Mount Royal Soccer: All Posts by Andrew D'Anna

Drogba's absence forces Shipp to wing

2016-03-07T10:29:01-05:00

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Without a strong central figure in Didier Drogba, Mauro Biello was forced to deviate from what Impact fans were assuming was the plan to keep Ignacio Piatti on the left side of the field this season.

Impact fans learned on Sunday that the lack of Didier Drogba in the lineup has more far-reaching effects than they had originally thought.

Head coach Mauro Biello decided that Dominic Oduro would be the lone starting forward at BC Place against Vancouver, but that it wouldn't be as simple as a straight exchange for Drogba. The attacking trio behind Oduro was:

Shipp Piatti Ontivero

This was different from the formation Impact fans were waiting to see which included Ignacio Piatti on the left side of the field supposedly facilitated by Harry Shipp's arrival. Impact supporters have long craved for a central attacking midfielder (CAM) of consequence who could allow Piatti to shift to the left where he seems more comfortable, can run at defenders, and can focus less on defensive play. Shipp was supposed to be that guy.

And by all accounts he still will be.

But the curious flipping of Piatti and Shipp may indicate Biello's desire to have the most important parts of his lineup form the spine of the formation. Likely deciding that Piatti is an overall superior player to Shipp, Biello decided to put him in a position on the field where he can have the most influence. Piatti's tremendous game is a testament to that good decision.

If Drogba were in the lineup, we can speculate that Biello would have followed through on the hints he gave us during the pre-season that Shipp would have been the man at the CAM position. This is because Drogba could have provided the clout and weight Biello probably desires in the middle of the pitch. In short, Drogba is talented enough to let Piatti's talent play on the left, but other options at forward require his influence in the middle of the pitch.

But the opportunity cost to keeping Piatti in the middle of the pitch was watching Shipp be mostly inconsequential for the larger part of the match. It's easy to agree that Piatti is an exceptional CAM, but it's also easy to build an argument that the Impact, overall, are a better team with Piatti on the left and Shipp in the middle.

Otherwise said, Piatti may be a better CAM than Shipp, but a combination which has Piatti on the left and Shipp on the right is better overall.

To be completely fair, however, a finer viewing of the game on Sunday would have revealed that Shipp and Piatti sometimes shifted positions - a fact suggesting that the midfield is more fluid than I have portrayed it here. Similarly, both of Piatti's goals were scored from the left-ish side.

In any case, Impact fans should expect Piatti on the left side of the field when Drogba is in the lineup. That means possibly as early as March 19th in Dallas.

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What do you think the Impact's midfield should look like when Didier Drogba isn't in the lineup?

IMFC Lose 1-0 to NYCFC in Split Squad Game

2016-02-19T07:35:03-05:00

Montreal Impact forward Didier Drogba signs autographs after the game against New York City FC at Al Lang Stadium. | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

IMFC are 0-1 one game into the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational preseason tournament. Coach Mauro Biello fielded two different lineups over the two halves.

For the first half of last Wednesday's game, Mauro Biello fielded this lineup:

Porter

Venegas Salazar

Shipp Mallace

Donadel

Tissot Lefevre Cabrera Toia

Kronberg

According to the pre-game graphics, the lineup was referred to as a 4-5-1. There were, however, moments in the first half in which the formation would morph in and out of a 4-3-3 with Johan Venegas and Michael Salazar pushing up and Harry Shipp and Calum Mallace dropping wide.

The most interesting aspect of this formation for Impact fans was watching the way in which Marco Donadel, Shipp, and Mallace positioned themselves in the midfield. That's because this threesome is who many are expecting to be the regular season starters who are going to carry the majority of the minutes together.

What Impact fans saw from their central midfielders was that Donadel was the single and clear defensive/holding midfielder, while Shipp spent the majority of his time attempting to pitch into the offense, and Mallace played the role of a box-to-box midfielder.

Here are some other quick thoughts on player performances:

Porter: Struggled to be a factor but worked very hard and made himself available for outlet passes.

