Mount Royal Soccer: All Posts by Jean-Francois Corbet

Une 4e place de joueur désigné bientôt ?

2015-07-06T08:00:02-04:00

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Selon des rumeurs persistantes la Major League Soccer envisagerait dans un avenir rapproché, d’ajouter une 4e place de joueur désigné par équipe. Est-ce une bonne chose pour l’Impact ?

Avant de répondre à la question de savoir si oui ou non l’ajout d’une place d’un joueur désigné profiterait à l’Impact je vais me pencher sur ce que cela représenterait pour la MLS et si cela est bon pour elle.

La MLS est en plein développement et les choses vont pour le mieux depuis quelques saisons et le meilleur est à venir. De nouvelles équipes se sont ajoutés au cours des dernières saisons et sont déjà en bataille pour les séries. Les équipes sont compétitives et malgré le fait que quelques unes d’entres elles sont plus riches et amènent plusieurs joueurs à de gros salaire, cela ne se reflète pas toujours par de bon résultats sur le terrain. On connait l’histoire du Toronto FC jusqu’à cette année ! Alors la question est pourquoi changer une formule qui fonctionne très bien présentement ?

L’argent, l’argent et l’argent ! Elle mène le monde et l’ajout d’une place d’un joueur désigné amène certes des dépenses aux niveaux des équipes mais aussi beaucoup de revenus ! Pensons aux Beckham, Kaka, Villa et cie qui rapportent gros pour leurs équipes respectives tant en vente de billets, en commandite ou encore en publicité. Je me questionne cependant sur l’aspect sportif. Est-ce une bonne chose pour le spectacle ?

Présentement chacune des équipes peut prétendre d’une année à une autre d’être compétitive. Comme dans tous les sports professionnels il y a des passages difficiles mais la MLS est construite pour favoriser une parité entre les équipes riches et plus pauvres. L’ajout d’une 4^e place de joueur désigné viendrait mettre un coup de hache violent dans cet équilibre. Présentement, 11 équipes sur 20 ont 3 joueurs désignés dans leur alignement. C’est tout juste un peu plus que la moitié.

Alors où est le besoin d’ajouter une place supplémentaire ?

Des clubs riches bien sûr ! Les clubs ayant beaucoup d’argent mènent cette ligue et veulent encore plus dépenser pour creuser l’écart entre les équipes. Que ce soit L.A., Toronto ou les nouveaux venus Orlando et NYCFC, ces équipes ont beaucoup d’argent et veulent en dépenser pour être efficace rapidement. Ce n’est malheureusement pas la façon de faire et amener un 4^e joueur désigné par équipe va agrandir l’écart entre les différents marchés et comme dirait Triple H : It’s not good for business !

Pour l’Impact qu’est ce que cela signifie ? J’ai bien peur d’être un peu pessimiste ici mais si la MLS va de l’avant avec ce genre de règle je crois fermement que les petits marchés ne pourront tout simplement pas suivre la cadence.

L’Impact n’a jamais rempli les 3 maillots disponibles pour les JD et en ont eu 1 seul durant la majeure partie de leur existence en MLS. Je vois mal comment Joey Saputo pourrait aligner 4 joueurs qui gagnent de très gros salaire et avoir une moyenne de 14-15000 spectateurs dans les sièges au stade Saputo. C’est tout simplement impensable.

Le système présentement est très bien fait car il empêche des batailles pour le championnat à 2 équipes comme c’est le cas dans certaines ligues d’Europe et Don Garber doit tenir compte de ce point.

Voir le FC Barcelone se battre avec Real Madrid pour le championnat année après année n’est pas ce qu’il y a de plus excitant pour les autres équipes moins nantis. Les États-Unis et le Canada n’ont pas la culture sportive européenne. Il n’y a pas de relégation donc aucune bataille si on est dans le fond de la cave du classement en fin de saison.

De plus, comme on le voit au Stade Saputo trop souvent, il faut que l’équipe performe pour que les gens s’y accrochent. En permettant l’ajout d’un joueur désigné supplémentaire il mettrait non seulement en péril l’équilibre de la ligue mais aussi les plus petits marchés qui ne pourraient se battre avec les équipes riches.

Il est bien d’avoir des grands joueurs tel que Kaka, Beckham, Villa ou Lampard dans la ligue mais le développement des joueurs est le réel nerf de la guerre et il est très important qu’il le demeure. Car ne l’oubliez pas, si on ajoute une 4^e place de JD cela signifie une place de moins pour un jeune sortant d’une académie et du temps de jeu précieux en moins pour d’autres. Bref une 4^e place disponible pour un joueur en pré retraite ? Non merci !

Qui est le véritable capitaine de l'Impact ?

2015-06-08T08:40:25-04:00

T'as vu Jack? Le capitaine, c'est moi!! | Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Depuis le début de la saison Patrice Bernier, qui est le capitaine officiel de l’Impact de Montréal, n’a vu que très peu de minutes. Il est difficile voir même impossible pour un meneur de mener à partir du banc. Qui est le vrai capitaine alors ?

D’entrée de jeu, j’aime autant vous avertir immédiatement : Je suis un très grand fan de Patrice Bernier ! Je pense qu’il est encore le meilleur milieu défensif que l’équipe a sous la main et qu’on ne le met pas assez souvent sur le terrain.

