Oduro slams ref after Montreal injustice

Dominic Oduro’s Montreal Impact are on the brink of making history, having drawn 1-1 away at Club America in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions League final.

The home side may have had the better of the game at the Azteca Stadium, but they were unable to beat the Impact and will now have to secure a result away in Canada on April 29.

The Impact opened the scoring on 16 minutes.

Oduro was influential, cutting in from the right before playing the ball across goal. Dilly Duka let the ball run across his body, before Ignacio Piatti—the club’s designated player—fired home with aplomb.

While Impact ceded the lead late on, with Oribe Peralta scoring in the 89th minute, Frank Klopas’s side can be very proud of their performance.

However, while a draw away against one of the continent’s finest sides is an excellent result, there is a niggling suspicion that it could have been so much more.

Oduro burst through on goal towards the end of the first half, only to be brought down by a professional foul by Osvaldo Martinez.

Had Impact made it two, or had America been reduced to ten men with a half still to play, the Canadians might have been returning to the Saputo Stadium with a greater advantage.

The defender appeared to deny a goalscoring opportunity, but the referee showed remarkable leniency.

“I’m just going to be very political about this,” Oduro commented after the match, as reported by MLSsoccer.

“If you’re the last defender and you foul a guy going to goal, obviously it’s a red card.”

Designated player Piatti, however, appeared to be sympathetic to the referee, and refused to blame him for the decision.

“The referee said [Oduro] didn't have complete control of the ball,” he began, “so that's why he didn't show him red.”