Venegas: Seemed much more comfortable than last year and handled physicality better too.

Salazar: Began the half with a few uncomfortable moments and then created some great chances late.

Shipp: Mostly inconsequential, no surprise he is still looking to gel with his new team.

Mallace: Covered lots of ground and was present at both ends of field.

Donadel: Looked strong and in control, struck a beautiful free kick which hit the post.

Tissot: Improved as the half progressed but still looks more comfortable as a midfielder.

Lefevre: Appeared very strong, knows he is competing with Cabrera for a starting role in the middle.

Cabrera: Solid performance, physical presence on the back end.

Toia: Played on the right side, beaten once badly but an overall solid outing.

Kronberg: Was good, but maybe not good enough to dethrone Evan Bush.

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For the second half of last Wednesday's game, Mauro Biello fielded this lineup:

Jackson-Hamel

Williams Gagnon-Lapare

Bernier Bekker

Alexander

Oyongo Ciman Cabrera Toia

Kronberg

*Cabrera would be subbed out for Kyle Fisher.

*Bernier would be subbed out for Louis Beland-Goyette.

*Jackson-Hamel would suffer an injury and be subbed out for Eric Verso. Verso and Williams would then switch spots.

This was again technically a 4-5-1 in which Eric Alexander appeared to the set holding midfielder while Patrice Bernier pushed the offensive side of the ball and Kyle Bekker played the role of box-to-box midfielder. However, this trio was far more fluid in their positioning than the first central midfielding trio (Donadel/Shipp/Mallace). Bernier often found himself helping the centre backs and Alexander even scored a goal on a long pass from Donny Toia that wasn't a goal (but really was a goal).

Romario Williams and Anthony Jackson-Hamel showed some pretty interesting chemistry. The two created the lion's share of Montreal's offense in the second half. Jackson-Hamel up the middle and Williams on the left gave the team a decent mix of size, speed, and power. Pushing right behind Williams on the left side was Ambroise Oyongo. Oyongo was the only Impact full back to push the attack. This is likely something the coaching staff has asked of him, and legitimizes his move to the left side as he is left-footed.

Kyle Fisher had a rough first outing. And speaking of rough, it's hard to think that the Impact were lucky enough to get a player like Toia in the Chivas dispersal draft. Preseason or not, Toia showed a lot of pluck. He was the only Impact player to play every single minute except for goalkeeper Eric Kronberg. This should come as no surprise as Toia led all Montreal field players in minutes played last season.

Here are some other quick thoughts on player performances:

Jackson-Hamel: Showed good potential as a forward off the bench if management prefer Dominic Oduro on the right side.

Williams: Seemed comfortable as an attacker on the left side, has good vision and can pass.

Gagnon-Lapare: Used to playing a more central role, mostly disappeared on the right side.

Bernier: Showed some vigor but is still rounding into regular season form.

Bekker: Had moments but didn't impose himself on the game in any way.

Alexander: Seemed to not get many touches on the ball then scored a goal that was onside that was offside.

Oyongo: Good to see him pushing up the left side, may have held onto the ball for a step or two too long.

Ciman: No doubt he'll be ready for the regular season and still has the temper.

Fisher: Not the start he was hoping for, looked out of place or like the game was moving too fast for him.

Toia: Actually threw a few dirty shots near the right sideline in the last minutes, very enjoyable.

Kronberg: Didn't do any worse than Bush would have.

Beland-Goyette: Didn't have many minutes but looked like another year with FC Montreal could be good for his development.

Verso: Did not play enough to gauge.

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Who did you think stood out?

What Harry Shipp Means to Impact's Formation

2016-02-17T07:45:02-05:00

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

After starting 2015 in a 4-2-3-1 with Frank Klopas, then gradually transitioning into a 4-3-3 under Mauro Biello, the Impact may be set to see yet another change in 2016.

