Impact's defining moment awaits Unlike their opponents, who woke up Saturday morning with thoughts of a crucial league match that evening uppermost in mind, the most pressing matters for Impact players Saturday was choice of music and in-flight reading material for their mid-afternoon departure to Juan Santamaría International Airport, Costa Rica. Destination? A place in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League Final no less.

Noel Butler Analyst, TSN Radio 690 Montreal Archive

Unlike their opponents, who woke up Saturday morning with thoughts of a crucial league match that evening uppermost in mind, the most pressing matters for Impact players Saturday was choice of music and in-flight reading material for their mid-afternoon departure to Juan Santamaría International Airport, Costa Rica.

Destination? A place in the 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League Final no less.

With the distraction of an almighty semifinal 2nd leg upcoming a mere 72-hours later, Alajuelense were no match for their opponent Saturday. The 3-1 defeat, their first league reversal in six outings. Ominously for Alajuelense, much like in the 1st leg against the Impact, their fate Saturday was sealed when conceding an early opening goal.

Since that momentous March 18th night at Olympic Stadium, much has been made of the old adage 2-0 is the hardest lead to defend in football. Last time I checked 1-0 was far more difficult.

It does not matter how many times in the entire history of the CONCACAF Champions League, or for that matter the UEFA Champions League, in which the home team has won the 1st leg by the 2-0 score line only to come a cropper in the 2nd Leg - Tuesday night's match will not be settled in a statistician's office but in the heat of battle down on the pitch.

The Impact certainly won't need reminding what has happened so far this season in the two matches in which they held a 2-0 lead. Be the quarterfinal 1st Leg in Pachuca, or the more recent home opener against Orlando, it would be foolhardy to allow either of those eventual outcomes to distract from the task at hand Tuesday night.

If the Impact need to remind themselves of anything so far this season, then how about the expert way they carried out their game plan during the 1st leg?

Taking the game to Alajuelense from the opening kickoff, the Impact dominated in all aspects and phases. In doing so they made a complete mockery of the fact overall possession came within a whisker of 50/50 each. Come the final whistle, the 2-0 score line flattered their Costa Rican opponents.

Only some poor decision making, combined with a lack of clinical finishing in front of goal, were the reason the Impact didn't capitalize on further opportunities after Victor Cabrera provided the Impact with the 2-0 lead with only fourteen minutes on the Olympic Stadium clock.

Even with the 1st leg advantage to fall back on, let there be no doubt the Impact face two formidable opponents Tuesday night - Alajuelense, a club who reached the very same stage of the competition last season plus the competition itself.

Only once in history has an MLS club, Real Salt Lake back in 2010/11 safely navigated its way to a Champions League Final. Canada's best showing coming a season later when Toronto FC bowed out at the semifinal stage. How's that for further motivation if needed.

To gain a better sense of perspective of how improbable the Impact's Champions League campaign has been - if they reach this month's final, it would be as unlikely as a Scottish club making it to June 6th's UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin.

Scotland just like Canada only receives a solitary spot in their respective football continent's premium club competition.

Cynics will make a case of a third opponent for the Impact Tuesday night. CONCACAF officials are not on the best first name terms with Canadian soccer, or the US for that matter, which assures you each and every close decision the referee Joel Aguilar makes will come under the North American microscope.

In the Impact's three Champions League knockout stage matches to date they can certainly have no complaints of the officiating. They will expect the same standard Tuesday night.

The Impact's approach and preparation for the 2nd Leg needs to be as thorough as it was back on March 18th. Part of that preparation will have been watching video of how capable and extremely dangerous Alajuelense can be. No clearer illustration of this was the Costa Ricans destruction of a team which set the standard in the Eastern Conference in 2014, and one which currently sits in pole position this season.

Far more will be gained and learned by the Impact from watching the 1st Leg of Alajuelense's quarterfinal where they banged in five goals against DC United than reviewing the 1st of their own semifinal. To underline their potent scoring threat twice this young year already, Alajuelense has scored six times in a league game at home.

They will certainly expect the home crowd at the very intimate Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto to play their part Tuesday night. Head coach Oscar Ramírez Hernández said as much after the 1st Leg. Parking the bus is not an option. The only way to ensure the very partisan crowd is removed from the equation is to score the first goal.

Before that, taking the game to Alajuelense and matching them in the aggression stakes will be just as vital. Battling for the ball and winning the mind battle will unsettle and unhinge. Doubts setting in across the stands have an awful habit of transcending down to the pitch. The opposite holds true as well.

The Montreal Canadiens will shortly embark on another journey in search of reuniting with Lord Stanley for a record 25th time. When the clock strikes midnight Tuesday, we'll know if the Impact and more than 50,000 of their closest friends will be gathering at Olympic Stadium for the final chapter of a fairy tale which began with a 1st Leg semifinal defeat in the Voyageurs Cup against FC Edmonton eleven long months ago, back on May 8th last year.

Who could ever forget how that semifinal outcome was finally settled in the return leg at Saputo Stadium a week later.

The perfect reminder and illustration - that just like in life itself, in knock out football over two legs it is not where you start which matters, but where you finish.

Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca

@TheSoccerNoel on Twitter

Alajuelense Vs Montreal Impact Live on TSN690 – Tuesday, April 7th Kick Off 10:00pm et/7:00pm pt [www.TSN690.ca]