It didn’t sink in for Maxim Tissot. Not at first, anyway, and not until long after the final whistle blew.
Tissot, a 22-year-old left fullback with the Montreal Impact, came on as a substitute for Canada in the second half of a friendly versus Iceland on Jan. 16, a game that the Reds went on to lose 2-1. It wasn’t until the match was over that Tissot—a native of Gatineau, Quebec—realized he just earned the first of what he hopes will be many caps for his country.
“To be honest I was so focused that I only realized after the game when I took my jersey off that I actually played my first game for Canada,” Tissot told Sportsnet.
“It’s a dream come true representing your feeling—unbelievable. There’s no better feeling.”
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Three days after earning his first cap, Tissot made his first start with the national team before being subbed out in the second half as Canada earned a 1-1 draw with Iceland. In total, Tissot played 106 minutes over the course of the two-match series, and the budding Impact star, who can also play on the left side of midfield, is already looking ahead, and hopes to be called up for this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup and World Cup qualifiers by Canadian coach Benito Floro.
“We have a great group, with some good young players, so it’s looking good for the future,” Tissot said. “Training sessions are fun. I like the style of play Benito implements—we press a lot and we have a lot of the ball because of that.”
If it sounds as though Tissot is getting ahead of himself, he’s not. The Quebec native looked solid in his appearances against Iceland, and received positive feedback from Floro, who also gave him an assignment.
“He was pretty happy with what I brought. He wants the wingers to press on the opposing fullbacks and that’s what I did. He was happy with that, but he also told me to gain a little upper body muscle (for added strength), so I’ll be working on that this season with Montreal,” Tissot explained.
Tissot’s future could be on the left side of the midfield for both Montreal and Canada, rather than at left fullback.
A product of the Montreal Impact’s youth academy, Tissot signed a professional contract with the senior team in February of 2013. Tissot then made his debut on April 14—a day after his 21st birthday—in an MLS game against the Columbus Crew. In September of that year he scored his first goal, notching an 87th-minute equalizer to help Montreal earn a draw against the Chicago Fire.
Tissot played in six league games (three as a starter) in 2013. Last season, he made 20 MLS appearances (seven as a starter) with two goals. He began the 2014 campaign on the left side of defence, but coach Frank Klopas pushed him further up as the season progressed.
Tissot prefers to play at fullback, but both Floro and Klopas seem to think he has a brighter future playing in midfield.
“I feel more comfortable in defence because sometimes last season I had a tendency to get lost or not know quite what to do when I was on the wing,” Tissot admitted.
“But now it’s got a lot better because with Canada, Benito had me playing at left midfield and he worked with me. …When I arrived at (Impact training) camp, Frank noticed my performances with the national team so he talked to me about playing there. I think that’s where he prefers me.”
Playing further up the left flank has also given him in a new perspective on the fullback position.
“When I play left mid, I understand better what the left fullback needs to do. I have a different idea about my starting point and positioning in relation to the midfielder. I understand it better, and that will help me when I have to play in defence,” Tissot offered.
The 2014 MLS campaign was a disaster for the Impact, who finish dead last in the standings after qualifying for the playoffs in 2013. Klopas has been very busy this off-season adding a number of players, especially in defence after the Impact conceded a whopping 58 goals—tied for third-worst in the league. Defenders Laurent Ciman and Bakary Soumare, and midfielders Nigel Reo-Coker and Marco Donadel are among the more notable newcomers.
Tissot and his teammates are very eager to make amends for 2014 when they open the new MLS regular season on March 7 on the road vs D.C. United. Before that, though, the Impact meet Mexican side Pachuca in the two-legged quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. The decisive leg will be played in Montreal on March 3, just four days before the Impact begin play in MLS.
“Everyone wants to bounce back from last year. We want to set the pace with that first game versus Pachuca. We want to put 2014 behind us and starting showing our true selves early on,” Tissot stated.
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