Montreal Impact suffer heartbreaking loss to TFC

Well, that was a tough one to swallow Impact fans. Whether we want to blame that heartbreaking 2-1 loss on the ref, suspensions or injuries; we have to face the harsh reality that we lost and we have to wait another year before getting another kick at qualifying for the champions league.

Without further adieu, let’s jump right into my player ratings. I will be keeping this brief because I’m in no mood to dwell on that game and I doubt any of you want to relive those final minutes either.

Maxime Crépeau: The Canadian international made a number of key saves to keep the Impact in this game. He made quite a few impressive stops. It was the kind of performance that can put him in the running for the starting job. Performance Rating: 9/10

Hassoun Camara: The lanky Frenchman once again struggled to keep up with the pace of the game. His reliance on his right foot held him back since he was not able to get rid of the ball quickly enough. Performance Rating: 5.5/10

Victor Cabrera: To the great surprise of many Impact fans, the Argentinian wasn’t atrocious. In fact, he was actually an asset. He was smart and clinical in his challenges and was also able to cover the very physical Jozy Altidore. Performance Rating: 8.5/10

Laurent Ciman: In the face of a full out TFC assault in the 2^nd half, Ciman knuckled down and help strong. He kept the Impact’s defensive line relatively organized. On the way, the Belgian racked up 4 tackles, 3 interceptions, 5 clearances and a staggering 13 recoveries, not a shabby night’s work for the Général.

Kyle Fisher: I think it is pretty clear now: Fisher is a center back, not a fullback. The young American struggled out wide vs TFC. He was not able to create much going forward and had some uncharacteristic turnovers in his own half. Performance Rating: 6/10

Hernan Bernardello: When I saw the starting 11, I was quite worried about the prospect of Bernardello playing as a holding midfielder. However, he proved my worries unfounded. He avoided turnovers and helped the back line with strong tackles. Performance Rating: 8/10

Patrice Bernier: The Impact’s captain once again proved that even at 37 years young, he is still a difference maker on the pitch but against TFC, Bernier’s passing wasn’t quite as accurate as we have come to expect from the Brossard native. Performance Rating: 7/10

Blerim Dzemaili: Tuesday’s game versus TFC was by far his worst in an Impact jersey. Despite his contribution towards Ballou’s goal, the Swiss midfielder was a turnover machine. He tried running at TFC’s lines but rather than breaking those lines, he wound up giving up the ball. Performance Rating: 5/10

Ballou Tabla: On a night during which Piatti was muzzled, it was our young Canadian’s chance to shine. He brought a verticality to our attack by successfully breaking through TFC’s lines. Ballou also gave the Impact the lead when he beautifully curled the ball around Clint Irwin’s outstretched fingers. Performance Rating: 9/10

Ignacio Piatti: Toronto did their very best to keep a lid on our explosive Argentinian. Sadly, Nacho was not able to burst free from his coverage and make a massive difference in Tuesday’s game. Performance Rating: 6/10

Matteo Mancosu: Like we’ve seen in previous weeks, the Italian kept a very low profile on the pitch. It seems the only facet to his game is running behind defenders. MLS teams have clued into that. If Mancosu wants to keep on scoring goals and living up to his 700 000 dollar a year price tag, he’ll have to learn a few new tricks. Performance Rating: 6.5/10

Once again, the Impact have fallen short in their quest for the Voyager’s cup. That means yet another year without Champions league football for us fans. The Impact will now be entirely focused on MLS play and that’s a good thing since their next game is a critical one. The Impact are facing off versus DC United who are currently tied with IMFC for points