Piatti’s penalty miss looms large in Canadian Championship final’s first leg

We’ll have to wait a week to see just how large a part Ignacio Piatti’s penalty miss plays in the Canadian Championship final.

Wednesday’s first leg between Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact finished in a 1-1 draw, so the Reds hold the slight advantage of the road goal heading into the second leg at BMO Field. But, things could have been that much brighter for the Stade Saputo home crowd had Piatti converted his second-half penalty kick.

Piatti was brought down in the box by TFC keeper Clint Irwin, who was in the midst of a rough night. In the first hand, he spilled a shot from Marco Donadel right into the path of Matteo Mancosu, who headed the ball into an open goal.

Piatti went to the spot, and Irwin wasn’t required to make save. Piatti obliged the TFC keeper – and let him off the hook for the foul, too — by sending his shot over the bar.

Irwin was called on to provide some heroics late in the second half, as he leapt to tip Laurent Ciman’s free kick over the bar.

But Irwin wasn’t the only keeper on the night who would want to have a chance to make amends for a poor goal. Montreal keeper Maxime Crepeau allowed Jozy Altidore’s shot to go right through him for the equalizing goal. Altidore got his chance while Montreal’s Daniel Lovitz was hunched over on the turf after getting into a collision. But, referee Silviu Petrescu, as is his right if there isn’t a clear head injury, allowed the play to continue, and TFC continued to press the attack.

No quarter was given in the 401 rivalry, as it should be.

Under the new tournament rules instituted for 2017, each team is required to start a minimum of three Canadians. Both teams did that; but only one of those six, Crepeau, played the full 90. Maybe the rule needs to be changed to three Canadians on the field per team at all times, rather than just three Canadians starting.