In an effort to create more offense and maximize his players' potential last year, Mauro Biello transitioned IMFC's formation from a 4-2-3-1 into a 4-3-3.By doing this, Biello essentially eliminated the centre attacking midfield (CAM) position, thus moving Ignacio Piatti to the left side. In place of the CAM and two holding midfielders, Impact fans saw three central midfielders (usually Marco Donadel, Patrice Bernier, and Calum Mallace/Nigel Reo-Coker) who would take a flat, horizontal position across the field when attacking (i.e. left/centre/right).

When defending, the central midfielders were expected to step slightly toward the middle of the field, taking an "inside shade" on oncoming attackers. To compliment this, the left and right attacking wingers are expected to do some amount of back-checking.

In doing this, Biello managed a few things. First, the move to a 4-3-3 made it so that Piatti could play an offensive role on the left side of the field where he makes the biggest impact on the game. Second, he altogether eliminated the CAM position, therefore not forcing any other players into that difficult and pressure-heavy position where they were less likely to succeed. Third, he created an extra spot in the centre of the field, thus allowing for Patrice Bernier to get more minutes, which he was rewarded for when Bernier proved he still had gas left in the tank. And finally, he gave Didier Drogba more offensive support.

There was no reason to think that the Impact were going to switch back to the 4-2-3-1 that saw them succeed in CONCACAF but sputter in the MLS regular season.

Until they traded for Harry Shipp.

In Shipp, the Impact now have a young, talented, American, centre attacking midfielder. Moreover, Shipp has proven to be one of the lone bright spots on a Chicago Fire team that has otherwise disappointed over the past two seasons. Shipp's numbers are considerable for a non-forward and can likely be maintained if not improved if put in the right position to succeed by his coach.

Shipp felt most comfortable and produced the most when he was used by the Fire as a CAM. He was often forced, however, into a wide position where he was not as productive. This led to frustration both for Shipp and for the Fire.

Expect Biello to give Shipp the chance to start the season as the team's starting CAM in a 4-2-3-1.

Expect him to do this because Shipp is a natural and quality CAM. The Impact would not have made the trade if their intentions were to use Shipp as inefficiently as the Fire were. In addition, the move allows Piatti to finally have a permanent and set home on the left side of the field.

Although Piatti played admirably as a CAM, he was transitioned there to suit the needs of the team at the time. Shipp can now fill that role better than anyone else on the roster. De facto, the Shipp trade means the Impact also upgraded the left side of their midfield.

So the opening day formation might look something like this, injuries (and turf) notwithstanding:

Drogba

Piatti Shipp Romero

Donadel Bernier

Oyongo Ciman Cabrera Toia

Bush

Add to this a bunch of options coming in at right wing off the bench and some decent depth at the holding midfielders position.

Biello has proven in the past that he is adaptable and would rather create a formation best suited to his players rather than try to create players that are best suited to a formation.

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Where do you think Harry Shipp fits in to the Impact's on-field tactics?

Will Laurent Ciman be at Euro 2016?

2016-02-12T07:28:03-05:00

Laurent Ciman playing for Belgium in a EURO 2012 qualifying game. | Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

In an interview with SoFoot.com this week, Laurent Ciman addressed his transition to Canada, being named MLS Defender of the year, and his place on the Belgian National team.

Laurent Ciman has made the most of his first year in Montreal.

Ciman was an integral piece to the Impact making it to the finals of CONCACAF. The strategy appeared to be mostly defensive - and with good reason. Team management knew that fighting fire with fire might lead to disappointment. As such, the star centre back was key to Frank Klopas' game plan.

Ciman was also one of the main reasons that the Impact's defensive stats improved so drastically from 2014 to 2015 (not to be forgotten here is Evan Bush). Consequently, and with a little help from a certain Didier Drogba, the team finished 3rd in the East and even their first-ever playoff round.

In November, Ciman was named MLS Defender of the year, beating out FC Dallas' Matt Hedges and Vancouver's Kendall Waston for the honor. Even though many knowledgeable fans weren't surprised by this, it still shocks our humble city when we are recognized by league-wide awards. Montreal Impact fans can expect Ciman to be even better this upcoming year, as his performance on the pitch only improved throughout the course of last year.

