Sometimes, things have a way of cancelling each other out.
A "controversial" (to use the preferred euphemism) penalty kick for Montreal in the first half of Saturday's showdown at the Big O was cancelled out by an, ahem, controversial penalty gifted to Toronto in the second half. The impressive, coordinated support from the hometown Ultras was, to some extent anyway, cancelled out by the several thousand (not 5,000, but a massive turnout nonetheless) traveling TFC supporters.
Even the early, precautionary removal of Alessandro Nesta was cancelled out by a resolute and organized Impact squad that bent, but didn't break, amidst a late-game push by the visiting Reds.
And while losing to a natural rival like Montreal is always going to sting for the Toronto faithful, that disappointment is somewhat cancelled out by the realization that the Impact are looking -- so far, anyway -- like a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.
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Head coach Ryan Nelsen could be forgiven for taking the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to his squad selection, coming off last week's surprising victory over Kansas City. But this time, the script was flipped, as TFC found themselves at the receiving end of a penalty decision and a bit of opportunism combined with a smooth finish by an opposing striker.
Yes, some fans (guilty as charged) argued bitterly at the time that Marco di Vaio's tally should have been called back for offside. And while there's a chance it was (even freeze-frame replays proved inconclusive), it's the sort of play that ultimately falls within the officials' acceptable margin of error. Besides, even the hangover-nursing red-clad hordes would likely concede the Impact were full value for the win on the day.
It helps, of course, to know that Toronto will have at least four more opportunities this year to cancel out Saturday's result, with two more MLS regular-season games and two Canadian championship tussles to come against Montreal.
By the time those fixtures roll around, TFC could (stop me if you've heard this one before) look very different: Danny Koevermans, Luis Silva and Julio Cesar could all be back from injury and be regular starters, while president Kevin Payne may have pulled the trigger on the additional player acquisitions he's mused about (including one or two new designated players, maybe?)
Meanwhile, we'll see whether Montreal (currently sitting alone atop the league table, albeit at a very early juncture) will have fallen back to earth, particularly as the rigours of an MLS season begin to take their toll on the many pairs of 30-something-year-old knees on the Impact roster.
For where these two teams sit right now, Saturday's result seemed correct... but the MLS campaign is still very young, and there's plenty of time yet for unexpected events to cancel that result out entirely.
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