From Cape Cod to Continental Glory
- Updated: April 8, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
Back in 2008, Evan Bush was a 22-year-old college prospect preparing to spend a summer on Buzzards Bay with the opportunity to showcase his talents with the Cape Cod Crusaders. He did just that right before the perennial powerhouse folded following the season.
Bush started all 16 matches that summer, posted a 1.00 goals against average, and was a major contributor to a squad that finished first in the PDL’s New England Division with a 9-3-4 (31 points) mark.
Although the Crusaders are no more, their former goalkeeper has made a name for himself seven years later, as evidenced by Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League semifinal, which the Montreal Impact won 4-4 on aggregate over Alajuelense (Costa Rica) with the help of Bush.
Bush, now 29, stopped four shots at a boisterous Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Costa Rica to help secure the Impact’s trip to the final, a destination only two MLS clubs have reached since the tournament was expanded in 2008.
The Impact goalkeeper, who joined the Impact in 2012 and, coincidentally, backed up another former Cape Cod Crusader goalkeeper in Troy Perkins last year, knew that Tuesday’s second leg wouldn’t be an easy night at the office.
“We know this was a team that needed to come out and push the game,” Bush told the media after the match. “We did well in the first half to keep the game in front of us, and not give any goals away.”
Jack MacInerney appeared to seal the series for the guests when he scored in the 42nd minute to make it a 3-0 aggregate goal advantage. But Bush would be a busy man in the second stanza.
Pablo Gabas struck in the 47th and 60th minutes to cut the deficit, while Allen Guevara and Jonathan McDonald made it interesting late by scoring in the 79th and 93rd minutes, respectively. But Andres Romero’s cool finish in the 72nd minute proved to be the difference as the Impact advanced on the road-goal tie-breaker.
“In the second half came, they pushed it even harder,” Bush said. “I was told the that the third goal was offside by quite a bit, but we battled through those things, and we came out and did what we needed to do to advance.”
The Impact, who are the first Canadian club to reach the final, will play Mexican side Club America in the two-legged final on Apr. 22 and Apr. 29.
No MLS club has ever won the tournament under its current format. Rest assured that a certain Cape Cod Crusader alumnus, who went the distance in the club’s farewell match seven summers ago, will be counted upon again to help the Impact make history one more time.
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