Here are excerpts from SoFoot.com's interview with Ciman, also available here:

Et la vie au club ?

Ça se passe bien, c’est très professionnel. Ils parlent anglais et français, donc c’est bien pour moi. Que ce soit avec le staff médical, technique ou même les autres, tout se passe très bien. L’ambiance y est très familiale, comme en Belgique.

Le championnat est aussi assez différent de la Belgique, comment tu décrirais le style de jeu outre-Atlantique ?

C’est comme la Premier League. Ça se sent dans les duels, beaucoup jouent avec les mains et les bras. C’est assez différent de ce que j’ai connu en Belgique. J’ai eu un temps d’adaptation lors des premiers matchs qui m’a fait comprendre certaines choses.

Pour en revenir à ce titre de meilleur défenseur de la MLS, tu penses que Marc Wilmots aurait pu le prendre comme un message, du fait qu’il t’a un peu oublié avec les Diables ?

Je n’en sais rien, moi je fais mon taf ici.

S’il me sélectionne, j’en suis toujours fier. Je l’ai toujours dit et je le redis bien haut : le coach fait ses choix et nous, joueurs, on s’adapte. Évidemment, j’espère faire partie des 23, mais je n’en fais pas une fixation.

What should jump out at Impact fans here is the third question. It is important to remember that the MLS regular season does not break for the weeks that the Euro Cup is being played. Therefore, if Ciman is selected to the Belgian team, he will be out of action for the Impact from between June 10th (or earlier depending on travel/preparation) to as late as July 10th (depending on how far Belgium advances).

It is likely that Impact management are rooting against the selection of Ciman to the team, despite the fact that it would be good exposure for the player as well as for the team. And it's hard to blame them.

This could be why the Impact targeted a center back with their first selection in the SuperDraft this season and why they pursued Victor Cabrera so heavily. They may have been planning for a significant time period without Ciman.

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Would you prioritize Ciman's development and the exposure of the team, or would you prefer that Ciman stays and plays with the Impact for their regular season games throughout Euro 2016?

Montreal Impact Cut Pedro Jeanine

2016-02-10T08:10:02-05:00

Panama midfielder Pedro Jeanine (5) slides to kick the ball away from USA forward Jordan Morris (9) on October 6th, 2015. | Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Impact have announced via Twitter that Pedro Jeanine's tryout with the team has ended without a contract offer. This could mean that the coaching staff is looking to Eric Alexander to carry a larger load in 2016.

Panamanian midfielder Pedro Jeanine's 10-day tryout with IMFC has ended. After not being offered a contract by the club, Jeanine will re-join his previous team, San Francisco FC in Panama, who had allowed for Jeanine to join the Impact in Orlando for the tryout.

Jeanine was part of an already clogged central midfield which includes the likes of Marco Donadel, Patrice Bernier, Calum Mallace, Eric Alexander, Kyle Bekker, some academy products, and possibly Ignacio Piatti. This is after the team parted ways with yet another central midfielder, Nigel Reo-Coker, on what was reportedly good terms.

Camp d’entraînement terminé pour Pedro Jeanine et Keegan Smith. They won’t be back at camp Monday. #IMFC
— Impact de Montréal (@impactmontreal) February 5, 2016

This likely means that Impact fans should expect to see more of Eric Alexander in 2016. Alexander was an important part of a strong Red Bull midfield when he played in New York and was considered by some to be the piece that "won" the Felipe/Oyongo trade for the Impact.

Alexander has been more a victim of circumstance than of not performing. The Impact's depth chart in the middle of the pitch may not be top-heavy, but it was and still is relatively deep. However, 2016 could be the year that Alexander makes his mark in Montreal.

Impact's 3rd DP Spot Still in Play

2016-02-09T08:02:34-05:00

IMFC's two DPs Ignacio Piatti and Didier Drogba celebrate a goal against Toronto FC. | Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Impact currently have CM/LW Ignacio Piatti and F Didier Drogba under contract as Designated Players. Some crafty bookkeeping (possibly through the use of allocation money) made it so that CB Laurent Ciman does not occupy a DP spot. That means that IMFC can add a third DP.

