Ask star defender Alessandro Nesta where the Montreal Impact need to improve this year, and he hesitates.
Not because he struggles to find the words in English, but because he thinks the team is reasonably solid in all areas. Nesta’s English is actually better than he thinks it is.
Good enough to articulate that the Impact must play on the road like they play at Stade Saputo if they’re to make the playoffs. This is a team that picked up only seven away points in their first season in Major League Soccer through two wins and a draw.
Plenty of room for improvement there.
But everyone connected with the team I talked to is quietly confident it will happen. They cite familiarity, solidarity and a feeling of increasing cohesiveness. It’s easy to see where that comes from. There are more than 20 players returning to this team from a year ago. The player turnover is miniscule.
In fact, apart from the odd trialist and a sprinkling of academy players, the only newcomer in camp is Argentine striker Andres Romero, signed on loan. If Romero can chip in the odd goal to go along with the established Marco di Vaio, and midfielder Andrea Pisanu (an off-season signing), then offence shouldn’t be a problem for Montreal.
Di Vaio has looked lively from what I saw in pre-season training in Orlando. At the back, nothing needs to be said about Nesta and fellow Italian Matteo Ferrari. If Nesta’s knees can hold up, his influence will continue to be immeasurable.
New head coach Marco Schallibaum has been preaching in several languages about building a winning attitude and even though its only pre-season, the Impact have played well enough to find themselves in the final of the six-team Disney Pro Classic in Orlando. It may not matter much when the season begins, but it’s better than losing.
Schallibaum also throws in other team building activities. Not all these outings are of the scintillating nature. The one I witnessed was a simple yoga class, mats right there on the pitch immediately following training. But you get the point.
With the new season just around the corner, don’t expect many more personnel moves with this team. Maybe a spare part or two, but what you see now is what you get. Whether or not it’s good enough for a playoff spot remains to be seen.