Mount Royal Soccer: All Posts by Alexi Dubois

Always Room for Improvement: Are transfers the solution?

2018-03-23T12:00:06-04:00

A look at the Impact’s current transfers, what positions still need improvement and who we could sign to fill those voids.

It Took Time but Moves Were Made

The Impact had a busy off-season, shipping out some key players such as Blerim Dzemaili and Laurent Ciman. The Impact did their best to replace those players during the break but many fans felt short changed. We lost some top-class players and were not able to adequately replace them. We saw much of the MLS get younger and more dangerous while we offloaded talent and draft picks for allocation money. We all waited for that targeted and general allocation money to be transformed into top level players but we never saw those players arrive.

Yes, the Impact did bring in players during the off-season but none of them brought much new to the team. Rather, it seemed like we were wildly trying to fill all the holes left by the outpouring of players. Instead of building on our roster, we replaced players with less skilled versions of themselves. We saw other MLS teams shatter the league’s transfer record to bring in highly skilled young players. I was waiting for the Impact to start making those kind of statement moves. We brought in an experienced coach and I has hoping we would give him the players to compete with.

After two consecutive losses to start the season, the Impact realized that the talent in MLS was trending upwards while the talent on our roster was doing to opposite. They finally decided to spring into action. For the short term, they addressed the injury to Diallo by bringing in Rod Fanni. After only one game, that move looked to be a success. Fanni played phenomenally versus TFC and imposed himself physically against our rivals.

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Adam Braz and company further shored up our roster in recent days with the confirmation of the arrival of Alejandro Silva. The Uruguayan international should replace rookie Ken Krolicki in the starting lineup. Silva will slip into a right-wing position and bring a Piatti style player to the right side of the Impact’s attack. The arrival of Rudy Camacho from the Belgian Pro League has just been announced. Camacho will sure up our back line and looks to be the long-awaited replacement to Ciman. Camacho will also permit Jukka Raitala to move into his more natural left back position and compete with Daniel Lovitz for a starting position.

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Where Does the Impact Go from Here

While these recent acquisitions were a step in the right direction, the Impact still have a long way to go if they want to once again be contenders in the MLS. I believe that the Impact still have a void to fill at the striker position. While Vargas played well against Toronto, he is not a natural striker and we definitely need to replace Matteo Mancosu. He can no longer compete at an MLS level so we have to look for other striking options.

Ideally, I would love to see the Impact pursue a player like Lucas Cavallini. The Canadian international is currently playing for CA Penarol in Uruguay. Since he is Canadian, he would not even take up an international roster spot and he would add much needed depth to the striker position. Likewise, the Impact have always been plagued by a lack of a true #10. Finding a dynamic playmaker is never easy but it is the key to success in MLS. If rumours are true, a trade for Lee Nguyen would go a long way to securing this position. He is a proven MLS playmaker and combining him with the likes of Ignacio Piatti and Saphir Taider could be a lethal attack.

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While I know it is not the Impact’s style to make these kinds of moves, no one can deny that there are still some holes in our roster that need to be filled. If we are to have a chance of contending for the playoffs, we need to add some more talent and develop chemistry as a unit.

A Sign of Things to Come

2018-03-07T08:00:04-05:00

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

After a long wait, the Impact’s 2018 campaign finally got began on Sunday night in a packed BC Place. After an off-season of controversial moves, fans were greatly intrigued to see who exactly was going to start for the Impact and how they were going to perform.

Well, with the players the Impact had on the pitch, I was not surprised with the way they performed. When we shipped off Laurent Ciman to LAFC, we all expected that IMFC were going to bring in a new younger, more physical central defender to replace the beloved General. However, the Impact brought in Zakaria Diallo who was injured before the season even started. Our weakest position last year was the centre back position and all we did during the break was weaken that position. We should not be surprised that we struggled to shut down the Whitecaps offence because our back line simply does not have the talent to compete with any front three in the MLS. The Impact have signed Rod Fanni on a short-term deal, but we can question how much of an impact the 36-year-old will have.

Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images

What did surprise on Saturday was the performance of Matteo Mancosu. Once again, the Impact failed to address the striker position and with the injury to Anthony Jackson-Hamel, it was understandable to worry. However, after a sluggish first half, Mancosu came to life. Contrary to last year, he was not caught offside and he was making an effort to get open in the box. While he did miss a few runs to the near post, he did a decent job getting open and creating room. He was even able to win a couple of headers in the box versus the extremely physical Whitecap’s defenders. Sadly, when he was able to win those headers, no one else was in the area to profit from him winning the ball in that dangerous position.

