MONTREAL, Quebec – A new chapter in club history will begin on Wednesday at 8pm when the Montreal Impact will make its first ever appearance in the Champions League semifinals, hosting Costa Rica’s L.D. Alajuelense at Olympic Stadium in the home leg of the aggregate goals series (TVA Sports, Sportsnet ONE & World, TSN 690 Radio).
The Impact announced on Tuesday that more than 30,000 tickets have been sold. There is no snow in the forecast, so the match is expected to be played tomorrow night as scheduled. Tickets for this historic game are available via http://marquonslhistoire.com and ticketmaster.ca (1-855-790-1245), as well as at the ticket offices of Stade Saputo and Olympic Stadium. It is highly recommended to use the metro and to arrive early (details: http://bit.ly/1bdGXMH)
IMFC qualified for the final four of the CONCACAF-wide tournament by defeating Mexican club Pachuca in the quarterfinals on aggregate (3-3, two away goals), in dramatic fashion, with a 94th minute goal by Cameron Porter back on March 3.
However, the team understands that this series is a whole new ball game.
“We have to approach the game differently because of the dynamics of the team and the game,” explained head coach Frank Klopas. “Pachuca was a team with a lot of pace and played very direct. Alajuelense likes to hold the ball and is good in their build up. Also, this game is the first of the series instead of the decisive one, so this makes for a different game. We have to be smart in our approach and take away their strengths.”
“Having the first game at home, you definitely want to get out to an early lead,” added striker Jack McInerney. “They are a team that likes to move forward with 5-6 guys, so we can take advantage of the counterattack. Knowing that this team might have a little more possession than us as that is the style of Central American teams, we need to keep a shutout at home and take advantage of our opportunities. We like our chances Wednesday night.”
What will also make this game different for the bleu-blanc-noir is that the team will be without Justin Mapp due to his elbow injury. The winger was one of the most dangerous players for IMFC over the quarterfinal series and although his absence hurts, the Impact has options out wide.
Goalkeeper Krsitian Nicht has rejoined the team for the semifinals as Eric Kronberg, along with midfielder Eric Alexander, remain cup-tied.
As the Impact is making its first ever semifinals appearance, Alajuelense is looking at its second straight trip to the final four, having lost 3-0 on aggregate to Mexican side Toluca at the same stage in the last edition of this CONCACAF tournament.
LDA was the eighth and final seed in the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League this year, having qualified as the top seed in group 6, but winning only one game and tying the other three. The Costa Rican side then defeated the top seed in D.C. United 6-4 on aggregate, thanks to a lopsided 5-2 win at home. The club qualified for this edition of the Champions League by being the top team in Costa Rica’s Invierno season, winning 17 of 22 games played over the campaign.
Alajuelense is currently in fourth spot in the table with 20 points (5-3-5) for their 2015 Verano season, but haven’t been able to find a win in its last six (0-2-4) regular season matches.
Jonathan McDonald is leading the team in scoring with six goals in the regular season, good for second in the entire league, while Johan Venegas has chipped in with five goals and one assist.
The Impact is undefeated at home in the CONCACAF Champions League with a record of seven wins and three ties, including eight shutouts.
