Despite the game having no impact in the standings, losing to a rival is never easy. As Montreal fell 1-0 yesterday to a league-best Toronto side, it felt like the Bleu-blanc-noir received the short end of the stick after a performance that evidently deserved a better result.
"It’s obviously frustrating, we deserved more than a loss today,’’ said Impact midfielder Samuel Piette. “I think we could’ve left with at least a point or maybe even three. There were some excellent scoring chances, but like I said it was one of those days where the ball didn’t want to go in.”
The Impact was defensively sound most of the game, and could even count itself a little lucky when Giovinco’s penalty shot hit the post – twice – at the stroke of halftime. They were dangerous offensively as well, passing intricately to create quality scoring chances. It was just one of those days for the Bleu-blanc-noir, as they saw their chances miss wide, hit the post, or be stopped by the TFC ‘keeper.
“We’re disappointed to lose the game, it’s logical considering the message we could’ve sent by beating the best team in the league in their home,” said Impact defenseman Hassoun Camara. “We wanted to give everything, represent our city for the fans, and really take it to them until the end. Unfortunately, we didn’t collect the points we wanted, but I think our performance was very good.”
Patrice Bernier came on as a substitute in the 71st minute and had a chance to face Toronto FC one last time, as the Brossard native gets set to retire at the end of the season. It also marked his 150th game in MLS. After the game, he took to Twitter to pay tribute to the rivalry.
Yesterday was no exception to the great battles we’ve witnessed over the years, with both teams leaving it all on the field for the last meeting between the two sides in 2017. Despite the loss, the Impact’s spirit was still strong in the dressing room, shining a bright light on what we can expect next season.
“We’re all in this together until the end,” said Camara. “Like I’ve always said, it’s as a team that we win and as a team that we lose.”
