MONTREAL – So, will Montreal Impact fans see Di Vaio-Jack Mac Part II, or was it a one-time showing?
Marco Di Vaio and the newly acquired Jack McInerney connected for a Montreal Impact goal in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire. But they were separated at the restart when head coach Frank Klopas switched to a one-forward system, adding bodies in the middle to minimize turnovers and moving McInerney to left midfield.
According to RDS and the Canadian Press, Klopas’ intends to play one man up top on the road Saturday against Sporting Kansas City (8:30 pm ET; MLS Live), and Di Vaio hinted on Thursday that working on his partnership with McInerney took a step back this week.
“In these moments, for me and Jack, the team is more important,” Di Vaio told reporters. “Then, the combination between two players, that’s going to come during the year. What’s important for everyone, and for Jack as well, is finding the right combination for the team, being able to find something more solid.”
McInerney, for his part, reiterated that the Chicago game was a rough one. Playing in a 4-4-2 formation, he argued, required some getting used to for him as well as for his new teammates, which made connecting with each other all the more difficult.
But he remains optimistic about partnering with Di Vaio again.
“It’s only going to get better as the season goes along,” McInerney said. “In training, we’ve been playing together, and making that connection is, hopefully, going to lead to more goals.”
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With Di Vaio insisting on the importance of productive counters against Sporting Kansas City, it wouldn’t be surprising if Klopas did field only one forward as a point of reference, considering how taxing a visit to Sporting Park can be.
Klopas didn’t disclose his plans, only conceding that there would be times when one forward up top is the way to go.
The Montreal boss instead demanded – as he’s already done numerous times this season – competitiveness and efficiency in transition.
“I expect my team to be better every game,” Klopas said. “Whether it’s two strikers, one striker, it doesn’t really matter.”
