Every week, Sportsnet.ca will chat with Sportsnet soccer commentator Paul Dolan—a former Canadian national team goalkeeper—about the big stories and issues in Major League Soccer.
Aside from the arrival of Didier Drogba in Montreal, what’s been the biggest factor behind the Impact’s turnaround over the second half of the season?
It’s hard not to draw a direct line between the arrival of Drogba and the turnaround in Montreal but when you look at the timing of the results that have put the Impact into the playoffs, the same could be said of the coaching change and the organization, stability and confidence Mauro Biello has brought to the team since taking over from Frank Klopas. Biello has rotated players and created more depth within the existing squad by giving players a chance to play and they have rewarded him, notably Patrice Bernier with a game-winning assist against Chicago and Kyle Bekker with a game-tying goal a man down in San Jose. I don’t think the Impact would have earned those results earlier in the year but they play with a much stronger belief in themselves now as a team.
Drogba has been a huge inspiration and his arrival has lifted the level of other players as well like Marco Donadel, who took some time to adjust to MLS, and even long-time goalkeeper Evan Bush who has lifted his game at an important time of the year. The soft spots I worried about at the beginning of the year, in central midfield and in the fullback positions, might be among their strongest areas of the field now and that well-rounded approach with every player feeling like they can contribute gives the Impact every reason to be confident ahead of the playoffs.
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Toronto FC defender Damien Perquis has picked up a hamstring, and will miss a few weeks of action. How much of a blow is that for Toronto?
I think one of the most important facets of a good team is stability in defence. Regardless of what back four TFC has played this year, whether what would be considered their strongest unit or the make-shift defence they’ve had to use on many occasions, 56 goals against and last in the league in that category casts a doubt as to whether any one player in that defence will be missed. Damien Perquis has had a very up and down season; dominant and in command with an ability to spray balls accurately out of the back on many occasions and then guilty of giving away a silly foul or second best on an aerial challenge the next moment.
That lack of stability in a player that was supposed to be a key figure in the back for TFC means you’re never sure what you might be missing and I’m afraid his replacement, Ahmed Kantari, has shown many of the same inconsistencies in his game. As much as the Toronto attack has been able to score their way into a playoff position that question mark in defence alongside Josh Williams could be the key to how far they go in the post-season.
How much will the trip down to Honduras for a meaningless CONCACAF Champions League game midweek hurt the Vancouver Whitecaps this Sunday in their final regular season game?
Not as much as it would have had there been something on the line and the Whitecaps would have had to play more regular starters in that match. As it was, only three or four regulars saw action at all and for the players who did play it was an excellent opportunity to experience the difficulties in playing in the Central American atmosphere. From a Canadian perspective the young players who saw significant minutes in that game, Sam Adekugbe, Kianz Froese, Marco Bustos and Russell Teibert, likely won’t see much if any time on Sunday at home to Houston, so it was a great opportunity to compete against the best club team in Honduras in a country some of them might return to next year with Canada in World Cup qualifying.
Otherwise, you wouldn’t call it ideal preparation for players that likely will see time such as Tim Parker and Gershon Koffie but it appears Vancouver will have several players returning from injury to bolster a side that had been decimated the last couple of games and only took 14 players to Honduras for the game against Olimpia.
The final day of the season is on Sunday, and MLS has dubbed it “Decision Day,” and scheduled all the Eastern and Western Conference games to start at the same time. One of the biggest games sees the Montreal Impact hosting Toronto FC. Who do you think has the advantage in that contest?
I think the home field advantage may be what sways this one in Montreal’s favour but it’s too close to call. It’s entirely possible the results from the East on Sunday mean we see these two teams play in the first round of the playoffs as well which would be incredible so this game could set the tone for what is to come next week. Both teams are riding star forwards who can win a game on their own and you wouldn’t bet on either Didier Drogba or Sebastian Giovinco failing to shine in the most important game of the year. I think it will come down to how the respective defences deal with those players and which team can keep their composure in a game that is sure to have emotions running high.