Je suis loin d’être tendre avec Klopas depuis le début et le peu de temps d’utilisation de Bernier en est la raison majeure.

Selon l’avis de l’entraineur et du joueur, il n’y a aucun froid entre les deux et ils sont sur la même longueur d’onde. Bernier a d’ailleurs mentionné dans un article récemment pour RDS.ca qu’il n’était pas à couteaux tirés avec son entraineur et que les seules tensions qui ont éclatées sont en rapport avec la mauvaise tenue de l’équipe.

Justement est-ce que le petit gars de Brossard est en droit de penser comme moi que la mauvaise tenue de l’équipe est directement proportionnelle à son temps de jeu absent ? On est en droit d’y penser et Patrice aurait parfaitement raison de demander des explications. On peut donner bien des tangentes aux mots "mauvaise tenue de l’équipe" car selon moi Klopas est dans l’erreur avec son capitaine.

Klopas savait très bien ce que Bernier pouvait apporter à l’équipe avant le début de la saison. Alors la grande question : Pourquoi lui avoir redonné le capitanat de cette équipe s’il était pour le clouer au banc ?

Pour des raisons de marketing ? Pour ne pas s’aliéner une partie du public, qui faut l’avouer aime beaucoup le québécois ? Peut-être que la demande venait de plus haut. Alors là on aurait un sérieux problème. Poser la question c’est y répondre…

On dira ce qu’on voudra un capitaine ne peut avoir un effet notable à partir du banc. Ouim il peut influencer la préparation et les entrainements mais lorsque l’arbitre siffle le début du match, c’est sur le terrain que cela se passe.

Depuis le début de la saison c’est Nigel Reo-Coker qui est le capitaine lorsque Bernier est sur le banc. Je comprends que NRC a eu une brillante carrière et qu’il a déjà porté le brassard de capitaine de nombreuses fois au cours de celle-ci mais est-il le véritable leader de cette équipe ? Non !

Premièrement, il a commencé la saison comme milieu défensif partant et son impact fût négligeable. Par la suite lorsque Victor Cabrera s’est blessé, on s’est mis à l’utilisé comme arrière latéral. C’était très loin d’être convaincant.

Maintenant que Donny Toia et Ambroise Oyongo sont les arrière latéraux est-ce qu’on va s’entêter à le faire jouer et à lui donner le brassard pour justifier son acquisition d’entre saison ? Ce serait la goutte qui ferait déborder le vase. Si Bernier n’est pas assez efficace pour être sur le terrain permettez-moi de douter de l’efficacité de Nigel Reo-Coker.

Ce qui m’amène au véritable leader de cette équipe et bien sûr vous savez de qui il s’agit : Laurent Ciman. J’avoue que je ne connaissais pratiquement pas le joueur lorsqu’on l’a acquis. J’avais donc décidé de rejoindre Philip Harmeling pour lui poser quelques questions sur le défenseur belge et une phrase m’avait marquée : "He got everything to be the next captain of the Montreal Impact." Il a tout pour devenir le prochain capitaine de l’Impact !

Après quelques matchs, il était déjà facile de voir pour quelles raisons cette citation était vraie. Un guerrier tant sur le terrain qu’en dehors et qui n’accepte aucune demi-mesure. Il veut remporter chaque duel, chaque minute et chaque seconde au cours d’un match. Il démontre aussi des émotions et les fans adorent ce genre de joueur qui laisse son égo au vestiaire. C’est lui qui devrait porter le brassard lorsque Bernier n’est pas dans l’uniforme et personne d’autre.

C’est peut-être cela le problème aux yeux de Klopas. Ciman est quelqu’un de volubile qui n’a pas la langue de bois. Des déclarations croustillantes on en a avec lui ! Il est certainement plus facile pour un entraineur d’avoir le capitaine dans sa petite poche arrière comme c’est le cas avec NRC.

Car que ce soit avec Patrice Bernier ou Laurent Ciman il est rare de ne pas avoir l’heure juste avec ces deux joueurs. Les phrases clichées sont absentes lorsque ces deux joueurs sont devant les journalistes et leurs efforts sur le terrain est de tous les instants. Si quelque chose n’est pas à leurs gouts ils vont le faire savoir sans équivoque!

C’est cela un vrai capitaine. Une mitaine fait rarement un bon candidat.. Il serait temps que Klopas et la direction comprennent qu’un capitaine est là en premier lieu pour les joueurs et non pour bien faire paraître la direction.

De toute façon les joueurs ne sont pas dupes. Ils savent très bien que le véritable leader de cette équipe est le général de la défense et que tôt ou tard il portera le brassard. Cela va se faire sous Klopas ou sous un autre entraineur mais vous pouvez écrire mes mots :

Laurent Ciman est le véritable capitaine de ce club et il portera le brassard dans un futur pas si lointain…que Klopas le veuille ou non !

Le prochain joueur désigné, un attaquant ?

2015-06-04T09:30:51-04:00

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Pour l’instant, Ignacio Piatti est l’unique joueur désigné chez l’Impact de Montréal. Avec la période de transfert estivale qui approche, est-ce que Klopas et Braz doivent absolument se tourner vers un attaquant comme prochain JD ? Mon opinion est simple et très claire : NON !

