On this day 10 years ago, the Montreal Impact secured their spot in the semi-finals of the 2014/15 Concacaf Champions League.
They did so with a 1-1 draw at home against Mexican side Pachuca, advancing on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate tie.
Leg 2, played at the Stade Olympique—right next to their usual home, Stade Saputo—produced what would become the most memorable goal in club history.
With the series' first match ending 2-2 in Mexico, Montréal held the advantage on away goals, meaning a win or a draw of two goals or fewer would be enough to advance.
79 minutes into the game, it was still scoreless. Both sides had glorious chances to open the scoring, but neither could convert. Evan Bush, Montréal’s goalkeeper, made a fantastic save some minutes before to keep it at nil-nil.
In the 80th minute, Laurent Ciman brought down a Pachuca forward, with the official awarding a controversial penalty to the visiting side.
Argentine forward Germán Cano converted from the spot and put the Liga MX side within minutes of reaching the semi-finals, leading 3-2 on aggregate.
With time ticking and ticking, the Impact needed just one goal, as they would advance via the away goals rule.
In the 85th minute, the hosts subbed on Cameron Porter, who was making just his second appearance for the club—his first having lasted barely over 10 minutes.
Replacing Nigel Reo-Coker—a midfielder—the young forward was given a simple task: do whatever he could to find the back of the net.
In the 3rd minute of injury time, with just a minute left, Callum Mallace picked up the ball in Montréal’s half and delivered an inch-perfect pass to Cameron Porter. The young forward controlled it brilliantly, setting himself up for a 1v1 against goalkeeper Óscar Pérez.
With a tough angle and almost no time to react, Porter made the simplest yet most effective decision—tapping the ball straight through the keeper’s legs, securing the most iconic goal in club history, and the ticket to the next round.
Il y a 1??0?? ans aujourd'hui et on ressent encore des frissons! 90+3', Calum Mallace trouve Cameron Porter qui marque CE but.
— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) March 3, 2025
The rest is history ??#CFMTL pic.twitter.com/8WcScnto2f
Montréal would go on to play the final against Club América, falling 4-2 at home.
Porter’s story becomes even better when you realize that he just wasn’t originally meant to be with the Impact.
About a month earlier, the 21-year-old was preparing for final exams at Princeton University, with little hope of landing a professional contract.
“Then, last-minute invite,” Porter recalled in a 2016 interview with the club. “I’m totally out of shape, and I’m like, ‘Aw, crap!’”
Montreal drafted him 45th overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. He went to training camp and impressed enough to earn a professional contract on February 7.
During the team’s pre-season camp in Mexico, coaches began informing players whether they’d be in the squad for the Champions League quarter-finals or sent back to Montréal to train. Expecting to be among those returning, Porter was stunned when he learned he had made the final 18.
“Somebody goes by,” Porter recalled, “and I say, ‘I’m supposed to do a little gym workout here and pack my stuff, right?’ He goes, ‘No, no, no, no – you’re in the 18.’ Whoa.”
The rest is history.
Just 18 days after the greatest moment of his short professional career, Porter suffered a devastating setback, tearing his ACL on the turf in New England.
Despite efforts to recover, persistent injury troubles derailed his career. After years of injuries, the then-24-year-old forward announced his retirement from professional soccer.
