Preparations for the historic Champions League semifinal series decisive leg in Costa Rica, set for this Tuesday at 10pm ET (TVA Sports, Sportsnet, TSN Radio 690) began early this week for the Montreal Impact as the team trains in town before heading to Alajuela on Saturday.
Winning this series versus Alajuelense would mean the Impact would become just the second MLS team ever to advance to the finals of this tournament, with a chance of representing CONCACAF at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The only other team from Major League Soccer to accomplish the feat of making the final was Real Salt Lake in 2010-2011. There are some interesting similarities between their run and the current string of results for the Montreal club.
Both teams finished tops in their respective groups in the group phase. Both sides took on a Costa Rican side in the semifinals, with Saprissa as RSL’s opponents. Both hosted the first leg of the series and both took a 2-0 victory with them to Costa Rica for the decisive game.
If history were to continue to repeat itself, IMFC is in the driver’s seat as RSL fell 2-1 in Central America in the second leg and won the series 3-2 on aggregate.
Making Canadian history
Where the two clubs differ begins simply with their locations. Although both are Major League Soccer clubs, the bleu-blanc-noir could become the first Canadian club ever to play in the finals of the tournament.
Toronto FC is the only side north of the border to play in the semis, putting in a decent effort in 2011-2012 at home, playing to a 1-1 draw against Santos Laguna before suffering a similar fate on the road as IMFC in 2009 at the hands of the Mexican side, falling 6-2.
On March 18, the Impact added another page to its history books as the only Canadian side to ever win a semifinal contest in Champions League, winning the first leg 2-0.
However you look at it, IMFC’s unlikely run continues to set the bar and a few more victories can put the bleu-blanc-noir into a category all its own.
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