Montreal will be forced to use a brand new goalkeeper in the Champions League final, which may be the Impact's biggest challenge yet, writes Rudi Schuller.
Imagine making your debut with the Montreal Impact in the club's biggest ever match, in front of over 61,000 fans at Olympic Stadium.
That's the scenario facing either newly acquired German netminder Kristian Nicht or on-loan goalkeeper John Smits after CONCACAF upheld the suspension to Impact starter Evan Bush.
It's just the latest in a long line of obstacles that have presented themselves during Montreal's Champions League run. To the Impact's credit, the team has overcome each and every one of them just to get to this point, but the prospect of facing the biggest club in the region in a do-or-die match is daunting enough without having to scramble to find someone to play in goal.