May 05 Impact, whitecaps Settle for 1-1 Draw in Nutrilite Playoff

The Montreal Impact had to settle with a 1-1 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Montreal’s second Nutrilite Canadian Championship match, Wednesday, at Swangard Stadium, in Burnaby. This game also marks the second consecutive time in the tournament that the Impact had to play one player short due to a player ejection.

 

All seemed well for the Impact who, after losing game 1 to Toronto FC by a 2-0 score, were looking to tally as many points as they could in order to advance to the CONCACAF championship series. You will remember, the Impact were down a man for more than half the game Vs Toronto after Striker Roberto Brown had been ejected for punching a TFC defender in the face.

 

Forward Peter Byers opened the score at the 32nd minute, but the Whitecaps and forward Marcus Haber, equalized at the 80th minute. Byers scored his first goal of the championship after accepting a long pass from Tony Donatelli behind the Whitecaps defense. He then fired a low shot to the far post inside the 18-yard box, beating goalkeeper Jay Nolly to his left. The play was originally started by defender Stephen deRoux and midfielder David Testo.

 

With less than 15 minutes to play, however Marcus Haber scored the game-tying goal on a penalty kick with a low shot to the right while Impact goalkeeper, Matt Jordan dove to the left. Prior to the kick, defender Adam Braz was red-carded after pushing a Whitecaps player inside the 18-yard box, during a free kick.

 

Forward Reda Agourram was also expelled from the match during second half stoppage time after elbowing a Whitecaps player.

 

Braz and Agourram will each serve an automatic one-game suspension during the next Canadian Championship match, on Wednesday May 12, versus Toronto, at Saputo Stadium.

"Since the start of the tournament, we are the strongest team when we play 11 versus 11," declared Impact head coach March Dos Santos. "We dominated the first 80 minutes of play, but we were unable to score a second goal. It hurts when you tie a match this way because we came here to win. We already won this tournament with seven points, so we must continue believing."

Midfielder Leonardo Di Lorenzo was named the Impact Player of the Match.

Tags: Adam Braz \ Leonardo Di Lorenzo \ Montreal Impact \ peter byers \ player ejection \ red card \ Reda Agourram \ Swangard Stadium \ Vancouver Whitecaps

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