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2) BIG GAME EXPERIENCE

It’s not that the Impact doesn’t have big game experience. They do. It’s just not nearly as significant as Toronto FC’s. Beyond Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley, who’ve appeared at Confederation and World Cups, Will Johnson, Tosaint Ricketts and Armando Cooper have an immense amount of club and international experience within CONCACAF. Defensive stalwart Drew Moor has been in these situations before, which could negate the fact his defensive partners — Eriq Zavaleta and Nick Hagglund — don’t have the same level of big game experience. The “least experienced” player on the pitch for Toronto FC probably will be goalkeeper Clint Irwin, who’s in his fourth full year in the league and has more than 100 appearances.

3) IMPACT A ONE-MAN SHOW

Nothing against Matteo Mancuso, but the Montreal Impact are very much a one-man team that looks to play through Nacho Piatti in transition. It’s how they punished DC United in the knockout round. It’s how they punished the New York Red Bulls Sunday night. It’s no secret the Impact is going to sit deep with a pair of holding midfielders — Marco Donadel and Hernan Bernardello — and look to clog up the spaces both Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore look to operate in. Look at the goals the Impact have scored in recent weeks. They’re off set pieces, long balls and counter-attacking opportunities — or Piatti brilliance. But they struggle to break teams down that sit behind the ball. With two weeks off between games, the Reds should be in position to deploy a game plan that eliminates Montreal’s ability to counter, especially since they won’t be chasing a result in the opening leg.