What a game. I don't know how you top that kind of game, at least in this tournament.
Santos won 5-2 and won the series 5-4. They play Atlante in the semifinals while Montreal is out.
Two things...
* Anyone still doubt the dominance Mexican teams have at home? The last time a Mexican team lost at home... was on Wednesday when Pumas lost but they lost to Cruz Azul. The last time a Mexican team lost a game (in the CCC or CCL) to a non-Mexican team in Mexico was indeed Atlante as East River pointed out. Atlante lost to Joe Public during the group stage. Saprissa beat Monterrey in Monterrey in 2005, but on PKs. I checked the '03 and '02 tourneys but the venues weren't all available so it was difficult to tell if some of the Mexican teams' losses came at home or not. But no losses from 2004 through this year save for Atlante's setback to Joe Public.
* Montreal blew it. Giving up two stoppage-time goals is unacceptable. I don't care if it's a USL team or a high school team; allowing those goals under those circumstances is horrid. They showed they could play with Santos but they also showed their inability to rise up to the level of the game.
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I 2nd your comments LB. I know some really pro-MLS ppl are smiling about this but not me. I love an underdog and this kicked off March Madness for me.
I'm still in a bit of shock that they lost like that. I thought they might still loose but to give up those two goals was just completely unforgivable. I mean all you got to do is kick the ball away or head the ball away or something fall down and block the ball or something for Pete's sake! But no Montreal's defenders stood there and brought a new meaning to ball watching. Sad b/c they will never have this kind of magic again nor will anyone ever underestimate them again.
As for Santos they should do some serious soul searching and ask themselves why did they need a last second goal in stoppage time to beat a 2nd division Canadian team?
I turned off the game after they went up 2-1, thinking no way Santos could come back from that.
Funny thing is, I was watching the Galavision feed, one of the commentators said after Santos scored the first goal, that it was a result of Montreal playing defensive, and not playing to their attacking strengths and that if they kept of playing defensive soccer, Santos would eat them alive.
After Montreal went up 2-1, I thought for sure they would continue their attacking game, but it looks like they decided to sit back, which to a certain extent is the right call when you're up that much, but at the same time it wasn't Montreal's strong suit to play the game that way. Still, it looks like this series in particular has legitimized this tournament as the real deal. No Superliga game has even come close to this type of game and atmoshpere. The Santos fans were going nuts, they actually cared!
You bet they cared do you really want the shame of losing a series to a 2nd division Canadian team:-)!! Seriously you knew they were bunkering when they subbed on a defender late in the 1st half. Why? Really stupid on their coach part. Montreal did have a PK not called as Brown went in alone on the GK and got tripped but the ref did not call it but he made up for it by not calling an obvious PK on Montreal for knocking over a Santos player in the box late in regulation. Montreal's GK did all he could but his defenders just let him down. Yes they got sliced up like you would happen if they defended for whole 2nd half but those last two goals was just so stupid it was pee wee league stuff. Its too bad Univision did not show this on Telefutra they have continuingly optioned to show the lesser teams on Galavision.
But yeah this tournament has been stepped up a bit all b/c of two USL teams recking the peace in CCC. PR's defending is much better so I don't expect much from them. But PRI's GK is very good and should keep them close for a while.
Montreal choked at the end. Good game though.
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