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Another nice surprise for me was the goalkeeping play of Evan Bush. In past years, we have seen Bush be a top-quality shot-stopper, but he has always lacked that sweeper-keeper aspect to his game. However, on Sunday, we saw a completely different side of Evan Bush. He was aggressive off his line and attacked the Whitecap’s many crosses. I believe that this transformation is the work of legendary goalkeeping coach Joel Bats. After 17 seasons with Lyon, he has moved across the Atlantic to join the Impact’s ranks. If Bush can keep up the level of play he did this weekend, the arrival of Bats may prove to be one of the most important off-season moves for the Impact.

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As for the coaching of Remi Garde, I was happy to see him take risks. It was a gutsy call to start Ken Krolicki over the likes of Marco Donadel, but he decided to play the youngster. All in all, Krolicki did not look out of his depth. Yes, he was not perfect but for a rookie in his first MLS game, he performed very well. With his substitutions, Garde once again gave a vote of confidence to his youngsters by putting on the 20-year-old Jeisson Vargas and the 21-year-old David Choiniere. I love seeing youngsters being given a chance to perform and for the first time in years, we have a young squad. Let’s hope this group can grown and learn together.

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The Impact’s next match is Saturday at 1pm versus the Columbus Crew. The Crew also gave themselves an off-season make over and their radical overhaul paid dividends in their very first game of the season when they beat the hated Toronto FC on their home pitch. The Impact now have a chance to spoil the Crew’s home opener but to do so, we will need to become much more solid defensively.

As the Dust Settles: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Ciman Trade

2017-12-15T21:05:22-05:00

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Well, there you have it, the shake up has officially begun.

Well, there you have it, the shake up has officially begun. The Laurent Ciman trade has understandably sent shock waves throughout the Impact community and the MLS. Clearly, trading a former defender of the year will always be a big move. Apart from his on-field abilities, Ciman was also much loved by the fans for his heart and dedication. I think that big presence will be missed as much by the fans as his on-field performances. However, this trade is not all negative. In exchange for the 32-year-old Ciman, the Impact received the young versatile Canadian international Raheem Edwards as well as Jukka Raitala. I know this is a sensitive subject with all of you, but I will try to objectively list the positives and negatives of this trade.

Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Why It’s a bad trade:

· We gave up our defensive pillar: Ciman has led our defence ever since he joined the Impact from Belgium in 2015. Even when he wasn’t at the top of his game, Ciman still barked out directions and cemented things at the back. Now, our cement is gone. That formidable, scary blue-eyed cement has moved to LA and the Impact will definitely need to find a new adhesive agent for their back line.

· We gave up our Général: While I’m sure that not every player in the Impact’s locker room loved his big and vocal style, every unit needs a strong general. As Montrealers, we have all seen the affects of a heartless locker room. This trade definitely has a P.K Subban feel to it in the sense that we just traded away the heart of the locker room. If we add that loss to the retirement of Captain Patrice Bernier, we can wonder who will step up to fill those leadership shoes. Hopefully Samuel Piette and Ignacio Piatti will be able to fill the void left by the loss of two of the most influential players in Impact history.

· We lost a fan favourite: While the feelings of fans are never the first priority of management when they make a deal, us fans definitely think we should be considered. I have seen many Ciman jerseys at games and he definitely attracted fans to the stadium. For a team that already struggles to fill up their stadium, trading away a fan magnet like Ciman will hurt the clubs bottom line as well as the atmosphere in the stadium.

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Why it’s a good trade:

· We won the age game: Ciman is 32. I don’t need to explain that players do not get any younger. Yes, he had an amazing first season with the Impact but as he has gotten older, those remarkable performances have become fewer and further between. Ciman is not getting any better while on the other hand, Edwards is 22 and entering the prime of what looks to be a promising career. By the time Ciman’s career is at its very end, hopefully Impact fans will still be watching Raheem Edwards punish his old team.

· Ciman is replaceable: I know, there is nothing certain in the transfer market but that doesn’t mean that the Impact cannot go out and find themselves another top-level center back. It can also be argued that for the 800 000 a year we were paying Ciman, he was overrated. With a salary like that, you would expect our defence to be one of the best in the league, but the harsh reality is that it wasn’t, and a large part of that blame does rest on Ciman’s shoulders. We have now freed up considerable amounts of cap room that we can use to pursue the Impact’s next great center back. Rather than seeing this a loss, we can see this trade as a chance to go out and sign a new young exciting center back to lead our back-line for years to come.

· This is now Rémi Garde’s team: For better or for worse, the Impact’s new coach has made his mark on this organization. It is clear that a move of this amplitude must have been signed off on by the coach. This sends a message to all other players that he is here to do business. Garde now has the opportunity to build from the ground up and construct a team that reflects his view of the game and what the Impact should become. Last year, we struggled defensively, and this trade should be seen as his first step to solving that problem.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

Many Impact fans were angered when they saw such a charismatic player as Ciman being dealt away. I had the same reaction when I first saw this deal announced but I hope that I have helped you realise that there are definitive positives to this trade. The single biggest factor as to whether this is or isn’t a good move will be who the Impact bring-in to replace Ciman. If Ciman is not adequately replaced, this is clearly a move for the worse. However, the Impact, via this trade, have already turned Ciman into a versatile winger and an experienced left back. If we can then use the cap space left by his departure into a new exciting center back, then this trade could be a positive for the Impact. Ultimately, we will judge this trade by the team’s performances on the pitch when the Impact kick off their 2018 campaign.