Before we can actually have a conversation about the Impact adding a third Designated Player, we must understand that it may not be possible.

Yes, the Impact only have 2 of 3 DP slots filled. However, it is important to remember that DPs still carry with them a hit to the overall cap ($436,250 regardless of how much the player is paid). It is very likely that the Impact wouldn't have the $436,250 in order to add another DP without shedding salary in some other way (i.e. Jack McInerney trade, Nigel Reo-Coker contract termination).

Assuming, for the sake of argument, that it would be possible, in one way or another, that the Impact were in the position to add a third DP, which position should the Impact target? Here are some ideas.

Adding a DP Central Attacking Midfielder/Winger

A DP winger on the right side could compliment Ignacio Piatti quite nicely who can either play in the middle or on the left side. It may diverge from the traditional pattern of using your DPs down the spine of the formation, but with Didier Drogba and Laurent Ciman as anchors at the top and bottom of the pitch it may be the best place to add talent. This might be especially true after the departure of Justin Mapp. Likewise, adding a DP central attacking midfielder could finally allow Piatti to have the peace of mind that he will be on the left side, game in and game out.

Adding a DP Holding Midfielder

The Impact tried this in 2013 when they signed Hernan Bernardello to a DP contract. However we must take this statement with a grain of salt, as his reported salary was significantly below that of a "true" DP. Nonetheless, adding a large piece in the defensive midfielders spot(s) would solve some issues. First, it would lessen the Impact's reliance on older players currently occupying that spot. Second, and perhaps more importantly, a quality holding midfielder might allow the coaching staff to switch to a formation in which only one holding midfielder is necessary - thus allowing for a second forward. This being important in the inevitable situations in which Drogba is not available for selection (i.e. turf, injury, rest, etc.) or has decided to retire (either at some point this season or for the 2017 season).

Adding a DP Forward

Many teams choose to stockpile their DPs at the forward position. And there are good reasons for this. Firstly, a forward who produces at a high rate makes an immediate and obvious impact on his team. Impact fans saw this with Marco Di Vaio and now Drogba. The Galaxy are successful with Giovani dos Santos and Robbie Keane, NYCFC got production out of David Villa, San Jose leans on Wondolowski, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins are the cornerstones in Seattle, and TFC have their best team ever with Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco. And the list goes on.

Secondly, and less evidently, Major League Soccer has proven to be a league with a fair amount of parity. This is true amongst teams but also amongst the players themselves. Improving your depth at any given position other than forward is great, but the returns don't seem to be as large as when a team improves their depth up top. For example adding a DP winger currently available on the transfer market and interested in coming to MLS would be valuable, but how much better would a DP winger be than Andres Romero, Lucas Ontivero, Dominic Oduro, and Johan Venegas? How much better would a holding midfielder be, who is currently available on the transfer market and willing to come to MLS, than Marco Donadel, Patrice Bernier, Calum Mallace, and Eric Alexander? The key question is not if they would be better but by how much because DP spots are scarce and need to be used wisely.

Moreover, it may be wise for IMFC management to begin looking for a replacement for Drogba sooner rather than later. All reasonable predictions do not see Drogba with the Impact in 2017, and some don't see him playing all of the 34 regular season games plus Canadian Championship games plus playoffs games in 2016 either.

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How do you think the Montreal Impact should use their 3rd DP Spot?

Impact Don't Expect Dilly Duka to Return

2016-01-20T10:41:03-05:00

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The team announced that they don't expect to have Dilly Duka back for the 2016 MLS season as he explores his options in Europe. The Impact do, however, retain his MLS rights.

When Zarek Valentin decided to return to MLS earlier this month, the Montreal Impact acquired an international roster slot from Portland in exchange for him. Valentin had been playing in Europe, but IMFC retained his MLS rights. Thus, the Impact were compensated for his services.

