Jackson-Hamel’s away goal secures Canadian Championship final berth
It may not have been the prettiest of wins – the Impact scoring the game’s lone goal off a corner in the 13th minute – but it was efficient, and it got the job done, the Impact taking the semifinals 3-1 on aggregate over Cavalry FC and qualifying to the final.
Still, it wasn’t the easiest of tasks for Rémi Garde’s men, who battled through a worn-down field and questionable lighting at Spruce Meadows, in Calgary, in front of a full house. Clément Diop, making his second start in the Canadian Championship this year, had to be solid throughout 90 minutes, making three saves to complete his clean sheet.
“It was harder to play the game the way we’re used to in Montreal,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “I think both teams suffered at the end because of the playing surface.”
It seemed like the perfect start for the Calgarians, who used the push of the crowd and the home-field advantage to apply some pressure on Montreal in the opening minutes, without, however, managing any clean breakthroughs in the final third.
On the other end, on a perfectly delivered cross from Saphir Taïder, Anthony Jackson-Hamel was able to beat goalkeeper Marco Carducci with a strong header, despite the Canadian getting a hand on it.
“Scoring an away goal is always very important in a cup game,” added Garde. “We knew we’d have to score at least one, considering the 2-1 scoreline coming into this game. We knew we’d have to take in some of their pressure, just because of the way they play here and the quality of the field. But we fought as a team, for every ball.”
Calgary, hoping to repeat its quarterfinal upset by defeating another MLS club, tried taking the game to the Impact, edging them out in possession and attempting more shots. In the end, the Impact didn’t need a second goal, seeing out its lead calmly until the final whistle.
“I want to congratulate everyone in this football club for the amazing atmosphere,” finished Garde. “I think it’s great for Canadian soccer. All this was done in very little time. Congratulations to the head coach as well, because his team played extremely well over two games.”
The Impact now takes on its rival, Toronto FC, in the final, the first leg taking place on September 18, at Stade Saputo, at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Monday at 10am on impactmontreal.com.
