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CONCACAF Champions League: Montreal collapses as Santos Laguna completes stunning comeback

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When Eduardo Sebrango scored the second goal for the Montreal Impact in the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg match against Santos Laguna, it sure felt like a game-winner.

The 37th-minute tally made the score 2-1, and 4-1 overall lead that had Montreal fans thinking about the semifinals.

Then the second half happened.

Santos Laguna scored four unanswered goals, including two in stoppage time, cap a miraculous comeback and eliminate Montreal from the Champions League with a 5-2 victory and 5-4 series victory on Thursday night.

The Impact can look in the mirror for blame as its exciting attacking style went out the window in favor of an ultra-defensive approach that made Montreal's defense an easy target for Santos' sharp passing and decisive finishing.

Here are all seven goals (you might want to turn away if you are a Montreal fan):

The loss means that the Puerto Rico Islanders are all alone in the Champions League semifinals against three Mexican clubs, with Cruz Azul the first opponent for them in the semis (Santos Laguna will face Atlante).

As for Montreal, the Impact will look back on a golden opportunity wasted and a historic collapse that won't soon be forgotten.

What did you think of the match? Still in disbelief? Are you an MLS fan reveling in the Impact's misery? Did the Montreal coach cost his team the game?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Christian, just keep displaying that arrogance while everyone else watches Mexico desperately fight to keep from slipping behind the Central American minnows in the CONCACAF pecking order.

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  2. wykell, I wondered about that as well. Plus the goal was scored in the 5th minute of extra time. Not that I watched. Maybe it was a reasonable amount of extra time. But going on history, I would not be surprised if the time was a little excessive, and the player a little offside.

    Still, that’s a lot of goals to give up. Sorry that it happened.

    Then again, it makes for another exciting story, and improves the legend of the tournament.

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  3. artie,

    Houston scored two goals of its own in that Pachuca game, hardly bunkering. Pachuca, at the time, was the best team in North America. But thanks for correctly pointing out that Houston would have advanced on away goals.

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  4. Add last nights game to the list and I even called it my friends thought i was joking but having watched all the other games i listed the recipe was the same. Wave after wave after wave of attack and the defense basically being overwhelmed. I walked away when it was 3-2 because I knew Santos would win it in the dying minutes.

    ———————————-

    I almost did the same thing after the third goal thinking “here we go again, time for bed.” Instead I deluded myself into saying this Santos team isn’t as good as Pachuca and Saprissa and that Montreal is better than those LA or Houston teams.

    Of course it was just the same script again.

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  5. Yeah my bad- Torreon is lower than Mexico City of Guadalajara.

    This was a terrible collapse. The snotty MLS fans saying they are happy obviosuly aren’t from the South. I’ve traded emails and had a few comments on my blog the last few days with southern fans who’ve said they’ve never seen the Dynamo or DC United play in person yet have seen Montreal and Puerto Rico many times in person and thus those are the teams they have been rooting for in this tournament from the beginning.

    While I don’t personally care for either the MLS snobism or the USL exclusive fan, I can understand their point of view.

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  6. i’m not a Montreal fan, but i just hate mexican teams so this was a complete disappointment. the Impact should really be ashamed of their display. simply pathetic. i don’t even feel bad for them because they were just crap.

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  7. madmax:

    Only Santos fans are celebrating their win and I don’t need to remind you that there are three Mexican teams in the semis.

    People in Mexico aren’t as fickle and usually don’t support rival clubs in international tourneys.

    That’s left up to some MLS fans and their gaping need for international acceptance, a category in which you are king my friend.

    Reply
  8. Not such a shock. As a Galaxy fan, I seem to remember a similar playoff collapse in the second leg a few years back….

    Posted by: Jon

    ****************************

    I was reminded of that game, too. But the result last night has to be surprising to anyone who watched the whole game. Surely Montreal, couldn’t be eliminated after their 2-1 halftime lead meant Santos needed FOUR 2nd half goals.

    Both the Donovan-era SJ comeback and last night’s Santos comeback will be remembered because of their improbable nature.

    Highly entertaining!

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  9. The foul on Brown by the keeper should have been a penalty. But then again, there should have been a penalty called against Montreal’s left back later on.

    dn

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  10. So does anyone see the trend

    i can name many games in the past ten years where US league based clubs blew their chance:

    KC vs Saprissa losing the game in overtime, in the champions cup going up 1 nil late in the game and blowing it, (they bunkered at the end)

    LA vs Saprissa same thing losing the game in overtime after having a two goal lead.(bunkered at the end It literally killed our GM.)

    Houston vs Pachuca
    Houston goes down to Mexico two goal lead blows it as well(although had the away goal rule been in place Houston would have gone through) still they let four goals in. i think Houston tried to Bunker

    DC vs Universidad Catholica
    Not a dc fan but man that one was Painful
    up 2 nil as well lose the game in the dying Minutes.Not sure if they bunkered at the end but they sure werent attacking.

    Add last nights game to the list and I even called it my friends thought i was joking but having watched all the other games i listed the recipe was the same. Wave after wave after wave of attack and the defense basically being overwhelmed. I walked away when it was 3-2 because I knew Santos would win it in the dying minutes.

    Reply
  11. I was rooting for Montreal (and Puerto Rico) this week despite the idiots on these boards that somwhow equated the two teams runs to USL superiority over MLS.

    The teams played a combined two games versus MLS teams in their respective runs (Montreal’s two games v. Toronto (who just happened to be the 3rd worst team in MLS last year in that silly little Canadian tourney).

    Every year the MLS teams play USL teams in the US Open Cup and every year (accept one) an MLS team has come out on top.

    When a Championship team makes a run in the FA Cup is it suddenly better than the Premiership? When Porto won the CL a few years back was Potugal the best league in Europe?

    I hope the USL enjoyed its littlf self created, delusions of grandeur run in the sun. But its over.

    That being said go Islanders, I’ll be cheering for you.

    Reply
  12. This match, just like any other Mex-US based clash, had that Chronicle of a Death Foretold air about it. You know it’ll happen and it’s just a matter of time.

    It’s happened to Houston, it’s happpened to Dc and now Montreal. It’ll be this way for another 10 years at least as long as Mex teams get to play the secong leg at home in front of their crazy hinchas.

    Reply

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