Montreal Impact fans welcome their team onto the field Montreal before Major League Soccer action against the Toronto FC at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal Quebec Saturday March 16, 2013.Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press
Ignacio Piatti and Jack McInerney spotted Montreal a two-goal lead but they couldn't hold off Brazilian star Kaka as the Impact played to a 2-2 draw with Orlando City before 25,245 at Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
The Impact (0-1-2) looked ready to romp with two goals in the opening 27 minutes, but Kaka and fellow Brazilian Pedro Ribeiro struck back in the first half to give expansion Orlando (1-1-2) a well-earned point.
A corner kick cleared by a hand ball saw Piatti score from the penalty spot in the 14th minute, although 'keeper Donovan Ricketts nearly got to it with an outstretched hand.
A long ball from Bakary Soumare over the middle was played to the side by Orlando's Seb Hines only to see McInerney win a race for the ball and lob it over the onrushing Ricketts in the 27th.
But then Kaka and Ribeiro went to work. Kaka fed Ribeiro for a goal from close range in the 29th minute, then Ribeiro returned the favour by sliding a pass to Kaka on a rush for a shot that Eric Kronberg only got a piece of as it sailed into the top left corner.
After his goal, Piatti lifted his shirt to show the message "I love you grandfather" in Spanish on his T-shirt, and was shown the yellow card for excessive celebration. Piatti missed last week's game to return to Argentina after his grandfather's death.
Montreal was missing two players to national team duty, including Maxim Tissot with Canada and Laurent Ciman with Belgium.
Between injuries and international duty, Orlando dressed only 15 players, three under the limit. Internationals missing were Canadian Cyle Larin as well as Brek Shea, Conor Dononvan, Rafael Ramos, Kevin Molino and Darwin Ceren.
Notes: Kronberg saw his first action for Montreal with starting goalie Evan Bush nursing a minor injury. . . Impact fullback Hassoun Camara served a one-game suspension. Ignacio Piatti and Marco Donadel were back after missing a game, but midfielder Dilly Duka sat out a second straight game. Wandrille Lefevre saw his first action of the year at centreback.