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Fans demand the Orange Ball and the Orange Ball they might get. Reminiscent of many Champions League games played in the snow, Stade Saputo might be covered in snow and there might be a doubt on the quality of the pitch on gameday this Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm EST.
Missed the latest weather forecast?
Latest Forecast courtesy of CJAD 800, the official english radio broadcaster of Montreal Impact games
Stellar Defence Back To Normal?
Via Andre Corbeil of CTV Montreal
Nesta is looking tip-top and should start Saturday for #IMFC. Mini vaca is over and plenty of intensity at training. Story @ctvmontreal
— Andre Corbeil (@ACorbeilCTV) April 10, 2013
He did use ''tip-top'' which a good sign when you describe an aging veteran player as important as Nesta. Karl W. Ouimette has done well over the 2 games when he replaced Nesta. But having him the Italian legend is key to the Impact's success. With intentions of ball distributions and control, getting more solid at the back is a plus for Montreal and part of its game plan.
Daniel Paponi: A Weekend Of Decisions
The club seems to be satisfied with Daniele Paponi's performance during practice and Mauro Biello confirmed the technical qualities of the young forward. The first MLS international window closes after April 14th 2013. By then, the Montreal Impact would have made a decision on whether or not to sign Daniel Paponi to a contract. The 1-year loan of Zarek Valentin to Norway has potentially unblocked 100-200K$ of space on the salary cap, that could do towards Paponi's salary.
We need to make a decision by this weekend [about signing Paponi] -- Mauro Biello
Signing Paponi would add more depth upfront and another potential partner for Marco Di Vaio. Unfortunately, it would drop Andrew Wenger down the depth chart. The 2012 MLS Draft 1st overall pick is still looking to establish himself as a starter. The 2nd year MLS player is definitively looking for more playing time and with the ''Win Now'' mentality of the club, it might be hard to find.