Montreal Impact 0 - Vancouver Whitecaps 0 : Stalemate at Stade Saputo

On a cloudy day, the Montreal Impact took on the Vancouver Whitecaps for a chance to take one giant step towards the 2013 Voyageurs Cup. Both teams fielded very strong sides as the stakes were too high and Canadian honor was in play.

A 0-0 draw makes the second leg of the Canadian Championship final even more important as it could basically become a free for all action packed game.

Back to the this game, early in the half, both teams traded ball possession and respectively had their moments in pressuring each other.But it was the Montreal Impact that showed more initiative with 2 strikers up front. The first warning shot was sent by the hosts when Hassoun Camara finds Marco Di Vaio on the left side of the pitch. The Italian striker cuts to the inside , finds space and shoot a clow curling shot that Brad Knighton handles easily.

Choosing to sit and wait, the Whitecaps were going after the left side of the Impact defense, Dennis Iapichino. The Swiss actually played his best game as a member of the Montreal Impact. He had good speed and was not out of position and kept Russell Teibert in check,

It was another full back that also had an impact on the game, who is actually a midfielder. Nigel Reo-Coker became an influence from the start as the starting right back for the Whitecaps found space and time throughout the half. The visitors almost opened the score when a couple of scrambles in the box , following a corner kick, gave a few scares for the local team.

Ten minutes before , Patrice Bernier takes a low curling shot that misses the right post by inches. If the whitecaps were staying back before that, imagine the defensive stance the BC team took for the rest of the half.

The chess game continued sprinkled with some rough and tough plays. Hassoun Camara picked up a yellow after himself and Nigel Reo-Cooker battled for a loose ball with dangerous tackles ensuing. Not sure yet if Camara picked up the card for the tackle or for head-to-head chat with Reo-Cooker. Shortly after , both Collen Warner and Marco Di Vaio pick up yellow cards as the game got more and more physical, a sign of frustration.

Marco Schallibaum's half-time speech must have worked as the Impact showed much more initiative early in the second half. But the Whitecaps made sure to kill off any momentum and rhythm. Choosing to take on pressure and leaving the midfield open, the Whitecaps' plan worked as Montreal was not able to create many dangerous chances in the last attacking third.

As the game went on, more frustration was apparent and the Impact felt robbed when looking for 2 penalty calls to be made including one after Jeb Brovsky went down after getting hit on the face. Accidental or not, Brovsky seemed to feel excruciating pain and in the press conference, Marco Schallibaum confirmed ,at the least,a broken nose for the team's warrior.

Nose broken in 6 places, nothing a plastic surgeon couldn't fix w/ a steel bar last night though to set it in place. Game in 10 days! #IMFC

— Jeb Brovsky (@JebBrovsky) May 16, 2013

#KeepItZero it was as the Montreal Impact did not concede any goals at home. With the stalemate at Stade Saputo, the Final of the 2013 Amway Canadian Championship will be played over 1 game at BC Place.

Montreal Impact: Evan Bush; Jeb Brovsky, Hassoun Camara, Matteo Ferrari, Dennis Iapichino; Collen Warner (Felipe, 62), Patrice Bernier; Justin Mapp, Andrés Romero (Blake Smith, 72); Andrew Wenger (Sinisa Ubiparipovic, 81), Marco Di Vaio.

Vancouver Whitecaps: Brad Knighton; Nigel Reo Coker, Andy O'Brien, Johnny Leveron, Jordan Harvey; Matt Watson, Brad Rusin, Gershon Koffie; Russell Teibert, Darren Mattocks (Corey Hertzog, 65), Alain Rochat (Erik Hurtado, 78).