Si vous êtes des réguliers sur Mount Royal Soccer vous savez que je suis un fan de Jack McInerney. Il n’a peut-être pas le charisme ou la popularité d’un Marco Di Vaio ou d’un Thierry Henry mais il peut être très efficace sur un terrain de soccer.

Il l’a déjà prouvé et est en train de le faire encore une fois cette saison malgré un temps d’utilisation qui laisse à désiré. De plus, avec les Dominic Oduro, Cameron Porter, Kenny Cooper et Romario Williams dans l’alignement il ne sert à rien d’ajouter un gros salaire de joueur désigné alors que l’équipe prend l’eau ailleurs.

Le vrai problème de l’Impact se situe du côté défensif du ballon. La position de milieu défensif ou relayeur est très déficiente depuis le début de la saison. L’Impact a acquis Nigel Reo-Coker et Marco Donadel dans l’optique de combler ce poste et jusqu’à présent il faut avouer que c’est un fiasco pour ne pas dire un échec total.

Reo-Coker joue maintenant en tant que défenseur latéral alors que Donadel accumule les cartons à un rythme effrayant. Cela amène une autre question pour un article futur peut-être : Pourquoi, lorsqu’une équipe signe des joueurs durant l’entre saison et que ses joueur sous-performent, elle s’entête à les faire jouer soir après soir dans le XI partant ?

Celle-là je dois avouer que je ne la comprends pas mais ce sera pour plus tard revenons à nos moutons ici.

Il y a bien sûr Calum Mallace et Patrice Bernier qui peuvent jouer à ce poste. Le premier encore trop jeune est en plein développement et le second est sur la pente descendante de sa carrière. Je crois tout de même que les deux sont supérieurs à Marco et Nigel. Ce n’est pas peu dire. Le recrutement d'entre saison a fait défaut !

De plus, la défensive et Evan Bush font un bon travail depuis le début de la saison et l’attaque lorsqu’elle reçoit des ballons potables peut faire mal. C’est le lien entre les deux qui est le problème. La colle qui viendrait solidifier le lien entre la défensive et l’attaque et ainsi aider sur les deux plans est inexistante. On a critiqué Hernan Bernardello car il n’était pas assez décisif et qu’on pouvait avoir mieux à un prix moindre. Hernan était supérieur et de loin à tout ce que l’Impact a sous la main présentement.

Il faut donc un milieu de terrain capable de relancer rapidement l’attaque avec de bons ballons et un qui est dans un style plus agressif et qui est plus porter sur la défensive. En MLS les exemples sont nombreux : Jermaine Jones, Kyle Beckerman, Michael Bradley sont d'excellents exemples. Ils sont tous les trois joueurs désignés mais ont un impact majeur sur leur équipe respective. En voyant les difficultés que l’Impact a pour relancer l’attaque il est facile de voir qu’un bon milieu relayeur serait plus que la bienvenue pour l’équipe Montréalaise.

C’est aussi un endroit où il faut une complémentarité pour être efficace. Pour les fans de la Squadra Azzura, rappelez-vous du duo Pirlo-Gattuso en milieu de terrain. C’est ce genre de duo qu’il faut à l’Impact. Je ne parle pas en terme de talent car il serait utopique de penser qu’il est possible d’avoir un duo comme celui-ci en MLS.

Je parle plutôt de complémentarité et de type de joueurs. Un Gattuso qui est un joueur infatigable avec des tacles agressif et qui ne lâche jamais. Un Pirlo qui est un véritable maestro sur le terrain. Il dirige l’attaque de l’arrière avec des frappes et des ballons précis.

Maintenant est-ce qu’il y a ce genre de joueurs de disponible sur le marché présentement ? Je crois que oui. Un Michael Essien par exemple pourrait être tenter par la MLS. Scott Parker ? C'est ce genre de joueurs que l’Impact doit regarder. Pour ma part mon choix est fait.

Le maestro !

L’Impact a habitué ses amateurs à ce genre de coups d’éclat avec Marco Di Vaio et surtout Alessandro Nesta. Il ne faudrait pas fermer la porte trop vite à un Andrea Pirlo car Joey Saputo à plus d’un tour dans son sac. Imaginez le coup immense pour Montreal d’amenez un Pirlo au sein de l’équipe et ce non seulement au point de vue marketing mais expérience et leadership.

Meme si des rumeurs l

Peu importe si c’est Pirlo, Essien, Parker ou tout autre milieu défensif, il faut que Klopas et Braz trouvent le bon joueur et qu’ils comblent le trou qu’ils n’ont pas pu combler jusqu’à présent. Ce serait inadmissible que l’impact termine la saison avec Reo-Coker et Donadel comme milieux défensifs partants. Si tel est le cas la saison sera longue et les séries absentes.

Impact vs RSL Preview: 3 Questions

2015-05-15T13:00:03-04:00

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday, Montreal takes on the mighty Real Salt Lake that has found success away from home and will want to keep that momentum going.

I've reached out to Randal Serr of RSL SoapBox to know more about the team hailing from Utah and yes, there is a question about Kyle Beckerman.

1- How would you rate and describe Real Salt Lake's season so far ? What are the fans in 2015 ?

I would describe the season as a slow start. RSL fans are used to a high-octane offense with plenty of possession. This has not been the case thus far with a formation change and quite a bit of personnel change. RSL has only lost a couple of games but is tying more than usual. The defense, except for one game, has been pretty stingy but the scoring opportunities have been lacking to say the least.

They seem to have turned a corner in the past game with better play and better chances but RSL fans have come to expect a team that typically wins at home and makes a playoff push every year. Anything less is unacceptable at this point. You could say that Salt Lake fans have been spoiled.

2-Kyle Beckerman is one of my favorite player to watch in MLS. But you guys also have Plata, Jaime, Saborio, Morales and maybe the best GK in the league in Nick Rimando. Who is the Key player in the club ? And who is the odd man out ?

For me, the key player is Kyle Beckerman. He is the heart, soul, and face of the franchise. When he came to Salt Lake, the franchise turned around very quickly. He demands the best of himself and his teammates and is a ferocious leader. You could make a solid argument that Javier Morales has just as big of an impact, but in my opinion Beckerman is irreplaceable as evidenced by RSL's dip in form when he leaves for national team duty.

The player that is overlooked has to be Nick Rimando. Many would say that he is the best goalkeeper ever in MLS as you alluded to, yet he has never won Goalkeeper of the Year. You could make a solid argument that it was because of Nick Rimando that RSL has a championship. His play in the 2009 MLS Playoffs was incredible and he made multiple PK saves to carry Real Salt Lake through to the end.

3-RSL is currently just out of a playoff spot but the season is still young. After losing the MLS Cup final lost in 2013 against Sporting Kansas City and losing to eventual 2014 MLS Champions ,the LA Galaxy, what needs to happen for RSL to lift the 2015 MLS Cup?

What areas need improvement to be a Cup winner this year ?

Every fan will tell you something different as far as which players are to blame or which formation works and which one doesn't. Head coach Jeff Cassar and the management of the team apparently feel that RSL needs to be much more difficult to prepare for. I actually sympathize with their argument since many teams figured out that the way to kill the diamond formation is to sit back and defend for the majority of the game.

The best teams in the league had more intricate approaches that seemed to work as well. For me, RSL simply needs to stay healthy and have a little bit better finishing touch in the biggest games. RSL was extremely close to winning a few more trophies over the years but could not score the goals in the biggest games when they mattered most. Close is not good enough in those moments.

Q&A With Stumptown Footy

2015-05-08T12:22:00-04:00

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

This week-end the Montreal Impact is finally playing a MLS game and it's against the Portland Timbers. I've reached out to William Conwell to know more about the Oregon team.

1-The Timbers were a true force in 2013, Missed barely the playoffs last year and are once again 1 pts away from a playoff spot. What's the major difference between the 2013 team and the years after ? What do the Timbers need to do to be once again a top team in the league ?

In 2013 the Portland Timbers had two things going for them that have not been there in the last two years: first, it sounds crazy to say now, but few teams had played the sort of possession soccer that Caleb Porter's Timbers are built around and first deployed in the 2013 season. Many teams really just had no answer for Portland's high pressure defense and possession heavy offense. Since then, the concept has lost some of its luster as teams have adjusted their play and forced the Timbers to do the same.

Second, the Timbers have been hit by incredibly specific injury bugs for the last two years. The Timbers don't lose a centerback to injury, they lose two centerbacks to injury. The Timbers don't lose a holding midfielder to injury, they lose three holding midfielders to injury. The Timbers don't... well, you get the idea. In 2014 the Timbers cobbled together a healthy defense halfway through the year and went on quite the tear before falling just short of the playoffs. This year the Timbers look like they are approaching a full-strength midfield and attack for the first time in the 2015 season, so the hopes here are that they will once again be able to step their collective game up.

2-Diego Valeri is an awesome player. How much his injury hurt the Timbers this year so far ? Recovering from an ACL is never easy, and we know something about ACL with Adrian Lopez, will he still be effective as he was in the last couple of year ? Or his style of play will change a bit because of the injury ?

The lack of Diego Valeri has been huge for the Timbers so far in 2015. With The Maestro (We had dibs on that nickname in North America, other post-2012 Argentine playmakers in MLS) out of the lineup, the Timbers become significantly more predictable as a team. With him in, the runs from the forwards and wings that go all too often unrewarded could suddenly become a scoring opportunity, or a yard of space could become a long range bomb into the corner of the net, or this could happen.

Seriously, Valeri is very good and the Timbers, despite having a solid collection of talent on hand without him, are made exponentially better by his presence in the attack.

As far as any changes to the game or level of the Timbers' MVP of the last two years, it is still hard to tell at this point. Valeri has only played forty minutes of soccer this season and the rust after his six month layoff was apparent. That being said, he looked to be playing a similar role to what we grew to expect in previous years and in training has been continuously improving as he looks to get back to his full potential. Despite his mild manner with the press, Valeri is a driven player and I find it hard to imagine him accepting anything less than his previous peak.

3-The Timbers are one of the few teams in MLS to have a DP on defense. Do you think it is a good move by the Timbers and how will you rate Ridgewell so far this season ?

Through the first nine games of the season the Timbers have only allowed eight goals, picking up four shutouts in that time period. The team's goals against average so far this year is an impressive 0.89, putting them in a three-way tie for the third most successful defense in the league so far. Ridgewell is, literally and figuratively, at the center of that. Since the start of the 2014 season, the Timbers have essentially remade their defense around Ridgewell, partnering him with Nat Borchers, bringing in Jorge Villafana at left fullback, and giving the right fullback spot to Jamaican youngster and revelation of the season Alvas Powell.