Impact fall for third straight game and playoffs hopes fade

2017-09-11T22:33:16-04:00

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A look at the Impact’s top and bottom performers and their performance ratings after the Impact’s 1-0 loss to the New England Revolution.

What seems like just a few short weeks ago, the Impact were on the rise. We were one of the hottest teams in the league and we were banging at the door of the playoffs. Now, after a very disappointing three weeks, the Impact have seen their playoff hopes fade away. It is very easy to blame the refs or international call-ups for these recent woes but ultimately, if you want to have a chance of making the playoffs, one goal in three games will get you absolutely nowhere.

The Impact’s most recent loss came against divisional opponents New England Revolution. The Impact failed to capitalize on their scoring chances. On the other hand, New England’s Lee Nguyen was able to put away the one chance that ultimately made the difference in the game and secured all three points for his team.

Here are my top and bottom performers in the Impact’s 1-0 loss to the Revs.

Top Performers:

Victor Cabrera: Interestingly, despite the lack of center backs because of injuries to Kyle Fisher and Hassoun Camara as well as the controversial suspension of Deion Boldor, the Impact decided to play with three at the back. In this patched together back-line, it was Victor Cabrera who stood out. The Argentinian adopted a Ciman style of play: he would step out of his line to cut off New England’s attacks with well timed tackles. Cabrera often seemed to be one step ahead of the play and that allowed him to recover possession and get the Impact’s attack going the other way. The 24 year old’s smart play let him accumulate 3 interceptions, 3 successful tackles and a staggering 14 recoveries. Performance Rating: 8/10

Bottom Performers:

Daniel Lovitz: As I already mentioned, the Impact opted to go with a back three with two wingbacks. In that formation, Daniel Lovitz saw himself assigned the left wingback position. Now, for those of you who are familiar with the Premier League, the designation wingback is synonymous with high octane players who cover vast swaths of ground. Players who when their team is in possession are an instrumental part of the attack and when their team is defending, are solid defensive pillars who quickly close down opponents. Sadly, Lovitz did not quite live up to that designation. On the defensive end of things, Lovitz racked up 13 less recoveries than his Argentinian teammate and 2 less interceptions. However, you can attribute those lackluster stats to the fact that New England focused their attacking fire power down the Impact’s right flank. On the other hand, there is no excuse to justify the American’s poor offensive performance. Lovitz did not contribute anything to our attack. He very rarely carried the ball up the pitch and when he did, he was uncreative and his crosses were poor. Likewise, his service off corners was quite disappointing. Performance Rating: 4/10

Anthony Jackson-Hamel: Many of you can probably guess what I am going to criticize about Jackson’play: he could not convert. While strikers may have a whole number of other jobs on the pitch, the most important one is to fill the back of the net. The bread and butter of strikers is exactly the kind of chance that Jackson missed in the 48^th minute. Oh, and that miss was the only shot that the Canadian international attempted all game long. If the Impact are to have any chance of making the playoffs, whoever our striker is needs to be able to pop in those chances on a constant basis and he needs to try his luck more than once per 90 minutes. Other than his miss, Jackson’s hold up play was also disappointing: he was not able to retain possession long enough for his attacking teammates to make it into the offensive third of the pitch. Jackson Hamel essentially faded into the background for most of the game. Sadly, he got the chance to start because Mancosu had also developed the bad habit of disappearing. Performance Rating: 5/10

While the Impact did not play a horrible match at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, they definitely need to start scoring goals. We cannot afford to go another game without filling the back of the net. Luckily, the Impact have the perfect chance to turn things around next Saturday when Minnesota come to town. Sadly, the Impact are already faced with a must win situation. If IMFC cannot manage all three points at home, we must admit that our post season dreams are over.

Impact have playoffs in their sights

2017-08-19T15:46:30-04:00

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A look at who did and did not perform well in the Impact’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire.

For the first time since the start of the season, when you look at the MLS table, a small hope flickers in the back of your mind saying that our beloved Impact might have a chance of making the playoffs. With IMFC’s recent winning form, they are within 3 points of a coveted playoff berth.

The latest game in this winning streak came versus one of the best teams in the league: the Chicago Fire. Despite the fact that the Fire controlled nearly 70% of the possession, the Impact were able to counter with deadly precision. On the defensive end of things, the Impact were able to keep Chicago away from our net and nip their attacks in the bud.

Here are my top and bottom performers from the Impact’s 3-0 win over the Chicago Fire.

