MONTREAL -- On to Phase Three.
Now that they’ve enhanced their midfield and goalkeeper options, the Montreal Impact turn to center back. They hope a transformation is underway.
While the offseason loss of Futty Danso, who played only three games for the Impact, is not particularly eye-catching, Matteo Ferrari and Heath Pearce leave Montreal having combined to play 3,970 minutes in 2014, almost all at center back, bar four outings at left back for Pearce.
Homegrown defenders Wandrille Lefèvre and Karl W. Ouimette have shown that they can hold their own in MLS. Right back Hassoun Camara can help out at center back.
After that, it gets complicated: the potential contribution of Adrian Lopez, after two season-ending injuries in two years, is unknown. Gege Soriola hurt his left shoulder days after joining Montreal in late August and has yet to debut. Montreal are thus looking for “more than one” center back, technical director Adam Braz told MLSsoccer.com last week.
“We have a list of guys that we’ve identified as good targets,” Braz said. “Things take time, sometimes. We know that. But we’re clear in the profile we’re looking for at center back, the kind of makeup of both of them and the depth that we want. We’re not worried about getting our targets. We’re just doing things slowly but surely.”
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Montreal will be looking at both domestic and international options. Their business could start on Dec. 18, when they have the first selection in Stage 2 of the 2014 MLS Re-Entry Draft.
In any case, the Impact decision-makers call for patience, not passivity, with the season set to kick off with the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals on Feb. 24, 2015.
“For sure, at the start of the camp, our team will be set,” head coach Frank Klopas told reporters last week. “We will start right away, because the game against Pachuca in the Champions League is coming soon —33, 34 days away [from the start of camp].”
