Vancouver Whitecaps v Montreal Impact – A First Kick Story In Pictures

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Michael McColl in MLS with 1 Comment

The 2016 MLS season is up and running. Vancouver Whitecaps will wish they could have it back and have a do over following an 3-2 opening day defeat to Canadian rivals Montreal Impact.

Ignacio Piatti did the damage, terrorising the Whitecaps defence, grabbing two goals and setting up Dominic Oduro for another. For all Vancouver’s attacking additions, their two goals came from set pieces and from defenders, Jordan Harvey and Kendall Waston.

The ‘Caps will look to move on quickly but can take some solace from their opening day defeat last season to Toronto and how they soon turned their season around. More of the same will be the order of the day.

AFTN photographer Tom Ewasiuk was there to capture all the action before, during and after the game and here’s his “Story In Pictures”, with a full Flickr slideshow at the end.

[Also check out Tom’s website www.residualimagephotography.com for more of his photos and work].

The away team. No, the home team. Ok, I’m confused. Either way, it’s the Whitecaps starting XI

The other guys – boo!

Vancouver Southsiders pre-match tifo

Curva Collective were also in fine voice pre-game

Scarves up for the ‘Caps

After an evenly matched opening, Montreal stunned the BC Place crowd when Ignacio Piatti worked his magic against some poor defending and fired a blistering shot past David Ousted in the 19th minute

Cue the Montreal joy – the first of several bursts on Sunday afternoon

Octavio Rivero nearly responded immediately but his dipping shot beat Evan Bush but crashed off the bar

And the Uruguayan had another chance soon after when played in one on one with Bush

But a heavy first touch allowed the Montreal keeper to come out and save

Two costly missed chances were punished in the 42nd minute when Piatti played the ball through to Dominic Oduro, leading to confusion between Kendall Waston and Ousted, a fluffed clearance and a second Montreal goal

It was going to be an uphill battle now for Vancouver

But right on the stroke of half time, Pedro Morales played a dangerous free kick into the Montreal box

Right on to the foot of Jordan Harvey

And the goal machine pulled one back to make it 2-1 Montreal at the break

The second half started with more Whitecaps pressure and more ways to thwart a hard-working Rivero

Desperates time call for the horned goalscoring beast and Blas Perez makes his MLS Whitecaps debut

The Whitecaps pressed and Evan Bush produced a fantastic diving goal-line save to keep out a close range Rivero header. It just wasn’t going to be the striker’s day

And Vancouver’s misery was complete in the 88th minute when Piatti netted his second and Montreal’s third with another excellent finish

Nestling into the bottom corner

David Ousted sums up how everyone of a Vancouver persuasion was feeling by this point

Kendall Waston reduced the deficit to one once again in the dying seconds but it was too little, too late and there was no time for a comeback, with Montreal running out 3-2 winners

You can see a Flickr slideshow of all of Tom’s photos from the game below (or click HERE to see them all: