Yes, it was long walk back to the locker room Wednesday for the Montreal Impact.
After coming so close to the Champions League title, just 45 minutes away from lifting the trophy, the result was tough on all who hold the bleu-blanc-noir dear.
But when you look back at what the club accomplished throughout its run and all the setbacks it had to overcome, the Impact family should be extremely proud.
New team
The team was completely revamped in the offseason after a last place finish in MLS in 2014.
By the end of this tournament, no less than 13 new faces joined the Montreal roster, with seven of them starting the decisive game in the finals.
Without even having played a competitive game, IMFC kicked off the knockout rounds with a completely new core of players against Pachuca, who was already in midseason form.
Injuries and suspensions
The MLS club was also forced to deal with a number of injuries to important players.
In addition to losing goal scoring hero Cameron Porter and midfield stalwart Justin Mapp to long term injuries, Marco Donadel, Victor Cabrera, Hassoun Camara, Andrés Romero and Dilly Duka all missed time. In fact, the team was down two right backs for the decisive leg, forcing midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker to play out of position.
And let’s not forget the suspension to Evan Bush, who ironically was named goalkeeper of the tournament, missing the championship game after being shown a suspect yellow card.
Making history
Despite this, IMFC wrote a number of new chapters to the history books of both club and North American soccer, as:
The first Canadian club to make the finals;
Just the second MLS club to ever make the finals;
The first MLS club to get consecutive results on Mexican soil in the knockout rounds, a 2-2 draw in Pachuca and a historic 1-1 result at the storied Estadio Azteca;
61,004 fans in attendance for the final at Olympic Stadium was a record crowd for the club and for a professional soccer game in Canada, while taking second place all-time in the CONCACAF tournament.
Two Canadians played in the finals when Patrice Bernier and Maxim Tissot came on as substitutes in both legs of the series.
And looking at the bigger picture, the international exposure that this run has brought to the club, the league and the city is immeasurable.
The 2014/2015 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved: players, staff, organization, and the fans alike, with multiple highs along the way.
This great accomplishment for a club from north of the border is NOT the end of the road now that the tournament is over, but just the starting point for the next leap forward in Major League Soccer.
