York9 FC 2, Montreal Impact 2 | 2019 Canadian Championship Match Recap

A furious final 10 minutes paved the way for a 2-2 draw between the Montreal Impact and Canadian Premier League club York9 FC Wednesday night in the first leg of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal.

Montreal, down 2-1 and facing a tall task in the return leg July 24 at Stade Saputo, received a late lifeline in the 90th minute. York9 goalkeeper Nathan Ingham needlessly clipped Maxi Urruti well away from goal, allowing Saphir Taider step up to make it 2-2 in the 92nd minute by converting the penalty kick.

Up to that point, second-half substitute Rodrigo Gattas looked like the hero for York9, as he made it 2-1 in the 88th minute after a well-worked corner kick. The Chilean forward latched onto a flicked header at the back post, with center back Luca Gasparotto setting up the play.

Gattas first got York9’s comeback going in the 83rd minute, playing Toronto FC loanee Ryan Telfer in over the top. Telfer controlled the sprayed through ball to smash home, drawing matters level at 1-1.

After a stalemate of a first half, Montreal found the breakthrough in the 62nd minute via a dose of good fortune. Gasparotto attempted to head back to Ingham, but misplaced his effort, leading to Panamanian forward Omar Browne opening the scoring by depositing into the open net.

York9 could have found a dramatic, late winner, but Joseph Di Chiara’s 94th-minute effort went narrowly over the bar. Clement Diop, the onrushing Montreal goalkeeper, did just enough to preserve the result.

Goals

• 62' – MTL – Omar Browne
• 83' – YK9 – Ryan Telfer
• 88' – YK9 – Rodrigo Gattas
• 90+2 – MTL – Saphir Taider (PK)

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: York9 came about 90 seconds away from the first CPL win over an MLS team in the Canadian Championship. Instead, Montreal returns home for the second leg with two away goals in hand and it’s York9 with all the work to do. Remi Garde heavily rotated his starting XI, too, which nearly hurt the Impact.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH: 
Nathan Ingham fans, you might want to look away. The York9 goalkeeper was minutes away from the home-leg win, then committed a clear foul on Maxi Urruti in the 18-yard box. That allowed Saphir Taider to step up and earn a result for the Impact.

MAN OF THE MATCH: 
Rodrigo Gattas sparked York9 to life in the second half, nearly earning his team a historic result. With a goal and an assist, he showed that the CPL club, led by former Toronto FC player and assistant coach Jimmy Brennan, is no slouch.

Next Up

• YK9: Sunday, July 14 vs. FC Edmonton (3:30 pm ET | onesoccer.ca in Canada) | Canadian Premier League
• MTL: Saturday, July 13 vs. Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET | TVAS, TSN4, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US)