing in Christian Dean for an injured Diego Rodriguez (quad contusion), Robinson stuck to his guns heading into the second half.

Justin Mapp was greeted by a standing ovation when he entered the match for Montreal as a substitute in the 60th minute.

Vancouver started defensive stopper Matias Laba as a holding midfielder, but he had one of his poorer games and was subbed off in the 68th minute.

That should mean it’s set up perfectly for Vancouver’s counter-attacking style or it could mean that we’re in for ninety minutes of backs to the wall defending before conceding a goal at the death to once again miss out on winning this thing.

65′ – Mattocks” delicate touch give the “Caps an unlikely lead – Kianz Froese broke down the left side for Vancouver, got to the endline and provided a really unsafe cross into the six-yard box of Montreal.

The Whitecaps had to endure some early pressure from the Impact, with goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi coming up with a couple of big saves in the opening stages, before then getting their noses in front with a strong second half showing. It was a magnificent strike by the Chilean, but Kronberg should have stopped it.

With Montreal throwing everyone forward in hopes of finding a goal, central defender Laurent Ciman would finally give the Stade Saputo faithful something to cheer about when he rose up and powerfully headed home a corner kick in the 84th minute.

Montreal reached the final with a victory on the away goals rule over Toronto in the semifinals in May, when Dominic Oduro’s late score was the difference. Montreal has won the Canadian Championship three times, including the last two years. Since 2008, the Canadian Soccer Association has presented the Voyageurs Cup to the tournament champion… Montreal has a bye this week and returns to MLS action the following Saturday vs. Philadelphia when Drogba is expected to play.