SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – They’re almost there.
The meaning of ‘there’ here is twofold. The Montreal Impact have been waiting for this day for a long time, and now it's only a matter of hours now before they step into Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto on Tuesday night for the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal tie against Alajuelense (10 pm ET, Fox Sports 2).
And within the competition itself, they’re almost there, too. Up 2-0 from the first leg, they’re one good result away from becoming the second-ever MLS club, since Real Salt Lake in 2010-11, to make it to the final in the CCL era.
Montreal, who took advantage of a bye weekend in league play to arrive in Central America earlier than usual, have to deal with the effects that both occasions have on their minds, the mixed feelings they generate. It's a balance, no doubt.
“There have been times when we’ve talked about winning the whole thing and probably going to the Club [World Cup] to play against those big teams,” Dominic Oduro told reporters early in the team’s stay in Costa Rica. “But at the same time, you also have to know you have to take it one step at a time. We do think about it, but we know this is a step that we have to take if we want to get there.”
According to goalkeeper Evan Bush, not only is Alajuelense’s quality a good reason for Montreal to hold off on visualizing themselves in the final yet, but the tournament’s schedule keeps them from looking ahead as well.
“It helps that the other semifinal’s the day after us, so it’s not like we know an opponent or anything like that, yet,” Bush said. “We know that it’s only halftime, for sure. We’re up 2-0, and we feel it in our grasp, but by no means are we looking past [Tuesday].”
Should Montreal leave the Morera Soto in Alajuela as CCL finalists, they would also enter the annals of the competition by becoming the first Canadian club to make it that far – including the old Champions Cup years.
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Montreal’s tagline for this CCL run has been “Let’s make history.” The opportunity is not lost on them.
“It’d be great for the club, for the city and also for the league, for the players and our great fans,” head coach Frank Klopas said. “I know that we have a lot of experienced players that have been in big moments, but it’s a great opportunity that we put ourselves into. It’s just about getting those moments and seizing the moments and the opportunity without any regrets."
“That’s what we can all ask for: we go out there, and there are no regrets,” Klopas continued. “We put everything in the game. Sometimes, certain things are not in our control, but things that are in our control, the way we prepare, being here early, and what we put into the game from a commitment standpoint, that's got to be there.”
