Impact forward progressing quickly after returning from injury
It’s been a weird year for everyone and Impact forward Bojan was no exception.
After notching three goals in seven games to close out the 2019 season, things were looking good for Bojan’s first full season in MLS with the Montreal Impact. Reunited with his former teammate and now head coach Thierry Henry, the Barcelonan forward set the bar high heading into preseason in late January.
But then, after just two MLS games, the season was put on hold. When everyone would reconvene in Orlando to continue the season in the MLS is Back tournament, Bojan suffered an injury that would see him sidelined for a month.
Returning from injury was no easy task as well. The team returned from Orlando and entered a mandatory quarantine period, meaning they didn’t have access to treatment for two weeks. They then played games against Canadian opponents, before moving to Hoboken to establish a base for the remainder of the season.
But Bojan did manage to find his way back into the squad and has slowly eased into the XI, starting the last four games and getting better every time he stepped onto the pitch. Finally, against the Red Bulls last week, he scored a stunner.
“Bojan knows what he needs to do. I talk with him often, like I do with all my players, and Bojan is getting better,” said Impact head coach Thierry Henry. “He scored that goal against New York. Often when you score a goal like that, it gives you more confidence. Bojan is the kind of guy that when he turns and shoots, when he goes forward and does the right things, he comes really difficult to defend against. In a one on one situation, when he’s in that mood, he’s very difficult to stop. When he tries to score and has the desire to score, he comes very difficult to deal with.”
In the following game against Chicago, Bojan was one of the best players on the pitch, creating the first goal for Lassi Lappalainen, who jumped on a rebound in the box.
“I know what type of player I am and I know what I can bring to the field,” said forward Bojan Krkic. “It’s been a weird year and I suffered an injury. But I don’t want to use that as an excuse. I know football and every game is a new opportunity to progress and do good on the field. That’s what I’m feeling right now, and I want more. I want to be better and like the rest of the team, I want to start winning.”
For head coach Thierry Henry, Bojan is most effective when he’s involved offensively or when he has possession in the final third. As he mentioned while addressing the media before tonight’s game, that means going towards goal more often and making your way into the 18-yard-box.
“At one point, football comes to down one on ones, defensively and offensively,” added Henry. “When you have a guy like Bojan that can unbalance a team from midfield, that’s massive. Hopefully he can carry on doing that and more.”
