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Toronto FC 0 – 0 Montreal Impact
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The Prelude to Battle
It’s pride and pride alone that’s on the line on a chilly afternoon at BMO Field, where Toronto FC host the Montreal Impact in the club’s final home game of the season. Both Toronto and Montreal conclude 2012 without a spot in the coveted post-season playoffs, but the two teams also share drastically different results at season end.
Toronto FC have struggled, plain and simple. With 20 losses, an abundance of player injuries and yet another squad rotation in the waiting, the Reds have looked a club devoid of spirit in these last stretches. Meanwhile, Montreal has thrived in their first professional season in Major League Soccer, recording a five game winning streak and finishing in the middle of the eastern conference. The two met four times so far, with Toronto FC getting the better of Montreal in the Amway Canadian Championship, something the Impact will be looking to avenge in their away encounter.
There are plenty of changes for Toronto and Montreal as well: Darren O’Dea is out after travelling with Ireland, and has been replaced by Logan Emory. Eric Avila gets the start today, Eric Hassli has returned from injury, and Nicolas Lindsay makes the bench for the first time in a while! Meanwhile, Montreal have benched Alessandro Nesta, favouring a three-man defense instead.
It’s red vs. blue once again, and the fans from Montreal have certainly taken to the spirit, sending a large faction of supporters that have occupied the majority of the northeastern end. Derby day couldn’t come any sooner for the two, who are looking to make a final statement against each other before heading into the offseason.
It’s Toronto FC vs. The Montreal Impact, folks – does it get any better than this?
The Opening Forty-Five
As expected, the match started off in full force, both teams getting physical early, both exchanging a push and a shove when they could. Montreal has plenty of possession early in the first half, but it was Toronto FC who had the first chance at goal, Terry Dunfield finding Reggie Lambe out wide, who swung it in for an Eric Hassli header which Troy Perkins saved.
The play continued for the next 10 minutes, both sides creating half-chances. In the 17th minute, Hassoun Camara collided dangerously with Luis Silva, but the referee kept the cards in his pocket. The 24th minute kicked off the showers, rain pouring down on the two Canadian sides. Davy Arnaud picked up a yellow card in the 28th minute after tackling Luis Silva on a counterattack. Logan Emory looked like he picked up a knock in the 30th minute, and was substituted for Adrian Cann. Though uneventful, Toronto FC pressed forward still, and in the 39th minute, Terry Dunfield picked up a yellow card of his own in his attempt at reclaiming possession.
Eric Avila’s switch from left to right changed the flow of the game, with Avila hitting a strong shot at goal, forcing Perkins to dive and save. Montreal picked up the pace near the end of the first half, Collen Warner in particular pushing forward and creating problems for Toronto’s defense.
With the sun shining brightly once again, Toronto and Montreal head into the changing rooms tied at 0-0.
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An update on the Toronto FC-Adrian Heath link. I'm told TFC will hire Heath to be Paul Mariner's assistant in 2013. Mariner is staying put.
- @SoccerByIves |
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The Second Half
With both teams raring to go, Montreal kicked off the second half with a great chance, Collen Warner swinging a cross onto the foot of an onrushing Wenger, whose shot was just wide of the goal. Eric Hassli hit a long-range effort, but the ball seemed destined for Perkins’ gloves the moment it was struck. Reggie Lambe added to the shot tally soon after, a rolling hit that didn’t even test the keeper.
Andrew Wenger got a shot away in the 62nd minute, as Montreal continued to pressure Toronto’s backline. Toronto FC, however, held strong, with solid passing play and build up, a stark contrast to the long-ball style they had adopted as of late. Justin Mapp was put on in exchange for Calum Mallace in the 64th minute. The momentum shifted after the 65th minute, with Toronto FC controlling the game and creating the bulk of the chances.
In the 71st minute, Lamar Neagle came in for Andrew Wenger, and soon after, Hassoun Camara received a yellow car, after tackling Eric Hassli, resulting in a free kick right outside the box – Dunfield hit the kick straight into the Montreal wall, ending the play. Marco Di Vaio made himself a nuisance late on, forcing Freddy Hall into making some fumbled saves, but never coming too close to scoring.
