Montreal Impact 1, Club Olimpia 0 | Concacaf Champions League Recap

Ari Liljenwall

The Montreal Impact came out on top 1-0 but were eliminated from the 2020 Concacaf Champions League by Club Olimpia on Tuesday, as the quarterfinals series ended tied 2-2 on aggregate, allowing Olimpia to advance on the away goals tiebreaker.

Needing to score at least two goals to have a chance of advancing, Montreal got the first off a second-half strike from Amar Sejdic, but saw their 2020 CCL run come to an end after finding themselves unable to find a second.

Club Olimpia came into the match leading 2-1 on aggregate following the first leg played in Montreal and were technically the home team for the second leg, which was played at a neutral site in Orlando as the tournament resumed play after its March postponement.

The teams swapped one major chance each in the first half, but neither would result in the game's opening goal.

Olimpia's opportunity came in the 14th minute, when Marvin Bernandez rifled in a pinpoint cross from the right side that found Jerry Bengston for a wide-open header that the former New England Revolution forward couldn't manage to put on target.

Montreal nearly scored in the 32nd minute as Luis Binks had a clear header of his own on an open goal after Olimpia goalkeeper Edrick Menjívar ranged off his line, but the shot was cleared off the line by an Olimpia defender to keep it scoreless through the halftime break.

The Impact would find the first goal they needed in the 57th minute courtesy of Sejdic, who pounced on a botched clearance at the top of the area and nestled home the finish to pull the aggregate level at 2-2. Montreal had a golden opportunity for what would have been a dramatic, series-winning goal in the waning moments of second-half stoppage time off a free kick that gave Rudy Camacho an open look on goal, but the defender's effort went right at the goalkeeper, allowing Olimpia to see out the result.

The series win sends Club Olimpia through to the semifinals, where they'll take on either NYCFC or Tigres UANL.

Goals

57' - MTL - Amar Sejdic | WATCH

Three Things

THE BIG PICTURE: It's another unprecedented challenge in an unprecedented year for all the teams taking part in the resumption of the competition, which is starting back up nine months after it was originally postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the unique circumstances, the Impact deserve credit for the effort, and they almost pulled it off with the help of Sejdic's opener. They just couldn't quite finish the job. The attention now officially turns to the offseason for head coach Thierry Henry and his group.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH
: Camacho's last-gasp header was as open a look as the Impact could have hoped for at the end of the match, and would have sent them through if he'd managed to convert.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Amar Sejdic's goal was the only goal of the match and a well-taken finish. The 24-year-old attacker gets the honors for giving his team a lifeline.