Bottom performers:

Dominic Oduro: On a day when three of our main offensive weapons in Matteo Mancosu, Ignacio Piatti and Blerim Dzemaili were firing on all cylinders, Oduro melted into the background. While Mancosu was making repeated (and effective) runs behind the Fire’s backline, Oduro contented himself with lazing around his right flank. Mancosu was in top form and when he is the one making the runs, Oduro is not very useful. Instead of offering himself as a second target, Oduro decided to be more of a bystander. Performance Rating: 5/10

Top Performers:

Matteo Mancosu: I just said that Mancosu was on his game. What I didn’t mention was that it was the first time in a very long while that we have seen Mancosu play like the dominant striker he was last year in the playoffs. The Italian was finally in harmony with his midfielders: his runs were timed to perfection. It was also nice to see our veteran striker drop back into a deeper position to help create offense. All those improvements led to Mancosu getting multiple scoring chances including one occasion that led to the Impact’s penalty. Through his effort, Mancosu earned the right to take the penalty and score his 4^th goal of the season. Performance Rating: 8.5/10

Samuel Piette: While the Quebecer may not have played the flashiest of roles in the Impact’s convincing win, he executed his job perfectly it and was instrumental to the Bleu-Blanc-Noir securing all three points. Piette was able to just about singlehandedly shut down the center of the park. Any Chicago attack that was headed Piette’s way was expertly pushed out wide and eventually smothered. The fact that Piette has been so reliable defensively gives our other midfielders a lot more freedom to press offensively and create more going forward for the Impact. Performance Rating: 9/10

Ignacio Piatti: Not much more can be said about the Argentinian that has not already been said. Wednesday night, Piatti was on his game. He had the confidence to take on any defender and even more confidence to try his luck from way downtown. While you may cringe when most players plow into four opposing defenders with their head down, when it is Piatti, you eagerly await to see if he will make his way out. Piatti was able to create something out of nothing once again Wednesday night. He took Chicago’s defenders out of the play and that opened up space for either or himself or his teammates. The only thing I would have liked to see more from Piatti was a bit more distribution. On many occasions, he attracted three or four or the opposition’s defenders and freed up some of his teammates. Ideally, I would like to see Nacho move the ball towards those unmarked players. Performance Rating: 8/10

For the first time this season, the Impact have managed three consecutive wins. On Saturday night, the Impact will have the chance to add to that winning streak when they face off versus Real Salt Lake. However, since the Bleu-Blanc-Noir are coming off a short week, we can expect Mauro Biello to rest a few of his usual starters. Hopefully, even without our very best 11, we will be able to scrap out a victory.

Montreal Impact’s best and worst performers in their 4-0 loss to NYRB

2017-07-31T21:12:17-04:00

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Well Impact fans, that was another brutal one. Our low-flying Montreal Impact crashed into the high-flying New York Red Bulls with disastrous results. After being utterly dominated for 90 minutes, the Bleu-Blanc-Noir retreated to their locker room with an embarrassing 4-0 loss to swallow.

While we have come to expect the NYRB to dominate possession in their signature way, IMFC has always found a way to lethally counter. However, on Saturday night the Impact struggled to fend off the waves of pressure from their opponents. Furthermore, the Impact were not able to benefit from the space opened up by the high pressing Red Bulls. When in possession, instead of trying to beat their opponents pressure with long passing, the Impact carelessly coughed up the ball and let New York continue with their attack. On the rare occasions the Impact were able to beat the Red Bulls and run at their defenders we were our own worst enemy. Our touches were either too hard or we stepped on the ball. Either way, the result was the same: a wasted scoring chance. Versus a team like New York, if you are to have any chance of winning, you must make the most of those chances. On Saturday, our defending was poor and our attacking was sloppy. We all saw what the result was: a humiliating 4-0 drumming at the hands of our conference rivals.

Top Performers:

Kyle Fisher: On a night when most players in Impact blue were atrocious, Fisher stood out since he turned in a half decent performance. In the 25^th minute, he kept the game within reach when he cleared the ball off the goal line. To add to his clearance, the young American added 4 tackles, 2 blocked shots and 4 interceptions. On the down side, I found that Fisher and Ciman left too much room between them which allowed darting runs from the Red Bulls forwards. Performance Rating: 7.5/10

Bottom Performers:

Daniel Lovitz: The American fullback failed to make an offensive impact on the game and struggled on the defensive end of things. Lovitz was contoured by New York’s wingers as they exploited his left flank time and time again to cut towards the Impact’s 18 yard box. Lovitz was powerless to stop them. The Pennsylvania native was also not effective with his distribution. He finished the match with a 59% completion rate for his passes. If the Impact hope to win versus a team like the Reb Bulls, we need our fullbacks to defend admirably and then quickly move the ball along. Performance Rating: 4.5/10

