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Daniele Paponi is back and with him came added depth and options for the Montreal Impact. Even if the Marco Di Vaio dependence is obvious and wanted, the supporting cast around Di Vaio is as important if not more. To fully utilize a striker of this caliber, everyone needs to pinch in and within that collective comes Daniel Paponi.
After a 2-week trial with the club in April 2013, the young striker was looking for new opportunities to ply his trade. After a promising start in Serie A at the age of 17, he finds himself in Major League Soccer. Coming at a young age with some experience playing and practicing along side Marco Di Vaio, Paponi's arrival is no coincidence.
Paponi The Talented Target Man
The 6' striker is playing big using his body to the service of his teammates. With the sole intent to keep the ball at his feet, Paponi becomes the target man for the Impact. From getting long crosses to short passes, Paponi is technical enough to control the ball. Able to push away physical central defenders, he gives more space to Di Vaio who can roam free around him.
There were a few plays in which he did not budge when Bobby Boswell generously shoved Paponi in mid-air. Without even budging, Paponi was able to control the ball, find a teammate and make his runs; all that on the same play. He is not only a target man but he becomes a viable effective striker as he has speed to challenge most MLS defenses as he has shown against the Houston Dynamo.
Daniele Paponi vs Andrew Wenger:
The Inevitable Comparison
Since Day 1, Paponi had the leg up on Andrew Wenger. Brought in on loan from Bologna FC, the young man represents more talent and experience than Wenger. Not that Wenger is bad a striker but while Wenger was in college, Paponi was playing Serie A and UEFA games. It comes to experience and effectiveness.
Paponi's arrival is a threat to Wenger's playing time but this also advantages the Montreal Impact. The club will enjoy more options off the bench. The team did win with Andrew Wenger as a starter.
Daniele Paponi is part of the team's success even if he has not played many minutes with the club. The Impact will hope that the young striker can stay healthy between now and let's say December 2013.