‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’: A Disappointing First Edition

In what was supposed to be an opportunity to leave with three valuable CONCACAF Champion League points and view new faces in the starting line-up, instead turned into a display of poor defending, lackluster offence and controversial officiating.

Let's dig deep and attempt to find some good in this heartbreak.

The Good...

Blake Smith - Did not miss his opportunity to show the coaching staff that he is more than a dangerous late game substitution. Instead he showed that he has his place on the pitch and is capable of generating offense when nobody else is.  The ball flick over the defender was a thing of beauty. Too bad the Montreal Impact's best opportunity of the night hit metal instead of net.

Davy Arnaud- As quick as we are to point out his lackluster performances, tonight he was solid for 90mins without causing any glaring turnovers. For many this is not worthy of getting a pat on the back, but for Arnaud, it's a much needed step in the right direction.

Collen Warner-  After Evan Bush, he was the Impact's best player in the first half. He maintained and won possession of the ball all night long. As the season goes on, he appears to quietly be gaining more minutes and more importantly the trust of Schallibaum .

Talking of Marco Schallibaum, He was barely recognizable. Following his mea culpa and promise to better control his emotions, he definitely was tested in the first half. When the penalty was handed, I waited for the inevitable to happen. When then red card was issued, I took cover. But both times the Swiss Volcano stayed dormant, but rest assured the lava inside was strongly boiling.

The Bad...

No Offense, but offence taken.  If the defense was disappointing, the offense was non-existent.  Despite the absence of Patrice Bernier, Marco Di Vaio and Justin Mapp there was enough talent on the pitch to warrant better scoring chances. The first shot on the C.D. Heredia net was not registered until the 60^th minute by Daniele Paponi. There was a clear lack of creativity and player movement in the attack.

Señor Paul Enrique Delgadillo - Blaming the loss on the referee would be too easy and would let the Impact's abysmal performance off the hook. The truth is that C.D. Heredia was already well in control of the match by the time Adrian Lopez's controversial red card was issued. That being said, the missed calls were rampant and did have a say on the match.

Consider it nitpicking, but even more puzzling then the penalty call and the red card, was the one minute of extra time issued at the end of the first half. A first half that saw the two mentioned incidents and a lengthy Evan Bush injury. Through the magic of PVR , the three incidents were calculated to eat  up a total of six minutes!!

The Vuvuzelas -Someone tell Guatemala that the 2010 South African World Cup has come and gone. You never know what to expect entering these types of games, but a practically empty stadium and the bleeding sound of Vuvuzelas through my speakers were not high on the list.

The Ugly...

The Backline - The story of the game started and ended with the backline. As commendable as it was to provide rest to Nesta, Ferrari and Camara, the truth is that a veteran CB should have been slotted between Lopez and Tissot  to provide experience and take control of the communication.

Wandrille Lefevre and Maxime Tissot seemed overwhelmed all night long. Often losing key headers, loose on markings and clearing out balls in panic instead of looking for the open teammate. Both players have shown early in the season that they are capable of better performances. They will need to regroup as the Impact are thin in backend depth and more than likely will be called upon again before the end of the season.

Share your thoughts, Impact fans. Who impressed you? Who did not? And better yet, what did I get wrong?

More from Mount Royal Soccer:

• Soccer Sans Frontières Ep. 66: Édition Tintin et les Picaros
• ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’: A Disappointing First Edition
• Montreal Impact at Club Social y Deportivo Heredia : Game Hub
• ET PENDANT CE TEMPS-LÀ, AU GUATEMALA…
• CONCACAF Champions League: Montreal travels to Guatemala to face CD Heredia in second group stage match