Hernan Bernardello: The Argentinian was completely dominated in the midfield. Bernardello’s job Saturday was to break up the opponent’s attacks and then quickly get things going the other way so that the Impact could take advantage of the bodies that the NYRB had committed forward. Sadly, Bernardello was constantly playing catch-up. He was one step behind the Red Bull’s passing and found it extremely difficult to cut out or even slow down their attacks. On the rare occasions he did manage to recover possession, he wasn’t efficient in his redistribution and was not able to catch New York on the counter. Performance Rating: 5/10

Blerim Dzemaili: We have come to expect nothing but the best from our swiss maestro, but Saturday forced us to realize that Dzemaili is human after all: he is not perfect all the time. In fact, the 31 year old was practically invisible. I know that our offensive players saw little of the ball, but I was disappointed to see that Dzemaili was not looking for possession. He did not drop back into the midfield to lend a hand to his struggling teammates. When the ball did find a way to his feet, his passing completion rate of 50% meant that he was giving the ball to the Red Bulls as much as to his teammates. If the Impact are to have a chance of making the playoffs, Dzemaili needs to be firing on all cylinders. Performance Rating: 4.5/10

A performance like Saturday’s reinforces my belief that if the Impact are to make the playoffs, we need to invest in this transfer window. We need to see Saputo finally open his chequebook and bring in another difference maker to the Impact. During the off-season, we sat by as the rest of the league brought in exciting young talents like Miguel Almiron in Atlanta. It is now the Impact’s turn to catch back up to the rest of the league. Talking about catching up, IMFC will have another shot to get closer to a playoff berth next Saturday when they face off versus Orlando City.

Player Ratings: Montreal Impact sloppy in 2-1 win over Philadelphia Union

2017-07-20T19:04:30-04:00

Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

A player by player analysis of the Impact’s home win against divisional opponents Philadelphia Union

After a long two weeks bereft of our Montreal Impact, the bleu-blanc-noir took to the field Wednesday night to face off versus fellow bottom dwellers Philadelphia Union. Despite sloppy passing and costly turnovers, the Impact managed to eke out a much needed 2-1 win and secure all three points at home.

The Impact kicked off the scoring via a beautiful header from Michael Salazar but shortly before retreating to the locker room, Chris Duvall set up the Union’s Jean Picault with a perfect pass to level the score at one. Once again, it was the instrumental Blerim Dzemaili who stepped up and saved the day for the Impact when he blasted a shot past Union keeper John McCarthy to give the Impact a 2-1 lead. The Impact hung on to that narrow one goal lead to claim all three points.

Here are my player ratings for the Impact’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union

Evan Bush: The keeper was called on twice. On one occasion, he made the easy save and on the other, he was beat by a well placed shot by Picault. Once again, Bush made the saves that you would expect him to make but nothing more. If Bush cannot start making those impressive saves, it might be time to give Maxime Crepeau a start. Performance Rating: 7/10

Daniel Lovitz: While it was nice to finally see a natural left back playing at that position for the Impact, Lovitz was not impressive. While he might have racked up four successful tackles, he also lost three. Likewise, the American only completed 67% of his passes. Performance Rating: 5.5/10

Kyle Fisher: On a day when the back line was plagued with the turnover bug, Fisher didn’t seem to catch the cold. The young American center back kept his nose clean and was the solid defensive presence we have come to expect from the 23 year old. Furthermore, Fisher was instrumental in the Impact’s distribution from the back. Performance Rating: 8.5/10

Laurent Ciman: By all accounts, that was a very poor outing by the Belgian international. He was prone to uncharacteristic turnovers deep in his own half and his defensive interventions were inaccurate at best and sloppy at worst. Performance Rating: 5.5/10

Chris Duvall: While many may choose to only remember the American’s gaffe that cost the Impact club a goal, I would rather choose to remember his pinpoint cross on Salazar’s goal, his 94% passing completion rate and his 9 recoveries. While his mistake could have cost the Impact the win, we can’t overlook the rest of the Duvall’s contributions to IMFC’s win. Performance Rating: 7.5/10

Hernan Bernardello: While I may not be the Argentine’s biggest fan, credit must be given when credit is due: Bernardello had a very solid game. He was precise and timely in his tackles and accurate in his passing. He racked up five successful tackles as well as 10 recoveries and lent a helping hand to rookie Louis Béland-Goyette. Performance Rating: 8/10

Louis Béland-Goyette: In his first career start with IMFC, the academy product fared relatively well. Despite a few missed tackles, Béland-Goyette avoided costly mistakes, which is key for any rookie. First team minutes like this will only bolster the young man’s confidence and make him a better player for the Impact. I would love to see him touch the pitch more either as a starter or as a substitute. Performance Rating: 7/10

Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla: Despite a few magnificent dripples in the final third, Ballou wasn’t up to the standard of play we have come to expect from the youngster. For large swaths of the game, the academy prospect was far too invisible. He was letting the play come to him rather than implicating himself in it. Hopefully, Ballou will be back on his game when the Impact face off versus Dallas on Saturday. Performance Rating: 6/10