It appears that a similar situation has come of midfielder Dilly Duka. Although out of a contract with the team, Duka's MLS rights are still held by Montreal (perhaps similar to a "restricted free agent" if this were the NHL).

Duka is another example of a changing midfield. He joins Justin Mapp as the second Montreal midfielder to seek a change of address this off-season. The acquisition of Lucas Ontivero earlier this week does, however, partially offset these departures.

Many Impact fans are looking to the management team to land another large piece for the midfield. Although this may seem ideal - there's no such thing as having too much talent - it isn't absolutely necessary. Especially if Mauro Biello sticks to his 4-3-3 that we saw at the end of last year.

If we believe that we know what to expect from the defense, and that the 3 central midfielders will consist of the experience of Marco Donadel, Patrice Bernier, and Nigel Reo-Coker, with the youth of Eric Alexander, Kyle Bekker, and Calum Mallace, then the current cast of wingers should suffice.

That is: Ignacio Piatti, Dominic Oduro, Johan Venegas, Andres Romero, Maxim Tissot, and now Lucas Ontivero. These six can fill the spots on the left and right side of the centre forward.

Therefore, the management team's priority should be in retaining/replacing Didier Drogba. It would be his departure that would leave the biggest hole, not the departures of Mapp and Duka.

Do you have confidence in IMFC's current cast of wingers?

Impact add winger Lucas Ontivero from Galatasaray

2016-01-18T20:36:51-05:00

The departure of Justin Mapp precipitated the move that brought Lucas Ontivero to Montreal. | Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Montreal Impact have added Lucas Ontivero, an attacking midfielder on loan from Turkish powerhouse, Galatasaray.

The Montreal Impact have announced that they have acquired Argentine winger Lucas Ontivero from Galatasaray in Turkey. Ontivero most recently played for Olimpija in Slovenia where he was on loan from Galatasaray. The Impact had been linked to Ontivero for some time.

Ontivero is 21 years old, 5'6'' and 142 lbs. He is a quick, elusive, creative player, who can play on either side of the field. Ontivero's talents are primarily offensive, and he would fit well into the 4-3-3 formation the Impact were employing at the end of last season as one of the wide attacking players.

Ontivero is left-footed, and so it will be expected to see him being compared to Justin Mapp (who was left-footed yet attacked from the right side) at some point this season. Ontivero is likely the front office's attempt to replace the void left by Mapp and the possible departure of Dilly Duka. Though Ontivero arguably has a better skill set and value than the two aforementioned players, it is yet to be seen how he will adapt to the North American game.

Ontivero joins countrymen Ignacio Piatti and Andres Romero in Montreal's midfield.

It will be interesting to see how coach Mauro Biello uses Ontivero. Biello could use Ontivero on the right side where the gap left by Mapp is. This seems like a natural fit. Especially with Piatti finding a home on the left side in Biello's 4-3-3.

Or he could make use of his left foot by putting him on the left side. This scenario, however, would probably mean that Piatti has been moved back to a central position on the field in any variance of a 4-5-1. Impact fans may not be too fond of that move, as Piatti has shown that he is much more comfortable and productive on the left side rather than in the middle.

What may be of even more significance to Impact fans is what the Impact still have in store before they kick off their 2016 campaign.

2016 MLS SuperDraft targets for Montreal Impact

2016-01-13T11:06:00-05:00

Tyler David at yesterday's MLS Combine | Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Impact will be leaving the 2016 MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore with 6 new players on Thursday (barring trades). With 4 of those players coming from the first two rounds, IMFC have a good opportunity to add to quality to its prospect pool.

The Montreal Impact will pick 14th overall in the first round of tomorrow's MLS SuperDraft. They also hold three second-round selections: their natural pick (34th), plus the picks of NYCFC (24th) and Columbus (39th) via the Jeb Brovsky and Jack McInerney trades respectively.