There have been some off performances and some pretty bad gaffs made by this defense in 2015, ones that have resulted in dropped points for the Timbers, but overall their play, Ridgewell's included, has been of a high order.

That being said, is having a centerback designated player a good move? Taken out of context, probably not. MLS teams can find similar talents to Ridgewell for less than designated player money and it is always nice to have once of the DP slots available when a high profile player (that will just end up with Toronto, Seattle, LA, or New York) is rumored to be coming into the league. In context, however, the Timbers needed a good defender to settle their defense for a playoff run in 2014 and anchor it going forward, so they went and got Ridgewell and it almost, almost worked.

Thanks to Will Conwell for his help. You can follow him on twitter @williamconwell .

You can read my answers to his question by following this link.

Q&A With Waking the Red for the Amway championship

2015-05-06T07:24:29-04:00

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Champions League final has just ended that the Montreal Impact are playing another tournament : The Amway Championship. I've reached out to James Grossi of Waking the Red to ask him some question about Toronto FC the next opponents of the Impact !

1-How would you rate Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore season so far.

Both players have shown well through Toronto's seven matches – they are joint goal-scoring leaders for the club – though in different ways and to differing degrees.

Giovinco has been everything one could have hoped for, and more. He has four goals and three assists – a pace of a point per match – at times almost single-handedly willing the side onwards. His performance in the second half in Dallas, after the game was already lost, was remarkable, and his gorgeous free-kick against Philadelphia proved that even if Toronto is not able to break down an opponent in the course of open play, he can find a way to make the needed impact.

Even more remarkable perhaps is how durable he has been. There was a slight fear that at his diminutive size, he may be physically marginalized in the rough and tumble of MLS, but he has managed the bumps and bruises, featuring in all but nineteen minutes of the season.

Altidore too has looked good, but his spells have come in bursts, claiming a pair of braces. The goals were crucial, helping to win matches in both Vancouver and Orlando, but the times in between left a little to be desired. He is tailor-made for this league: strong, dynamic, and can finish. A little more consistency and Toronto's off-season will definitely be seen as a successful one.

What has been most promising in the burgeoning partnership between the two, who have taken to playing as a duo in attack through recent matches. Giovinco set up goals in each of Altidore's doubles and as that communication and understanding grows, they will be evermore dangerous.

2-What would it take for Toronto FC to win this Canadian Championship?

That is an interesting question.

The unknown hanging over this tournament is how the new brain-trust will view it. Do they go for the win and play the starters? Or, do they reach into the squad depth, which is less than plentiful, to field a weakened side?

There is no doubt that their primary focus is on making the playoffs. That has been the stated goal since day one, and it need not be mentioned that they are yet to reach that Promised Land after eight seasons. There comes with that a risk that they will overlook the Voyageurs Cup, instead focusing on the league matches in a very busy month of May – Toronto has seven matches (five league and two in the Cup), as well as a friendly against Manchester City at the end of the month.

Having started the season with seven-straight road matches, they have no cushion with which to make the decision to focus on the Canadian Championship and risk dropping points at home.

That said, there is an obvious benefit to playing in the Champions League, as Montreal has found with their progress to the final. It draws attention and comes with a chance to reach out to the wider soccer world with success. The club wants that international recognition as well.

The more invested fans have a fondness for the Cup and that Montreal has been allowed to win it the last two seasons definitely rankles. Midweek night games carry a mystique with them and tend to be great occasions; that these matches are all-Canadian affairs, makes them all the more special.

For Toronto to win this year's edition, they will have to find a balance between competing in the league matches and still fielding a strong enough eleven to get past Montreal, who will no doubt be eager to get back into CONCACAF action as soon as possible. Though depth is a concern for the long season, TFC do have enough to get through this little crunch.

Going for the win in the first leg, in Montreal on Wednesday, would be a strong opening move. Take home the away-goal advantage against a crest-fallen Impact with a first-choice side, and hold tight through the second leg with some changes as needed. That would be the most efficient way of achieving the needed balance.

3-Which player needs to step up his game and be a game changer?

There are a few names that come to mind, but none is more important than Michael Bradley. When he is on his game, he should be one of the most dominant midfielders in the league, but sadly that Bradley has rarely been seen.

Recent weeks have seen a far more effective player, performances in Orlando and Philadelphia have been better. But to really be a consideration in the East and beyond, Toronto needs him to be a force and a leader week in and week out.

Others that need to step up include Jonathan Osorio, Robbie Findley, and Nick Hagglund. Altidore and Giovinco can do a lot of the scoring by themselves, but truly successful teams get goals from a wide range of sources. Some secondary scoring from the first two would go a long way to achieving the aim of a well-balance attack, creating a conundrum for the opposition, as focusing on the primary threats risks providing space for others.

Injuries to Steven Caldwell and Mark Bloom have thrust Hagglund into a starting role that he may or may not be ready for. He excelled at times in his rookie season last year, but still has parts of his game that need polishing. TFC is not deep at the back, so Hagglund will be needed to play multiple roles across the back.

4-In what area TFC needs to be better?