Blerim Dzemaili: In the absence of his fellow designated player, Dzemaili stepped up big for the Impact. Everything was passing threw the Swiss international Wednesday. He dictated the Impact’s presence in the offensive half and he has the stats to prove it. Dzemaili attempted 4 shots, one of which found the back of the net. Performance Rating: 9/10

Michael Salazar: To the surprise of many, the Belize international started at right midfield over Dominic Oduro. Mauro Biello’s gutsy decision was well rewarded. Salazar was one of the hardest working players on the pitch. He tirelessly chased down loose balls and applied pressure to the ball carrier. His nice movement off the ball was rewarded in the 19^th minute when he beautifully redirected Duvall’s cross into the back of the net. Performance Rating: 8.5/10

Matteo Mancosu: The Italian was as unidimensional as ever Wednesday night. Once the Union’s defenders clued into his runs behind them, he became practically useless. For much of the game, he was invisible. He barely touched the ball, and when he did, his touch was too heavy and he promptly turned over possession. The Italian is in a slump, no question about it. He needs to figure out how to put enough balls into the back of the net to justify his nearly $800 000 salary. Performance Rating: 4/10

While the Impact got the deed done and secured all three points, there is still a good deal of room for improvement. If the Impact continue to make the same clumsy mistakes they made versus Philly on Saturday versus Dallas, the result will surely be very different. Dallas are one of the MLS’s premier teams and the Impact will need to both avoid costly mistakes and capitalize on their opportunities if they are going to have any chance of beating Dallas

Montreal Impact suffer heartbreaking loss to TFC

2017-06-29T16:40:02-04:00

Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports

A player by player analysis of the Impact’s 2-1 loss to bitter rivals Toronto FC

Well, that was a tough one to swallow Impact fans. Whether we want to blame that heartbreaking 2-1 loss on the ref, suspensions or injuries; we have to face the harsh reality that we lost and we have to wait another year before getting another kick at qualifying for the champions league.

Without further adieu, let’s jump right into my player ratings. I will be keeping this brief because I’m in no mood to dwell on that game and I doubt any of you want to relive those final minutes either.

Maxime Crépeau: The Canadian international made a number of key saves to keep the Impact in this game. He made quite a few impressive stops. It was the kind of performance that can put him in the running for the starting job. Performance Rating: 9/10

Hassoun Camara: The lanky Frenchman once again struggled to keep up with the pace of the game. His reliance on his right foot held him back since he was not able to get rid of the ball quickly enough. Performance Rating: 5.5/10

Victor Cabrera: To the great surprise of many Impact fans, the Argentinian wasn’t atrocious. In fact, he was actually an asset. He was smart and clinical in his challenges and was also able to cover the very physical Jozy Altidore. Performance Rating: 8.5/10

Laurent Ciman: In the face of a full out TFC assault in the 2^nd half, Ciman knuckled down and help strong. He kept the Impact’s defensive line relatively organized. On the way, the Belgian racked up 4 tackles, 3 interceptions, 5 clearances and a staggering 13 recoveries, not a shabby night’s work for the Général.

Kyle Fisher: I think it is pretty clear now: Fisher is a center back, not a fullback. The young American struggled out wide vs TFC. He was not able to create much going forward and had some uncharacteristic turnovers in his own half. Performance Rating: 6/10

Hernan Bernardello: When I saw the starting 11, I was quite worried about the prospect of Bernardello playing as a holding midfielder. However, he proved my worries unfounded. He avoided turnovers and helped the back line with strong tackles. Performance Rating: 8/10

Patrice Bernier: The Impact’s captain once again proved that even at 37 years young, he is still a difference maker on the pitch but against TFC, Bernier’s passing wasn’t quite as accurate as we have come to expect from the Brossard native. Performance Rating: 7/10

Blerim Dzemaili: Tuesday’s game versus TFC was by far his worst in an Impact jersey. Despite his contribution towards Ballou’s goal, the Swiss midfielder was a turnover machine. He tried running at TFC’s lines but rather than breaking those lines, he wound up giving up the ball. Performance Rating: 5/10

Ballou Tabla: On a night during which Piatti was muzzled, it was our young Canadian’s chance to shine. He brought a verticality to our attack by successfully breaking through TFC’s lines. Ballou also gave the Impact the lead when he beautifully curled the ball around Clint Irwin’s outstretched fingers. Performance Rating: 9/10

Ignacio Piatti: Toronto did their very best to keep a lid on our explosive Argentinian. Sadly, Nacho was not able to burst free from his coverage and make a massive difference in Tuesday’s game. Performance Rating: 6/10

Matteo Mancosu: Like we’ve seen in previous weeks, the Italian kept a very low profile on the pitch. It seems the only facet to his game is running behind defenders. MLS teams have clued into that. If Mancosu wants to keep on scoring goals and living up to his 700 000 dollar a year price tag, he’ll have to learn a few new tricks. Performance Rating: 6.5/10