There isn't as much buzz around the SuperDraft this year for Montreal as there was last year when the team was picking 3rd overall amid rumors they were trying to trade up to the first spot to select Canadian forward Cyle Larin. The Impact would ultimately select Romario Williams with the 3rd pick. Thus far Williams has not been a large part of the Impact's current plans at forward. However, there are positive signs as he represented Jamaica at the U23 level this past year. Not to mention he could end up playing a larger role if Didier Drogba decides to retire and the Impact front office have a harder time than expected finding a replacement on the international market.

Former IMFC first-round selections include:

Andrew Wenger (1st in 2012)

Blake Smith (8th in 2013)

Eric Miller (5th in 2014)

Romario Williams (3rd in 2015)

Picking 14th overall means that this will be the lowest the Impact ever select in the first round in their MLS history. Generally a good sign because it implies that the team had a strong year, it also makes it difficult to make a successful selection because the draft pool in MLS does not have a history of producing a large number of "sure-fire" prospects - even in the first round.

With that in mind we take a look at some players the Impact may be targeting at the 14th spot.

Tyler David (CB)

At 6'2'' and 185 lbs, David could bring some depth to an Impact central defense that could be losing Victor Cabrera this year. This means that the Impact may be planning to start the season with either Hassoun Camara or Wandrille Lefevre beside Laurent Ciman. Although drafting David would not necessarily represent an immediate upgrade on these two, it might give the team some needed depth at the position in the event that lackluster play or injury derail either Camara of Lefevre's season. Moreover, David has played a little at the defensive-midfielder position. He was a starter at St. Louis in college for all four seasons and has a soccer lineage.

Dennis Castillo (RB)

Like David, Castillo has been a starter throughout his 4-year college soccer career. Castillo is a safe pick for the Impact because he offers a steady presence at right back - he's hard to beat. Interestingly, Castillo may be moved to his natural center-back position if paired with a teammate like Laurent Ciman (at 5'10'' and 160 lbs Castillo has previously lacked the size to play center-back, reports MLSsoccer.com). This natural tendency to be a "stay-at-home" type of central defender might explain his lack of ability to get forward. His skill set sounds like that of Donny Toia who found a very comfortable home in Montreal. Not to mention the Impact already have one Costa Rican player, Johan Venegas, who could help Castillo with the transition.

Emmanuel Appiah (M)

Appiah would be the Impact "going off the board" considering he may be available in the second round where the Impact have three selections. However, he may be exactly what the teams needs. He is described by MLSsoccer.com's Matthew Doyle as a "pure destroyer" who can cover a lot of ground in the midfield. Sounds like exactly what the Impact need in the midfield long-term, perhaps an heir apparent to Marco Donadel. His goals and assists totals jumped last year in what was his fifth season playing at Cincinnati. The Impact may need to focus some attention on a central midfield that is aging which includes the likes of Patrice Bernier, Marco Donadel, and Nigel Reo-Coker. Appiah may be a spark plug here.

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Which players do you think the Impact could be targeting at the 14th spot?

IMFC Decline $5 Million Transfer Offer for Piatti

2015-12-17T08:24:21-05:00

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Citing only a "source," a Goal.com report suggests that the Impact received a $5 million offer for their #10 - which they declined.

Joey Saputo made a subtle gesture when he declined an offer to sell Ignacio Piatti to an unnamed Latin American club, as per reports. Saputo stood to pocket $5 million had he accepted the deal, but preferred the idea of the potential successful of his team over the prospect of profits.

In many ways, however, this gesture is not subtle. By choosing to not sell the Impact's most lethal midfielder at what is arguably a very fair price, Saputo sent a strong message to his locker room that the team is interested in winning. And that the winning is expected to come in the short-term.

Rumors suggest similar things about loan deals for both Didier Drogba and Laurent Ciman. The players, the team, Saputo, or some combination of these parties have decided not to loan out Drogba and Ciman to other teams over the MLS off-season. Again, choosing the health and rest of their stars over profits.

It will be interesting to see if the Impact are active in today's Stage 2 MLS Re-Entry Draft, starting at 3pm, as they look for a partner for Laurent Ciman and to replace the skill of Justin Mapp on the right side before turning their attention to the international market.

Read more about today's draftat the following link.