Yesterday, the Montreal Impact beat last year’s Supporters Shield winners the New York Red Bulls convincingly with our MLS correspondent in attendance.
Going into the new season, it was all about Didier Drogba for the Montreal Impact. Will he stay or will he go? After he confirmed that he’s not leaving, the focus shifted on his fitness and whether or not he’d feature in the early goings of the season. Due to a short pre-season and the turf fields, the Ivorian announced that he would miss the first four or five games. With the Impact taking on two of the MLS’s best teams in the Vancouver Whitecaps and the New York Red Bulls, it was never going to be easy without the former Chelsea man. That said, Mauro Biello’s side have passed their first tests with flying colours as after winning 3-2 at BC Place, they dispatched a strong Red Bulls side by a score of 3-0. All this without Drogba.
“It’s clear that Didier (Drogba) is our best player but we adapted without him. We have players like Jackson-Hamel who have stepped up,” said Laurent Ciman after the win. After coming on for Ignacio Piatti in stoppage time, the 22-year-old notched his first goal of his young MLS career. Dominic Oduro is another player who has really come into his own in the new season and has already notched two goals, including yesterday’s winner. The Ghanaian has thrived in a more central role and is making the most of his speed to get the better of defences. Throughout last night’s game, Oduro made five similar runs where he’d cut between the fullback and the centre back and provided the team some much needed depth. As a result, both Harry Shipp and Piatti in particular were able to have more time and space on the ball. Oduro, however, did admit that there were previous problems with him and Piatti on the pitch last season that is now rectified.
“In the past, there was an imbalance when Piatti and I were on the field together. Playing over the last year together, especially in the CONCACAF Champions League, has helped us build trust and chemistry and now we’re fine,” said the Impact striker. At the moment, Oduro and Piatti account for five of the Impact’s six goals and have started the season as one of the hottest duos in Major League Soccer. One reason the former Toronto FC striker has started the season so well is due to Piatti’s and Shipp’s constant movement. Both players take turns drifting from the left wing to the attacking midfield role causing all sorts of problems for the opposition as they are unable to pick them up. However, Oduro is not the only one benefiting from Piatti’s presence as the Argentine is relishing having the extra pace up front as well.
“Dominic is a lot faster than Drogba which allows you to give the ball in space for him to run into. Everyone knows what Didier brings to the table, on the other hand. He’s a champion and we hope he comes back soon. They are very different players. To me, whoever plays it’s the same. Mauro picks,” said Piatti. The former San Lorenzo man is pulling all the right strings at the moment for the Impact and is loving life in the free-roam position. When Drogba returns to the lineup, it will be interesting to see how Piatti adjusts. From playing with a mobile striker like Oduro to having one of the best in the business at holding the play up, Piatti will undoubtedly need to make a few tweaks to his game.
The team’s next game comes against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium where the Impact will take on a team that Biello maintains is the “best one in the Western Conference.” After this clash, they will then travel to Seattle to take on the Sounders in what should be another difficult away trip. While Drogba’s return remains in limbo, the Impact have proven they are more than a one-man team and that the rest of the league should take notice.
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