Defending has been an issue this season – prior to the last two matches, Toronto had yet to keep a clean-sheet, allowing eleven goals in five matches, more than two per match, which is simply unacceptable.

Since then there have been encouraging signs. They have posted consecutive shutouts, which to be honest, nobody can recall the last time a TFC side did that. Factor in that all of Dallas' goals can in the first half and Toronto has not allowed a goal in five halves of football – 248 minutes of regulation play to be exact.

The benefit of staying tight at the back is that instead of needing two or three goals to win, just one will suffice. Take, for example, the match in Philadelphia. Toronto created plenty of chances, but required a moment of class from Giovinco to get their goal. Had they conceded a weak one at the other end, those three points would have been spoiled.

The aforementioned lack of diversity in goal-scoring would be a secondary concern. Giovinco and Altidore have combined to score eight of the eleven goals this season, with only Benoit Cheyrou, Jackson, and Robbie Findley adding singles. Should other teams figure out how to deal with the first two, Toronto would have limited options to find the winner. That needs to be addressed.

5-After seeing The Impact lose in the final what are the expectations in Toronto regarding the Canadian Championship and the Champions League?

Toronto has had a strange relationship with the Voyageurs Cup and the Champions League, largely because of that playoff noose hanging around their necks.

Without achieving that modest aim, they have had to double and triple down on it, and in some ways it has become an all-consuming albatross, or white whale, just to get all the available metaphors imaginable involved.

They likely looked on at all the attention Montreal garnered with their run through jealous eyes, but until the playoff goal is met, everything else will be secondary; to their detriment.

The honour of the national championship is not lost on the fans, or the club for that matter, but the extra strain that it puts on the limitations of the MLS roster can be viewed as a risk. The rewards of making waves on a larger stage has been tasted, in fact, some of the club's most memorable moments, such as the knockout stage win over David Beckham's Galaxy, the dramatic pair of encounters against Santos Laguna, and Joao Plata's revelatory brace in Dallas, have come in CONCACAF, not to mention all the twists and turns of the Voyageurs Cup itself over the years.

Toronto will want to win it, but how many resources they are willing to expend is unknown. There are two factors should be considered when surmising how they will approach the matches. First, that the final stage of this year's edition is not until August, which means that rather than four additional games in short order, there are only two to consider, which leads one to believe that the club could go for it with a strong team without risking the league fixtures. Second, that the winner of this year's tournament qualifies not for this year's Champions League, but the next one, injecting some additional distance into the equation that may lead to overlooking its value.

They could go either way and there has been little explicit indication in which direction they are leaning.

6-Expected Lineup and predictions for the game? (It was before Toronto announced their not travelling list)

That is the million dollar question, isn't it?

Should there be no changes in player availability – Joe Bendik, Steven Caldwell, and Clement Simonin are 'out', while Mark Bloom is 'questionable' – and assuming the club goes for it in the first leg as recommended above, expect a full-strength eleven of Chris Konopka in goal; from right to left – Justin Morrow, Nick Hagglund, Damien Perquis,and Ashtone Morgan across the back; Jackson, Michael Bradley, Benoit Cheyrou, and Jonathan Osorio through the middle; with Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore up top. They have looked solid in the last few weeks, so to tinker seems unnecessary, and it is not like the schedule to this point has been overly strenuous. That lineup has one change from the last two matches, bringing in Osorio for Findley.

The most obvious alterations would be to give some playing time to the bench players. Collen Warner would come in for Cheyrou, Luke Moore for Altidore, a fit Bloom for Morrow at right-back perhaps, or maybe even Warren Creavalle there, though he has looked better in midfield than on the back-line. Dan Lovitz needs some playing time, he could man the left with Osorio swapping to the right, and Erik Zavaleta has yet to really feature, but is an option at centre-back.

The only thing that can be said for certain is that the Canadians in the first-team – Morgan and Osorio - will undoubtedly feature, but if any of the TFC II players are brought in, it could be asummed that the club is not that bothered about the Voyageurs Cup and the Champions League for the time being.

Prediction – Montreal struggles to shake off the hangover of disappointment and Toronto comes in with full-force to sweep to a 0-3 victory. That may well be more aspirational than fact-based.

Thanks to James Grossi for the time and the help. You can follow Waking the Red on twitter @Wakingthered and James Grossi @grawsee

Q&A About Club America

2015-04-21T21:31:35-04:00

Yucatan.com.mx

The Montreal Impact are facing a tough challenge in the CCL Final. To know more about the club America i've reached out to Eugene Rupinski of The Brotherly game to know more about the mystical team.

1- America CF might be the equivalent of the Montreal Canadiens or the New York Yankees for soccer fans in Mexico. Can you explain a bit of the history behind the club and notable former players who played over there?

The comparisons to the Canadiens and Yankees are very accurate. Club América is one of the most storied clubs in Mexico. They've won Liga MX a record twelve times, and are going for their sixth CONCACAF title. In the club's 98 year history, they have never been relegated.

Club América's successes have come thanks to the club's long history of great players and coaches. Current Mexican National Team coach Miguel "El Piojo" Herrera was América's manager from 2011 until his hiring by the FMF in 2013. One of the players he managed was the Ecuadoran great Christian "Chucho" Benitez, who tragically died of a heart attack in 2013 while playing in Qatar. And one of the club's - and Mexican soccer's - greatest players was Cuauhtémoc Blanco, whose fifteen year career with América saw him net 125 goals in 333 appearances.

