Impact overwhelm Calvary FC

Cavalry FC got a big dose of Major League Soccer.

It got an even bigger dose of veteran Ignacio Piatti in Wednesday’s first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal at Stade Saputo.

Overwhelmed by the established Impact, the visiting soccer side from Calgary took its lumps in losing 2-1 before 12,665 fans in the opener of the two-game, total-goal “Battle of the North” series.

The game turned on two firsthalf plays, both involving Cavalry midfielder Julian Buscher.

It took mere seconds for the Cavalry to go on the attack from the opening kick, when pinpoint right-side passing sent speedy Nico Pasquotti down the wing and right into the six-yard box before feeding a streaking Buscher at the top of the box.

But Buscher mis-hit the ball, sending a shot that went through a defender’s legs and hitting Dominique Malonga before ricocheting wide of the net.

From there, the Impact took over possession and put the Cavs on their heels, getting three longshots away from Maxi Urruti in the first half — the second of which goalie Marco Carducci made a big stop on and then smothered the rebound blast from in close off the foot of Piatti.

But Piatti wouldn’t be denied on his next chance that came off an ugly turnover by the Cavs’ Buscher. The vet took the errant pass that sent him on a break, and he turned defender Mason Trafford inside out before slicing a sweet shot from 11 yards out in for a top-shelf goal over the charging Carducci.

The hosts kept the pressure on from there.

While they didn’t score again in the first half, they didn’t take long to find the net in the second.

And it was Piatti again, capping a well-executed rush by Bacary Sagna finding the veteran streaking in on the left side. He ran into the six-yard box and punched in a perfect pass.

It didn’t take long for Piatti to come at the visitors again, taking another skilled feed in close on a rush, but sending it just wide of the yawning net.

At the other end, it took a while for the Cavs to take advantage of the absence of veteran ‘keeper Evan Bush, who did not play for the Impact, getting a day of rest while James Pantemis took the net for the host side.

But Sergio Camargo finally found the range, taking a timely pass off the left wing from Dominique Malonga off a play started on a turnover forced by captain Nik Legerwood.

Camargo found himself in the penalty box and turned the only defender in his way inside-out before sealing the transition with a well-placed shot into the right side of the net.

The goal proved massive for the visitors, as it gave them confidence and helped them to put pressure on the Impact.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Ledgerwood incurred a second yellow card not long after Camargo’s goal, putting the team down a man for the rest of the game.

Neither side could score the rest of the way.

The second leg of the series is in Calgary’s Spruce Meadows’ ATCO Field next Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET, OneSoccer.ca).