Laborious but sufficient. The Montreal Impact, thanks to a draw (0-0) at home against the Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa, last night, qualified for the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Champions League. Successful beginnings, therefore, for the new coach of the Canadian club Thierry Henry, failing to be victorious.
In the next round, the Impact will have to further raise its level of play, in a meeting that will oppose the Seattle Sounders, MLS champions (Editor's note: the North American championship) in title or at the Olimpia, club of Honduras.
The coach appreciated the envy of his players
The draw (2-2) won in San José in the first leg was therefore improved by the Canadian team, which qualified using the away goals rule. Thierry Henry's men were able to resist to the end the attempts of the Costa Rican team, triple C1 winner in the past.
At the end of a meeting where his team had shown little in terms of the game, Henry, 42, admits that "it was not an obvious match", referring to "a team difficult to maneuver". "We only have two matches in the legs, so to see my team fight to the end, the outward and return, I have nothing to say to them on this plan ..." added the former Gunner.
At the end of what was therefore his first home game with Montreal, the satisfaction of the result prevailed on the way. His team is indeed still far from filling the top scorer in the history of the French team in terms of the game.
Make way for the opening of MLS
Its players made only their second appearance of the season last night. Canadians logically still need time to perfect their physical condition and work their automatisms, before possibly shaping a game identity, specific to their French coach.
Inflated to block, the former Monegasque coach can now turn to his debut in MLS, with the reception on Saturday from New England, at the start of the championship.
