Impact, TFC deliver thriller in conference final opening leg

Didier Drogba indicated he will not return to the Montreal Impact next season.

Ghana global striker, Dominic Oduro elated after helping Montreal Impact beat Toronto FC 3-2 in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals at the Stade Olympique.

Impact president Joey Saputo owned up to the error, though he said the responsibility to check the lines fell to the officiating crew, who arrived slightly late to the game.

“Speaking about next week’s game is more important than if it is finished or not”, he told reporters of his career.

If the game ends 3-2, the Reds would qualify for the MLS Cup final with a 1-0 or 2-1 win or any victory by more than a goal.

Drogba joined the Impact in July 2015 and has 21 regular season goals in 33 appearances over two seasons. Toronto went down 3-0 after 53 minutes in the first leg and they looked just as off as the pre-match penalty box.

The Impact hold a clear advantage despite a disappointing finish: they won. “I think we made history”, he continued.

This year: Familiarity breeds contempt, and these teams have gotten very familiar with one another in 2016.

Drogba has spent the past 18 months with Canadian side Montreal after bringing an end to his second spell at Chelsea. “And, in some ways, it gave both cities even more time to get excited”.

The visitors finally answered on a header in the 68th minute by Altidore, the USA forward nodding home his 14th goal in his past 18 club matches.

The second leg will be played on Wednesday, Nov. 30, in Toronto. Plus, having aging superstar Didier Drogba coming off the bench provides some relief for Montreal in the final minutes of key games. “The bottle is half empty or half full, it depends how you see it”.

But now, with Tuesday’s announcement, Drogba only has one or two games to seal his legacy in MLS.

“It was a bit of a downer”, admitted Oduro. “We’ve been in situations like this before [at Olympic Stadium] where we have 61,000 fans”.

Toronto’s soccer team has put on the extra miles this year and, by avenging last year’s playoff loss to Montreal, they could soon make a maiden trip to MLS Cup Final.