Nutrilite Canadian Championship

Tonight's match between Montreal and Vancouver will mark the return of the dirty scoundrels of last years tournament who played spoiler to the Whitecaps dream of capturing their first Nutrilite Championship. As most Vancouver fans will painfully remember, Montreal rested their key players in the final Nurilite Match vs Toronto. Montreal who had already been eliminated from the tournament had to hold Toronto to
less then 4 goals to secure the championship for the Whitecaps. Toronto had never scored 4 goals in their 3 year history. Somehow they managed 6 balls over Montreal's goal line on that fateful evening in La Belle Provence. Many locals calling the Impact cowards and claiming the game was a fix.

We all know Montreal was resting their stars for a match 2 days later vs. The Whitecaps, which they eventually won to add insult to injury. What we might not realize though is the actual "impact" that it had on Montreal's season.

I recently listened to a podcast (the fan 590's Nigel Reed and Bob Iarusci) featuring Montreal's Technical Director Nick De Santis, in which he stated that had it not been for that victory over the Whitecaps, his club never would have made the playoffs. Thus they never would have been able to win the League Championship. So
personally I can't blame them. It's a tough way to miss out on a championship but look at Liverpool's agrigate loss to Athletico Madrid this week in Europa League. In the end you have nobody but yourself to blame if you don't win the games you need to win. Montreal did just that and won the USL.

The USSF D2 (aka the deuce) introduced stipulations this year that teams must field the best team available to prevent a repeat of what happened in last years Nutrilite Championship. 

Hopefully Teitur's boys will be able to find a scoring touch on Wednesday, as it seems that Jay Nolly's incredible goaltending has been their only saving grace this season. Pun intended.

Montreal Suspended Roberto Brown, their top striker for a couple games, he has also been suspended by the CSA. He was involved in a dust up with Toronto FC defender Nick Garcia in the last match in which Montreal was defeated 2-0 by the Reds.