Once again, the Impact have fallen short in their quest for the Voyager’s cup. That means yet another year without Champions league football for us fans. The Impact will now be entirely focused on MLS play and that’s a good thing since their next game is a critical one. The Impact are facing off versus DC United who are currently tied with IMFC for points

A player by player analysis of IMFC’s 1-1 draw with SKC

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Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

A look a what each player did well and what they did not do so well during the Montreal Impact’s 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night

The Montreal Impact marched into Kansas City with a full head of steam and a very depleted roster. The Impact had won their last three matches but for this game in Kansas, they were missing many key players to international duty such as Blerim Dzemaili, Laurent Ciman and Patrice Bernier. Despite their threadbare roster, the Impact were able to fight to a 1-1 tie in Kansas. While a 1-1 draw may not be the sexiest of results, the Impact should be thrilled that they left the daunting home of the leaders of the western conference with a point.

Here are my player ratings for the Impact’s 1-1 draw versus SKC.

Evan Bush: Bush made numerous impressive saves to keep the score line close and to give the Impact a chance at a draw. On the one goal he conceded, he was not at fault. The ball was expertly placed into the side netting and the Ohio native didn’t stand a chance of getting a hand on it. Performance Rating: 9/10

Daniel Lovitz: Lovitz was very solid on the defensive end of the ball and was able to shut down most attacks coming down his flank. However, he did not contribute as much offensively as you would like your wing-backs to do. Performance Rating: 7.5/10

Kyle Fisher: Despite missing his tackle in the lead up to SKC’s goal, the American defender had a very strong showing in Kansas. In fact, Fisher racked up an impressive 2 interceptions, 2 tackles 5 recoveries and 7 clearances. Performance Rating: 8/10

Hassoun Camara: The lanky Frenchman lined up in the middle of our back three and was supposed to lead that back line. Sadly, Camara was not quite up to the task. His distribution was not accurate enough and his tackles not clinical enough. Performance Rating: 6/10

Victor Cabrera: Cabrera did not impress any more than Camara. Like his French teammate, the Argentinian’s distribution was poor and he recklessly rushed into tackles. Performance Rating: 5.5/10

Chris Duvall: While Duvall was more implicated in the attack than Lovitz, I still believe that the wing-backs in a 3-4-3 should be pressing higher up the pitch. On the defensive end up things, Duvall was not as implicated as he should have been. Performance Rating: 6.5/10

Callum Mallace: For all the Mallace haters out there, Satruday’s performance helped prove their point. Mallace struggled in his job of redistributing the ball and on the defensive end of things, Mallace was unable to help out his back line. Performance Rating: 5/10

Marco Donadel: It was interesting to see Donadel playing in a bit more of an offensive role. I quite liked the way he rushed up from his deeper holding position to pressure the ball carrier. He was also a pivotal point of our transition from defence to attack. Performance Rating: 8.5/10

Ignacio Piatti: On an individual level, Piatti was once again dominant on Saturday. He finished the match with 7 recoveries and 3 successful dribbles. However, he also failed to bring his teammates into the play. Often, it would have been wise to pass the ball towards Dominic Oduro, but he preferred to go for the spectacular. Performance Rating: 8/10

Dominic Oduro: The speedy Ghanaian had an up and down game. He went through spells during which he barely touched the ball and others during which he was constantly darting behind SKC’s back line and making a real nuisance of himself to their defenders. I would love to see a more consistent performance from Oduro. Performance Rating: 7/10

Nick Depuy: The American striker’s main attribute is his height. Sadly, on Saturday, he seemed timid when he went into aerial battles, he did not use his 6’5” frame to it’s full potential. Furthermore, when he found himself in a dangerous position, it looked like he got tangled up in his own legs and could not redirect the ball into the back of the net. Performance Rating: 4.5/10

As I said before, I am quite content with the result that the Impact managed to obtain away from home in one of the most hostile stadiums in the league. The Impact will face another very tough task next week when they voyage to Orlando to take on the Lions. Hopefully, the Impact can keep this undefeated streak alive versus former IMFC man Donny Toia and his Orlando teammates.

Player Ratings: Montreal Impact hold on for 1-0 win over DC United

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Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla celebrates after scoring the winning goal

A player by player analysis of the Montreal Impact’s narrow 1-0 road victory over DC United.

The Impact headed to Washington in desperate need of points. Mauro Biello’s men had only managed a single win in their 8 previous games this season. Biello was clearly not happy with those previous performances so he pushed his players in training and shuffled around his starting 11. It clearly paid off since the Impact escaped the cavernous JFK stadium with a narrow 1-0 road win.

Saturday’s game was truly a tale of two halves: a first half during which the Impact attacked DC, brought the game to their opponents and created dangerous scoring chances and a second half in which the Impact retreated into a defensive shell and DC dominated possession.

