With the arrival of Alejandro Silva, who was introduced to the media today, and the announcement of Rudy Camacho, the Impact didn’t only add quality offensively and defensively to its roster, it’s also developing a certain something that is essential to the team’s success: depth.
“It’s important to build a team where there’s competition to start games,” said the club’s technical director, Adam Braz. “I want the coach to have options, to be comfortable and confident in his choices. It means the quality on the pitch will be better, and team’s depth will improve.”
Competition amongst players can have a positive impact on a roster, not only during games, but especially during training. As Rémi Garde said to the media on Tuesday morning at Centre Nutrilait, having options means there are decisions to be made, but these are positive decisions.
“When you’re building a team, it isn’t just the starting 11 that matter,” said Braz. “It’s all about having a team with quality everywhere, with players that push hard and that are intense in practice. That means the standard in training will get higher, and we’ll have more opportunities to win and collect points.”
That’s why when Adam Braz was asked how to best describe one of the Impact’s newest players, Alejandro Silva, the word that stood out the most: versatility.
“It’s very important for our players to be versatile, not only in their profiles, but in being able to fit in different systems,” explained Braz. “As we saw on Saturday, it’s possible that Remi might want to change the formation based on certain things he sees. I think Alejandro can fit in different positions and succeed in different systems.”
Although he usually plays on the right wing, Silva can also play as a central midfielder or attacking midfielder as well, depending on where the coach would prefer to have him.
“He’s a strong attacking player who can be dangerous in the final third,” added Braz. “He’s direct in terms of his game and how he likes to beat players in a vertical way. I think he’ll help improve the team. He’s another good option for Rémi.”
It is unclear when Silva will start his first game with the Impact, but the Uruguayan will have time to settle in and get to know his teammates, as the Impact has ten days until its next game on March 31, against the Seattle Sounders FC.