2-The crowd at Estadio Azteca will be the 12th player. How wild is it going to be for the Impact players ? What's the best way for them to get over that?

The Azteca and the crowd are like nothing else. The Azteca is the fifth-largest stadium in the world, holding just over 105,000 people. It has hosted two World Cup Finals (in 1970 and 1986) and is the site of Diego Maradona's "Hand of God".

The atmosphere for América matches is just as wild as you can imagine - large crowds singing and chanting for Las Águilas, and this will only be intensified due to the historic nature of the CONCACAF Champions League Final. It will likely be most difficult for the Impact players to be able to adjust to the ferocity of the crowd, although Impact captain Patrice Bernier might be able to give some insight. Bernier has represented Canada, who traveled to Panama in November for a friendly against the Panamanian National Team. It was perhaps not as intense as it will be in Mexico City, but it's a good warm up for just how passionate and wild the fans can be.

3- They finished 1st in the Torneo Apertura and they are currently 4th in the Clausura. What style the team is playing? What players are to watch ? And if they got some weaknesses, what exactly are they and how the Impact can take advantage of them?

Club América is a very talented team that can score a ton of goals. They will most certainly come out with a ferocious attack from their basic 4-4-2 setup. Carlos Darwin Quintero and Dario "Pipa" Benedetto are the new strikers acquired from Santos Laguna and Tijuana respectively. When these two are on, they are magic. When they are off though, Club América has struggled, as the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Querétaro this past weekend shows.

As far as weaknesses go, América tends to be their own worst enemy sometimes. The roster is stocked with talent, but it's the little things that do them in. In this weekend's match against Querétaro, man marking was the big mistake initially, and then it was ball watching when Ronaldinho came on. These are basic things that seem to do them in. If the Impact can figure out what mental mistakes América will make, it could go a long way in helping fluster them and throw them off of their game.

4-They lost 3-0 in the first leg of the Semis but then crushed their opponents 6-0 in the return game. How can you explain it? Which team of the two is the real America?

The short answer is that América is really both of those teams. They're a team that on their best day can run up the score on just about anyone, but on their worst day would have trouble beating a much weaker side. I think the mental mistakes and breakdowns are the cause of all of this, as the team is stacked from top to bottom. The quality is there, they've just had trouble pulling it together at times.

5-Starting XI and predictions of the final?

Predicted lineup: Hugo González; Paolo Goltz, Miguel Samudio, Pablo Aguilar, Paul Aguilar; Cristian Pellerano, Osvaldo Martínez, Michael Arroyo, Rubens Sambueza; Darwin Quintero, Darío Benedetto

Predicted score: América in the Azteca will be a difficult test for the Impact. They will be looking to avenge an embarrassing loss at home to Querétaro and I'm predicting a 3-1 win for América, with Montreal getting a very important goal on the road.

Thanks to Eugene from The Brotherly game for helping me with that. You can follow him on twitter @GolazodelGringo

What's the plan for Blake Smith and Eric Miller ?

2015-04-16T08:57:23-04:00

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

After a good start to their respective careers, defender Eric Miller and midfielder Blake Smith are not playing enough minutes to get better. What are Frank Klopas and Adam Braz planning for those two youngsters? If plan there is...

The Montreal Impact is playing a lot of games since the beginning of the season. Combining MLS and the Concacaf Champions League is not an easy task for anybody. Add that some key players that are injured like Cameron Porter or Justin Mapp and you might think that the youngsters are seeing a lot of playing time so far.

0 is the magic number. In fact, they did not hit the field at all this year, either with the Impact or FC Montreal. Houston we got a problem here!

I’m not saying those players must start every game and they are with no doubt games changers. NO But those players are young and they are right in the middle of their development cycle. In every sport, the more playing time you get ,when you are under 25 , the better it is as it's a big part of a player reaching his full potential or not.

Right now, they only get playing time in practice, which is good but there is nothing like a real game to learn the little things and be a better player.

So the million dollar question is: What’s next for them? I truly think that with the depth of the Impact at almost every position, they will not play a lot in MLS this season. Even Hassoun Camara , who is a veteran, is warming the bench.

FC Montreal

Not the solution in my opinion. I don’t think playing at a level like the USL is going to be helpful to help both Smith and Miller reach their full potential. They have proven , up to an extent, that they can play in MLS plus Smith had a good season with the Indy Eleven in the NASL last year. The management team must loan them so they can get significant minutes with a professional team and get experience.

All over MLS or even the World, soccer teams are developing their young players by playing them or loaning them elsewhere. It is one of the tools a club can use to develop young players into starters. It is important to sign DP players but you can only have three on the roster while having to spend a lot to acquire them.

As Toronto FC spends millions and millions of dollars, the DP stock price will only rise! That's why developing players you drafted is a very good way to get a good return on investment in the future.

That’s why the only solution I see is to loan them to another team and follow their development. Next year, you look where they are exactly and see if there is a real potential in them. One thing is sure: They will not get better by resting on the bench. They need to play and play a lot.

Get to Know Kenny Cooper

2015-04-14T17:10:01-04:00

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Impact acquired a veteran in Kenny Cooper this week. To know more about the player I've reached out to Jeremiah Oshan, senior editor at Sounders at heart.