Here are my player ratings for the Montreal Impact’s 1-0 win over DC United.

Starting 11:

Evan Bush: The Ohio native was not very busy Saturday night, he made the two saves he had to make and was aggressive in his six yard box. However, Bush got lucky when Luciano Acosta’s shot rattled of the crossbar instead of dipping into the net in the 57^th minute. Rating: 7.5/10

Ambroise Oyongo: Like usual, the Cameroonian was extremely willing to get involved in the attack but while he was able to get into threatening positions, his final ball into the box was once again poor. To everyone’s great joy, Oyongo decided to also track back and help out defensively this week. Rating 7.5/10

Kyle Fisher: In his second start of the season, the American defender impressed once again. He did not jump off the screen with stunning tackles, but he did exactly what he had to do and most importantly, he avoided costly mistakes. Rating: 8/10

Laurent Ciman: Ciman has come under a great deal of criticism lately for not being enough of a Général. Well, versus DC, Ciman was back to his 2015 self and then some. Ciman bossed around DC’s forwards like a true Général. Take a look at Ciman’s defensive contributions:

You can thank MLS soccer and Opta stats for that chart. To explain, the little triangles represent defensive interventions. The yellow ones are blocks (4), the blue ones are interceptions (8) and the purple ones are clearances (8). Those are simply staggering statistics. Let’s hope Ciman can offer an encore performance next week. Rating: 9.5/10

Chris Duvall: The American fullback was less visible than usual. He got forwards and even managed a shot on target, but we have seen him send in more crosses than he did Saturday. Defensively, he and Daniel Lovitz combined to shut down the left flank of DC’s attack. Rating: 7/10

Hernan Bernardello: Despite the Argentine playing better than he has been of late, I still think Bernardello has more to offer. While Bernardello didn’t commit any glaring turnovers in his own half, his passing still wasn’t up to par. Our holding midfielders are supposed to serve as a link between defence and attack. That link is significantly weakened when Bernardello is only completing 62% of his passes. Rating: 6/10

Adrian Arregui: In the lead up to the game, many were calling on Biello to start Arregui. Biello decided to start the feisty Argentinian midfielder and his decision paid off. Arregui provided a hard working and harder tackling blue collar mentality in front of the Impact’s back line. If Marco Donadel is healthy, I would like to see Arregui start next to him. That would form an impressive hard nosed midfield pairing. Rating: 9/10

Ignacio Piatti: The Argentinian winger had his poorest game of the season on Saturday. It was one of those rare nights when Piatti’s dribbles did not work. Instead of realizing this and deciding to pass, Piatti kept on running at defenders with the same predictable result. On the defensive end of the ball, Piatti showed some poor decision making and coughed up possession deep in the Impact’s half a few too many times. Rating: 6.5/10

Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla: Piatti who? All hail the king Ballou! There is a new dynamic dribbling midfielder in town, and this one is an 18 year old local phenomenon. Ballou was the driving force of our attack on Saturday. It was a huge vote of confidence to start the young rookie in the #10 role but Ballou stepped up to the job. He scored the winning goal with a beautiful piece individual effort that secured three desperately needed road points for the Impact. Rating: 9/10

Daniel Lovitz: I was surprised to see the American start at right wing but by the end of the 90 minutes, he proved that Biello made the right decision in giving him the nod. While he might not have seen much of the ball, he was unselfish when he did get it. With two master dribblers playing to his left, Lovitz realised that what he really needed to do was play the ball towards Ballou and Piatti and that is exactly what he did. On the defensive end, Lovitz’s defender instincts kicked in and he helped neutralize most threats coming down his right side of the pitch. Rating: 7.5/10

Dominic Oduro: Oduro has also been criticized this year for not playing up to the level he was at last year but against DC, the 2016 version of Oduro was once again on display. He did not try anything fancy and instead stuck with what he does best: running. I would have liked to see his teammates try to play the ball into space for Oduro a bit more than they did Saturday. Rating: 7.5/10

Subs:

Patrice Bernier: Our captain came on in the 69^th minute for Arregui. He played next to Bernardello and didn’t have a massive impact on the game. He only completed 4 of 7 passes. Rating: 6.5/10

Callum Mallace: The Scotsman took Bernardello’s place in the 78^th minute and was able to calm down the play. He completed all five of his attempted passes and recovered the ball once. Rating: 7.5/10

Anthony Jackson Hamel: Despite coming on in the 84^th minute, he was able to make DC United defender Bobby Boswell lose his cool. Not bad for 6 minutes of work.

This was a crucial road win for the Impact. While the 3 points did not send us rocketing up in the standings, it proved that we have what it takes to compete both at home and on the road. Ideally, the Impact would like to follow up that road win with a win a home next week when the Columbus Crew come to town. Let’s see what the Impact can do versus the Crew next Saturday.