The Montreal Impact of MLS hosted Liga MX side Pachuca Tuesday night in leg two of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal. The two teams faced off a week earlier in a game that was dominated by the Mexican club, but ended favorably for the visitors. Dilly Duka scored two goals before Pachuca answered with two of their own to level the scoreline for a first leg draw. The first round draw meant Pachuca needed to win in Montreal or draw while scoring two or more goals to stay alive.
Montreal entered the game with a plan. If they could keep the game tight and not allow Pachuca to run, they would stand a legitimate chance of knocking off the favorites. The Impact proved to be up to the task throughout the first half. Although they didn't register any shots on goal, they maintained possession and recovered on defense to keep the Pachuca counter attack in check.
The second half saw more of the same until the Impact players started to tired. Around the hour mark, the game was shifting in Pachuca's favor as the run of play looked more and more like a goal. In the 70th minute, all of Pachuca's pressure would have paid off with an easy goal if it weren't for the heroics of Evan Bush. A rolling cross squared up perfectly for the opening goal, but Bush somehow recovered and pushed it wide with his leg. By far, this was the save of the game and kept Montreal alive for a while longer.
The upset looked to be coming to an end in the 80th minute when German Cano converted a penalty kick conceded by Laurent Ciman. On the play before, Ciman left a questionable PK call up to the officials and it backfired. While the Pachuca forward definitely embellished the contact, there was no doubt Ciman had made a mistake worthy of the call. Perhaps in MLS, the acting would not have been rewarded, but in CCL, that's usually going to get called.
Moments after the goal, rookie forward Cameron Porter entered the game for Nigel Reo-Coker in an attempt to generate more chances. The shift in formation worked as Montreal pushed up the field looking for an equalizer. But for all the offense the Impact could muster, Mexican goalkeeper Oscar Perez kept them out making several great reads and stopping several shots that would have gone by if he was a step slower. With two of four stoppage time minutes gone, all hope seemed lost when Donny Toia missed what was an essentially wide open header from a corner. Toia failed to square the ball properly and sent it several yards wide.
In the final seconds of the game, Porter got free on the left side for a breakaway against the keeper. A low hard shot went right by Perez who very easily could have made the save. Fortune favored the underdogs late though as Perez failed to get a piece of the ball and Montreal leveled the match. Impact manager Frank Klopas appeared to get sent off during the celebration as he was seen walking towards the locker room before the final restart. As soon the ball was put in play, full time was called.
Argentine DP Ignacio Piatti played a spectacular game for the impact while Reo-Coker and Donadel added to the midfield. The Montreal defense was tested and stood strong with the exception of one play. Dominic Oduro has his work cut out for him if he wants to remain in the starting lineup for Klopas. With Jack McInerney and Cameron Porter pushing for time, Klopas may have plenty of options at forward throughout 2015. Evan Bush stood strong the entire match and had what would have been the play of the game if it weren't for the late goal. Porter opened his Montreal account with a good strike at the best possible time.
Montreal advances to the CCL Semifinals and awaits the victor of Wednesday night's matchup between MLS side DC United and Costa Rican club Alajuelense. Alajuelense leads the series 5-2 after demolishing DC at home.