Kenny Cooper is a MLS veteran and he scored his fair share of goals in the past. But last year he only put 3 in the net. How would you describe the Kenny Cooper from 2015?

Cooper was kinda stuck in a tough position last year. With Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey the obvious starters at forward, Cooper was relegated to mostly reserve duty. When he did start, it was often as a wide midfielder. I'd say he was reasonably effective in the time he got, but he didn't get a ton of time in MLS competition. He was, however, a best in US Open Cup play where he scored six goals.

What’s the major difference between the 2014 player and the one who scored 18 goal two times in the past?

The biggest difference is playing time. Given the right situation, I don't see why he can't product big numbers again.

What are the reasons why The Sounders has decided to waive him?

The Sounders decided to waive him mainly because his salary was too big for the role he was going to play.

What are his assets and flaws on the field?

He's a great teammate and always one of the more likable characters on any team. He seems perfectly happy to accept whatever role he is given, almost at fault. If there's a big knock against him, it's that for as big as he is he doesn't really play physically. He's basically a winger trapped in a target forward's body.

At what position is he the most effective?

That's always the tough question. If he can play as a forward up top without being asked to be a target man, that's probably his best role. He likes to face the goal, rather than have his back to it.

From my point of view here it is clear that Cooper has still some gas left in the tank. He proved it last year in the US Open Cup by being a very good player for the Sounders. Now he is with a team who needs some help up front and we will play a lot more than he was in Seattle in 2014 and this year. Do I think this is the solution ? Not completely ! He will sure have an Impact on the club but his best year is now in the past. I don't think we are going to see another year where Kenny Cooper land 18 goals but if he manage to score a few goals here and there and be a good support to Jack McInerney he will help the team.

Don't let the Concacaf Champions League final overshadow the fact that the Impact does not play good soccer right now. If it was not of the away goal rules the record of the team would be near a disaster with 1 win 3 losses and 4 draws. They need help and Cooper will help them for sure.

Thanks to Jeremiah for taking the time to answer my questions. You can follow him on twitter @jeremiahoshan

Montreal Impact : Q&A With Dynamo Theory

2015-04-08T17:48:18-04:00

Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

I've reached out to Derek Stowers, one of the writer for the Dynamo Theory to know more about the Impact opponents this week-end. Here's what he had to say.

1 - How would you rate the Dynamo season so far and what are the expectations for this year?

It isn’t easy to rate how the Dynamo have done. On one hand they’ve had some decent results against good competition and on the other hand they’ve only won a 1 game out of 5 and have only scored twice. Defensively this team would get an A- (the minus is for giving up soft goals) but offensively they’re looking at a solid D or an F. The team is still coming together so the fact that the defense has performed well this quickly is a good sign. Dynamo fans aren’t used to missing the playoffs, having only missed playoff action twice in 10 years (with 4 MLS Cup appearances), so our expectations are to bounce back and get in the playoffs, regardless of our new place in the Western Conference.

2 -The team have some scoring problems with only 2 goals scored in 5 games but they only allowed 3 How can you explain this ?

The formation the Dynamo have been playing this season has been mostly a 4-5-1 which makes it extremely difficult for other teams to possess the ball and create chances due to our numbers in the midfield and on defense. Our midfield and forward(s) have had trouble linking and a lot of it has to do with the formation – at least in my opinion. Momentarily our offense relies on counter attacks which means getting numbers up quickly which has been a problem. If we can commit more players up when we get the ball and possess in the final 3rd, the goals will come, but right now that just isn’t happening enough.

3 -Where on the field does the team need to improve and if they try to get another DP, what kind of player it should be?

There’s been a lot of talk about what players should we or could we get and most of the conversations inevitably lead to "we’ll be fine once Cubo arrives". Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen, but if we could sign another player or make a run for a DP I think a central attacking midfielder/playmaker or a forward would be needed. Our defense has proven itself well enough this year to be fine, we’re set on the wings, and we have a surplus of defensive midfielders so an offensive minded player is a must at this point.

4 -With Cubo Torres coming in during the summer, how the team will manage the playing time of Forward Will Bruin and Giles Barnes since they have been the top forwards for the Dynamo since a couple of year now ?

Ah, that was a huge question we had over the offseason and it appears now that our Dancing Bear (Will Bruin) has found a place coming off the bench. When Cubo arrives he could partner with Barnes up top or Barnes could find a place in the midfield, but it looks like Bruin has found himself the odd man out before Cubo has even arrived.

5 -Montreal and Houston have a great rivalry since the arrival of the Impact in MLS. Just to mention Brian Ching or the playoff game between the two team in 2013. We always enjoyed a game vs Houston. With that being said what's your predictions for this weekend game? And what is your starting 11?

Houston knows that it has to start scoring goals which MUST be a point of emphasis this week. If we don’t start scoring goals the criticism will continue to mount despite solid defensive efforts. I think we finally find our scoring touch and win the game 3-1 at home.

Predicted Lineup:

Deric; Beasley, Taylor, Horst, Sarkodie; Davis, Sturgis, Clark, Garrido, Boniek; Barnes

Special thanks to Derek Stowers for his time ! You can follow him on twitter @dStowers410 or the Dynamo Theory @dynamotheory