Not Kirk Wilson or Mauricio Salles, two players who were entirely free to join the team of their choice.
Salles, the third leading scorer in the USL D1 last season, brushed off offers from six teams in order to accept the Impact’s. Wilson, a finalist for last year’s League MVP award, could have stayed with the Rochester Rhinos or join another team in his home country, but the 28-year-old American chose to come North of the border.
“Montreal is a neat city, the Impact is a very professional organization, and the team is very good on the field,” says Wilson when explaining why he chose to join the Impact. “They make sure you’re happy, they take care of you. They don’t assume that once you’re signed, their job is done. They help you with shoe and equipment deals, with finding an apartment and finding your way around the city... Even now, a guy like (team manager) Mike Moretto is always asking if there’s something else I need.”
“If I hadn’t decided to join the Impact, I would have probably stayed in Puerto Rico, because I like the people there, I like the place and I like the team,” says Salles, who was the Islanders’ leading scorer over the last two seasons, his first two in the USL. “But I came here because I like the country, and because they have a very good team, with a very good bunch of guys, and a very good technical staff. And there are the owners, too. They treat you very well, from the very first time they call you on the phone until you get here. Other teams treat you well too, but here, they try to give you a little bit something more."
“Also, they have a good vision of what they want to do. They want to win, not just play,” adds the Brazilian striker. “And here, you have one of the best countries in the world. Life is good and easy — at least easier than in many other countries. Here, if you are a good worker, you will have a good job. And the city is beautiful and safe.”
“One thing that has allowed us to attract some of the top players is our success over the last few years,” says goalkeeper Greg Sutton. “Players want to go where they have a good chance of winning the championship. And they like the mentality of this team, where everything is done in order to achieve success, to bring out the best out of players.”
Sutton, the USL D1 Goalkeeper of the Year over the last three years, has also “given in” to the charms of Montreal, where he now lives on a year-long basis, and the Impact, with who he signed a new three-year deal this winter. He therefore passed up on offers to return to MLS or even try his luck in Europe, a decision made all the more easy by the fact that salaries offered by the Impact are more than competitive, he says.
“Financial security is also a big factor and the Impact offers that. So why leave and take a chance?”, says Sutton. “Who knows what can happen, how they’re going to feel about my game, especially if I have a couple of bad outings.”
This philosophy has allowed the Impact to keep its best players, whether they have been developed here or elsewhere. To the core of local players comprised of Mauro Biello, Patrick Leduc, Gabriel Gervais, Nevio Pizzolitto and company, the team has been able to count on “foreign” players like ZĂ© Roberto, Mauricio Vincello, Masahiro Fukasawa and Darko Kolic, who have decided to extend their stay and have blended in quite nicely.
