MONTREAL—A sold out Olympic Stadium crowd of 61,004 witnessed arguably the most important soccer match in Canadian history as the Montreal Impact hung on for a riveting 3–2 win over Toronto FC on Tues., Nov. 22.
It was a match that had all the elements of a classic: two archrival clubs in unprecedented territory, battling to be the first Canadian team to reach MLS Cup; goals, tactical changes, momentum swings, the league’s best players—and a chance to watch paint dry.
Yes, the match was delayed nearly 40 minutes as the lines of the 18-yard boxes were initially painted too narrowly.
While the delay seemed to affect TFC more, the energy of the crowd gave Montreal a boost and the home side took a 2–0 lead after just 12 minutes. TFC was in dire straights when Ambroise Oyongo made it 3–0 early in the second half.
But a tactical change that subbed on two Canadians—Will Johnson and Tosaint Ricketts—brought out Toronto’s fighting spirit and the Reds clawed back two valuable away goals.
