MONTREAL – Every head coach needs a trusty right-hand man to assist him, and it seems that Montreal Impact gaffer Jesse Marsch has found the perfect person for the job.
The club confirmed on Tuesday that former MLS stalwart and US international Mike Sorber has joined the Montreal coaching staff as Marsch’s assistant.
Sorber, who has been in town helping out Marsch since the beginning of the training camp on Monday, is very excited to be reacquainted with his ex-teammate and colleague.
“We were teammates in 2000 with the Chicago Fire, assistants with the national team and now we’re together again back here,” Sorber said after Wednesday morning’s practice. “We have a good understanding of how we work together. He sees the game one way, I see it a bit differently, but we know how to communicate with each other to get everybody on the same page and moving in the same direction”.
Both Sorber and Marsch are very much looking forward to building a strong team that will be ready to compete in MLS come March 2012.
“Starting with an expansion team is a big project,” noted Sorber. “There are a lot of pieces that need to be put together to create the puzzle and it’s always a challenge.”
Having worked with Sorber under Bob Bradley for the US national team during last year's World Cup in South Africa, Marsch was quick to praise his new assistant.
“I’m very excited to have him here, he’s a good coach,” said Marsch, adding that the arrival of Sorber would help his own development. “There’s a shared vision for what this team needs to look like, but we have little differences that I think can make me stronger. I’m looking for cohesiveness and opinions.”
Sorber’s arrival leaves current assistant coach Mauro Biello and physical performance manager Gil Orriols Jansana wondering about their futures in Montreal, but Marsch has said he wants to keep a piece of the club’s cultural identity.
Biello has been with the club since its creation in 1993. He played for the Montreal Impact for 16 seasons before becoming an assistant coach in 2009. He leads the club with 389 games played and 77 goals. Orriols Jansana joined the Impact in 2009, having previously worked with FC Barcelona’s reserve and youth program.
“There is definitely a cultural continuity with the past here, and it’s part of what we’re doing,” explained Marsch, “but we also need to have a good understanding of how we work together on the field. We’re still figuring out what Mauro’s and Gil’s roles will be. We’re also looking at bringing in another guy and possibly include a scouting network.”
Marsch admitted that his next assistant would have the necessary MLS skillset needed to help lead the team next season.
“We’re still with another guy that we’re thinking of adding and it might be somebody who has some of that,” grinned Marsch. “But I’m not going to give you any hints.”