Paul Mariner made his second change of the day, putting Andrew Wiedeman in for Eric Hassli, who had just returned from injury. Toronto FC dominated the last 10 minutes, and when Montreal counterattacked late on, Sanna Nyassi picked up a yellow card for his troubles. Montreal made their final substitution, putting Dennis Iapichino on for Jeb Brovsky.
A last-second Di Vaio shot frightened Toronto FC, but the Reds held on, the game ending 0-0, neither side able to get the better of the other.
Post-Match Reaction
After the game, Toronto FC head coach Paul Mariner told reporters he was disappointed with the final result, even though he was happy the team kept its first clean sheet since July.
Eric Hassli made his return, and when asked how he felt, Hassli said he was feeling “better, a bit tired, but better. My ankle is better.” As for next season, Hassli is motivated to keep up his form.
“Yeah, hopefully we’re going to have a, for sure, a better season,” said Hassli. “We appreciate all the support that we have even for a bad result, but we’re going to be way, way, way better next season.”
“My personal goal is to be the team, that’s it,” said Hassli, regarding his own personal goals for the next season. “Be a team, win the game, and go to the playoffs, I think this crowd, these fans here deserve way, way better, they deserve it. It’s like six years, we need to go to the playoffs next year.”
Meanwhile, Montreal rued their missed chance at three points away from home, in a season already over for the Impact. Midfielder Patrice Bernier told goal.com “In the beginning of the game we had chances; at the end of the game we had very good chances and I think we did pretty well to keep their attack at bay and Troy [Perkins] didn’t have too many saves to make.”
“We just weren’t able to finish the game off, especially when the game got really open. We just weren’t effective enough,” Bernier continued.
The Final Word: The Derby Fire Never Caught
It was, in every way, a washed down derby.
With the rain pouring spontaneously, and the sun peaking out whenever it pleased, so too did Montreal and Toronto exchange sporadic blows, hardly threatening, never intensifying, going from hot to cold and back again with no real malice or intent. Neither team, in short, looked to their enemy with that crucial killer instinct – no one cared to win on the day.
The result – or lack thereof – comes after a season that has left a bitter taste in the supporters of both sides. The game itself wasn’t bad, per se – Toronto FC looked a side reborn, playing passes on the ground, building up the play, moving forward well; Montreal used their wingers to great effect, controlled the midfield, made themselves heard – but none of it mattered. The motivation wasn’t there; the fire of competition had burned out weeks ago for both teams, who are without a playoff spot, one in their first year of competition, the other in their sixth.
This was a statement game for both sides, a signal of intent for next season, a way to reignite the rivalry that seemed so weary after a long, long season. Toronto FC needed a win not to prove anything in the standings, but to prove to themselves they can do it. Montreal needed a win to show Toronto FC that there was another Canadian team in the mix, and the events of the Amway Canadian Championship had not diminished their resolve.
Yet, in the chilly afternoon air at BMO Field, neither team seemed to care. A 0-0 result just about sums up the feelings of both sides – let’s get on with it, and look to next season, where things need to change.
We will meet again, when it counts.
TFC Line-up
41 Freddy Hall
25 Jeremy Hall
27 Richard Eckersley
2 Logan Emory
5 Ashtone Morgan
19 Reggie Lambe
21 Aaron Maund
23 Terry Dunfield
8 Eric Avila
11 Luis Silva
29 Eric Hassli
Impact Line-up
1 Troy Perkins
6 Hassoun Camara
13 Matteo Ferrari
15 Jeb Brovsky
22 Davy Arnaud
18 Collen Warner
8 Patrice Bernier
29 Calum Mallace
11 Sanna Nyassi
33 Andrew Wenger
9 Marco Di Vaio
Substitutions: Adrian Cann in for Logan Emory (30’); Justin Mapp in for Calum Mallace (64’); Lamar Neagle in for Andrew Wenger (71’); Andrew Wiedeman in for Eric Hassli (81’); Dennis Iapichino in for Jeb Brovsky (87’).
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