Montreal Impact go into tonight’s CONCACAF Champions League
final second leg looking to make MLS history by becoming the first Canadian side to win
the competition.
Costa Rica’s Alajuelense are the visitors at the Olympic Stadium as Frank Klopas' team attempt to hold on to their advantage after Ignacio Piatti's goal earned a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
With 61,004 tickets sold for the game, Impact will be roared on by a Canadian record crowd as they look to become the first MLS side to lift the trophy since LA Galaxy in 2000.
Ahead of the biggest game in the franchise's history,
we take a look back at the story of the Canadian franchise to date.
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| Impact are looking to make history in the CCL final |
Factfile:
Founded: 1992
Stadium: Saputo Stadium (20, 521) or Olympic Stadium
(60,860)
Best MLS regular season finish: 11th overall (2013)
Head Coach: Frank Klopas
Captain: Patrice Bernier
Top MLS goalscorer: Marco Di Vaio - 34
Most MLS appearances: Felipe - 93
MLS History:
Impact became the 19th MLS franchise when they made their
debut in 2012, and made several big-name signings ahead of their first season,
including AC Milan legend Alessandro Nesta.
After finishing 12th overall in their first season, Impact
improved qualified for the post-season in 2013 thanks largely to former
Juventus and Valencia striker Marco Di Vaio.
The Italian hit 20 goals in 33 league games to guide them to
a fifth place finish in the Eastern Conference but that success was to be short
lived.
Montreal finished bottom of the MLS in 2014 and, distracted
by their CCL campaign, they are currently the only side still without a win in
the 2015 season.
Head Coach:
Former USA international striker Frank Klopas took over as
coach and director of player personnel at Impact in December 2013.
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| Klopas joined in December 2013 |
He had been in charge of Chicago Fire since 2011 and has
cemented his status as one of the franchise’s greatest coaches.
Despite Montreal’s poor MLS performance in his time in
charge, the Greek-born boss' continental record has been impressive.
A second Canadian Championship victory in a row in 2014
ensured Impact’s CONCACAF Champions League qualification, on the way to a
franchise first CCL final.
Current Stars:
Patrice Bernier
Bernier joined Montreal Impact in the A-league in 2000 and
after making 73 league appearances he left for Norway, and went on to spend
time playing in Germany and Denmark.
The midfielder, who has won over 50 caps for Canada,
returned to Impact in 2012 for their inaugural MLS season and is now club
captain.
Having played a further 86 times since rejoining, Bernier is
now both the second-highest appearance-maker and second-highest goalscorer in
the franchise’s MLS history.
Justin Mapp
A veteran of North American football, Mapp spent seven years
with Chicago Fire and a season-and-a-half at Philadelphia Union before joining
Impact in 2011.
At Montreal he has become only the second player to twice be
named Most Valuable Player in the Canadian Championship and was the franchise's
leading assist maker in both 2013 and 2014.
Rivalries:
Toronto FC
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| Montreal won the first 401 Derby against Toronto |
Impact’s biggest rivals are undoubtedly Toronto FC, the MLS
clash has reignited the long-standing sporting rivalry between the two cities.
The teams face each other in the so-called 401 Derby, named
after Ontario Highway 401 which connects the two, and have played as part of
the Canadian Championship since 2008.
The sides met for the first time in MLS history on April 7,
2012 at the Olympic Stadium, with Impact recording a 2-1 victory.
The sides drew 1-1 in their last meeting back in October,
and will face each other for the first time in 2015 when they meet twice in
just over a week in the Canadian Championship in May.
Club Legend:
Marco Di Vaio
Former Italian international Di Vaio became Impact’s first
Designated Player when he joined as a 35-year-old after a hugely successful few
years at Bologna.
The former Parma man netted 34 in 76 matches during his
two-and-a-half years in the MLS and was named in the MLS Best XI in 2013.
Di Vaio had smashed Montreal’s MLS goalscoring record, his
34 is a massive 21 ahead of second-placed Patrice Bernier - though Bernier is
still playing.
By the time Di Vaio retired at the end of the 2014 season he
had also become the joint-top scorer in Canadian Championship history.
Premier League
influences:
Undoubtedly the biggest Premier League name to feature for
Montreal Impact is Nigel Reo-Coker who joined the franchise in December after
18 months at Vancouver Whitecaps.
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| Reo-Coker in action for Impact |
Reo-Coker is probably best known for his three years at West
Ham, whom he captained to Premier League promotion, and since joining Impact he
has featured in every franchise game.
Italian journeyman Bernardo Corradi, who spent two largely
unsuccessful years at Manchester City, scored four goals in 11 games in
Montreal’s first MLS season in 2012.
While ex-Roma defender Matteo Ferrari, who failed to impress
in a loan stint at Everton ten years ago, made 81 MLS appearances for the
Canadians from 2012-2014.
Did you know?
Impact are the first Canadian club ever to reach the
CONCACAF Champions League final.
For part of their debut MLS season Impact had four former
Italian internationals in their squad – Nesta, Di Vaio, Corradi and Ferrari.
Going into the first leg of the 2015 CCL final, Impact have
a 50% win ratio in the continental competition, with six wins, three draws and
three losses from 12 games.
Images courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis, Doug Pensinger, Richard Wolowicz and Derek Leung, with thanks
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