Didier Drogba’s back as Impact prepares for FC Dallas
A wounded beast awaits the Montreal Impact in Dallas.
The Impact ( 2- 0), with star forward Didier Drogba finally on hand, can expect an ornery opponent when the club faces an FC Dallas ( 1- 1) side on Saturday ( 9 p. m., TVA Sports 2, CJAD Radio 800) still smarting from a 5- 0 loss last week to Texas rival, the Houston Dynamo.
“They ’re definitely going to be under a bit of pressure,” said Impact midfielder Kyle Bekker, acquired from Dallas in July for defender Bakary Soumaré. “Like any team in the league, after a loss like that you want to play the next game as fast as possible.”
Dallas finished atop Major League Soccer’s Western Conference last season, tied with the New York Red Bulls for the most points in the league with 60. The team was 13- 2- 2 at home in 2015 and opened this season with a 2- 0 home win over Philadelphia.
But Dallas was crushed in Houston, conceding four goals in the opening 27 minutes.
“The first two goals came quick, so it put them down,” said forward Dominic Oduro. “When a team gets hurt like that, they come on really wild, just to make amends for such a loss.
“That’s something we have to watch out for. We have to be smart and try as much as possible to settle in and play our game. Gone are the days when we have to worry about other teams. Our whole mindset now is we if we play our game and get it right, the results will come.”
Montreal is a confident group after opening the Major League Soccer campaign with a 3- 2 win in Vancouver followed by a 3- 0 victory over the Red Bulls on Saturday at Olympic Stadium.
The club will be bolstered by the arrival of 38- year- old Drogba, who has been training ( and avoiding artificial turf ) in Sacramento, Calif. Dallas is the only stop in Montreal’s first five games with a grass field.
Coach Mauro Biello hoped to have the Chelsea legend train with the Impact in Dallas on Thursday and Friday, but did not say if, or how long, he will play. However, at least an appearance off the bench is likely for the big striker who scored 11 times in 11 games when he joined Montreal last summer.
The Impact hasn’t needed him so far, with Ignacio Piatti on fire with three goals and an assist. Oduro has two goals in the first two matches and newcomer Harry Shipp has contributed two assists from the midfield.
“We know what ( Drogba) can do and that, when he’s fit, he can help this team,” said Biello. “And the players know that, too.
“It’s about finding that right moment to put him in a situation where he’s comfortable in terms of his conditioning.”
Dallas has some dangerous attackers in Mauro Diaz, Maximiliano Urruti and especially Fabian Castillo, who left the season opener on a stretcher and then, according to reports, looked off a step against Houston.
It may be a prime opportunity to pick up a second road win for Montreal, but Biello cautioned against overconfidence.
“It’s a different mindset,” he said. “Now it’s a team that’s thinking ‘ We’ve got to redeem ourselves after a 5- 0 loss last week.’
“Our players have to be ready for that. It’s not an ordinary game.”
The Impact may be without defensive midfielder Marco Donadel, who was nursing a leg injury this week. Calum Mallace will probably take that spot alongside veteran Eric Alexander. Note: The Impact announced on Friday that Jamaican forward Romario Williams has been loaned to the Charleston Battery of the USL for the 2016 season. Williams played two games during his 2015 rookie season in MLS. He also started seven games with the club’s second team, FC Montreal, in the USL.