Whitecaps fall to Impact 1-0 in semi
MONTREAL — Alejandro Silva scored in the 58th minute as the Montreal Impact downed the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in the opening leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal on Wednesday night.
Montreal takes a one-goal lead into the return leg of the two-game total goals series next Wednesday in Vancouver.
The Impact had most of the possession and the chances but couldn’t get a ball past Stefan Marinovic until some intricate build-up around the Vancouver penalty area saw Jeisson Vargas feed Saphir Taider on the right side for a pass back to the unmarked Silva for the goal.
Four minutes later, an Anthony JacksonHamel shot went off the crossbar.
Vancouver’s best chance came in the 50th minute when Rudy Camacho was called for a hand ball just outside the 18-yard box, but Nicolas Mezquida shot wide from 20 yards out.
The first half saw each team hit a goalpost, with Jackson-Hamel’s header in the 24th minute and Cristain Techera grazing a post with what looked more like a pass attempt from a tight angle in the 33rd. Jackson had another glittering chance in the 23rd when he was sent in on the right side but shot well over the bar.
Both teams started the minimum of three Canadian players and both had top players start on the bench, including Alphonso Davies for Vancouver and Ignacio Piatti and Rod Fanni for Montreal. Centreback Kendall Waston, recovering from a groin strain, did not dress for Vancouver.
The Whitecaps play a league match in Seattle while the Impact are in Portland on Saturday. Details are posted online at twinlakesgolfresort.com/members/senior-mens-club/.
LACROSSE