Victor Wanyama and Montreal Impact’s Concacaf Champions League dream remained very much alive after a 4-2 win over Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday.
Montreal Impact will need any win in their next match – against Vancouver Whitecaps again – to book a slot in the Canadian Championship en route the Champions League.
Samuel Piette’s first Major League Soccer (MLS) goal coupled with others from Orji Okwonkwo, Romell Quioto and Saphir Taider helped Montreal Impact pick up the victory that cut the goal difference between them and leaders Toronto FC to just one.
Wanyama’s side needed just two wins and to keep pace with Toronto for a spot in the Canadian Championship whose winner will get a Champions League spot.
The visitors equalised at the 15th-minute mark after Bair had opened the score for Vancouver Whitecaps. Quito ran down the right-hand side and tried to find the far post and hit the woodwork instead. Taider got a touch on the rebound but it is Okwonkwo who scored as he was standing nearby.
Taider scored from the spot in the additional minutes of the first half after Quioto had been brought down by Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Thomas Hasal.
Piette and Quioto scored the other goals for Montreal Impact in the second half while the home side got the second one from a Rudy Camacho as the score ended 4-2.
Vancouver Whitecaps suffered a red card in the 57th minute after a physical argument with Luis Binks of Montreal Impact. Thierry Henry’s side was also reduced to 10 men after the Argentinian Emanuel Maciel was sent off in the 72nd minute.
Either Montreal Impact or Toronto FC will become the next MLS club to join Portland Timbers to earn a berth in the 2021 Champions League edition. Portland Timbers defeated Orlando City in the MLS is Back Tournament on August 11 and became the first team to qualify for Champions League.
Toronto, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact meet three times for a total of six games which opens the first phase of the season restart. The team which will earn the most points against the other two rivals will qualify for the 2020 Canadian Championship final.
The Championship will be a single match, winner-takes-all title tie against the winner of the eight Canadian Premier League Island Games. The Canadian Championship winner will therefore qualify for the Champions League.
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