Panama international eager to prove himself in a new country
Supporters were abundant at Stade Saputo last Saturday for the Impact’s home opener against the Columbus Crew SC. They cheered and celebrated as their team took a 1-0 lead early in the second half, holding on to defeat one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
But there was one person, somewhere in the stands, following the action more intently than most. Midfielder Omar Browne watched on as the Impact played its first game of the season at home, just a few days before officially signing with his new club, on loan from C.A. Independiente de La Chorrera, in Panama.
“I’m happy to be here,” said midfielder Omar Browne, meeting the Montreal media for the first time on Tuesday morning, at Centre Nutrilait. “From what I saw of Montreal, it’s beautiful. When I was young, my dream was to play outside of Panama, and now I have an opportunity to do so. I came here to win championships. I’m not a person of many words, but I know I made the right choice for me and my family.”
Canada shouldn’t be too unfamiliar for the Panama international. Browne was in Toronto just a few weeks ago for the second leg of a round of 16 clash with Toronto FC, in the Concacaf Champions League. The midfielder had found the back of the net against the Reds in the first leg, before scoring another in front of the Toronto fans in the second leg at BMO Field, which finished in a 1-1 draw.
Scoring twice against Toronto to help knock them out of the CCL is definitely a great way to get Impact supporters to like you.
“I found out recently that there was a strong rivalry between Montreal and Toronto,” said Browne. “Playing them gave me a better idea of what to expect in MLS, but, of course, all clubs are different. I’ll need to play and adapt with time and familiarize myself with the other teams around the league.”
Options moving forward
The arrival of Browne will be particularly interesting for the man in charge of the Impact, head coach Rémi Garde, who sees himself using the club’s newest arrival in a variety of different scenarios.
“The players I have can play on both sides,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “It gives me a lot of options, which become even more interesting with Omar. He’s what I was looking for: an attacking, left-footed player who can also play on the right. Depending on the defenses we face, or the teams we’re playing against, I have different options. He’s more comfortable on the right, although I’ve seen him play games behind the striker. Of course, we’ll do everything we can to help him integrate as quickly as possible.”
With the team playing three games in eight days once again, we risk seeing different faces on the field as the head coach tries to manage everyone’s minutes. The earliest we could see Browne hit the field for the first time will be on Saturday, April 20, at 1pm, when the Impact visits the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium (TVA Sports, TSN, 98.5, TSN 690), pending the reception of his international transfer certificate, his visa, and his medical.
