I've been saying for weeks that, as a Vancouver Whitecaps supporter, there's nothing I fear in the Voyageurs Cup more than a Montreal Impact teams that's woken up. There's so much skill on that roster that you won't quite believe it unless you actually go through each of their players and yet they got off to a lousy start, drawing two and losing one in their first three league games against sub-optimal opposition. Even their 1-0 loss to the Whitecaps at Stade Saputo was a bit of a stinker and got Vancouver fans' confidence up. Yet I was still biting my fingernails - please, Montreal, don't figure this out.
Well, they've figured out something. After weeks of struggling to score the Impact eviscerated FC Edmonton 5-0 at Foote Field a couple nights ago, with Ali Gerba romping through the Eddies defense like one of Hannibal's elephants. Edmonton tried their best but wound up utterly dismembered. It was the most one-sided battle since Cannae.
And now they're coming into Empire Field to try and do it to us. The Whitecaps hold a one-goal advantage against a team that just tagged a decent Edmonton side for five. It bodes ill.
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Don't count on the gap between the NASL and MLS to save us. Even if the gap were that big, which it isn't, the Impact have plenty of experience coping with more illustrious opponents. And if Gerba finds his stride, then he'll be doing so against a Vancouver Whitecaps defense that's having trouble stopping much of anything.
Really, the best news for Vancouver is that this may have been a one-off. Edmonton didn't look very good (two of their players, including goalkeeper Rein Baart, wound up sent off) and were coming off a shattering 3-0 loss to Toronto FC in their home opener. Meanwhile, it's not likely the Impact went from mediocrity to the Barcelona of the NASL in four days. They were picking up a few chances and half-chances against Vancouver in the first leg; Montreal was clearly the second-best team but there was some promise there. Now the promise has exploded all over unfortunate Edmonton and we're left to hope it was a fluke.
Still, the Impact are more than capable of overturning a one-goal deficit on paper. Now they've begun doing it on the field too. Am I the only one feeling the familiar palpitations of terror? They'll probably need two goals at Empire Field, at least, but that's been managed by Toronto and Dallas. Sporting Kansas City managed to get three. And none of those guys are the cream of MLS.
I'm pleased to report that there isn't much first division arrogance in Vancouver at present. There are thousands of fans who saw division two, are seeing division one, and recognize both that the first division is superior but the margin isn't as wide as between most countries' first and second divisions. However, there is some overconfidence. Vancouver didn't have that much trouble taking Montreal behind the woodshed in Montreal; how hard could it be at Empire? But FC Edmonton just gave us a vivid demonstration why you never underestimate the Montreal Impact.