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Not only did Atlante fail to beat Montreal, they were lucky not to find themselves on the receiving end of an embarrassing defeat.

The Impact had numerous goal-scoring chances in the first half and, if not for their wastefulness in front of goal, could easily have gone into the interval with a comfortable lead. The second half was a more even affair with fewer chances, and in the end both teams had to settle for a point apiece as the game ended scoreless.

Limniatis's selection spot on

So why did the expected drubbing at the hands of the Mexican powerhouse fail to materialize?

For starters, Montreal Impact head coach John Limniatis got the better of his counterpart, Atlante manager Jose Guadalupe Cruz. Limniatis got his team selection spot on, while Cruz unwisely decided to rest his usual starters. That decision proved costly, as the Mexicans failed to threaten the Impact goal and never really looked like they would score.

The Montreal back four of Di Lorenzo, Pesoli, Pizzolitto and Braz were superb, limiting the Mexicans to just two shots on target. Both of those efforts were easily handled by Matt Jordan in the Montreal goal, and for someone accustomed to performing heroics in goal for the Impact, Jordan had a relatively quiet evening.

Felix Brillant and Peter Byers both had their best games in an Impact jersey. Brillant worked tirelessly down the wing for Montreal, while Byers tormented the Atlante defenders for 78 minutes, when he was replaced by an equally effective Roberto Brown.

And what can I say about the midfield duo of Sandro Grande and David Testo? If and when Montreal is granted an MLS expansion franchise, they need to look no further than these two players for their first two midfield signings. Both Grande and Testo are capable of playing at a higher level, as their passing is crisp and accurate and their defensive positioning in front of the Impact back four is excellent.

Not only did Limniatis get his team selection right, but his tactics also worked to perfection.

When Atlante had the ball, Montreal reverted to a 4-5-1 formation, with Byers the lone man up front. Joey Gjertsen sat in the middle of the midfield to help Testo and Grande plug the gaps the Mexicans were looking to exploit. As a result, Atlante couldn’t link their midfield to their attack, and they were forced to play sideways or back in an effort to find a route to goal.

'An unlimited supply of energy'

When Montreal won possession, they quickly switched to a 4-3-3 formation, with Brillant and Tony Donatelli pushing forward from midfield to support Byers in attack. Testo and Grande were able to protect the back four, allowing Gjertsen the freedom to join the attack when needed. It was an effective tactic, resulting in numerous scoring opportunities in the first half.

Even the most cynical critics have to admit that Montreal is a good team. They play attractive, passing football. They look to build their attacks by keeping possession of the ball, yet in Sandro Grande, they have someone who is capable of releasing an accurate long pass to spring an attacker free.

They seem to have an unlimited supply of energy. They have played 11 games in the month of September. A brutal schedule by anyone’s standard, yet they still manage to look as fresh as they were on the first day of the season.

While the Impact may have surprised a few people in their first two games of the Champions League group stage, you can be sure that no one will be taking them lightly any more.

Next up for Montreal is a trip to Honduras to face CD Olimpia, another difficult opponent. The Impact are proving to be no pushovers themselves, and the Hondurans need a victory on home soil to get themselves into contention in Group C.

They won’t make the mistake of underestimating the Canadian champions. And neither will I.

Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League match between the Montreal Impact and CD Olimpia can be seen live on CBC Bold and CBCSports.ca at 10 p.m ET. A replay of the game will be available on at midnight.

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