Players take to the field for the first time under Rémi Garde
The Montreal Impact has come out of its lair. The story doesn’t say if it saw its shadow, but one thing is certain: with the beginning of camp underway, this past Tuesday morning at Olympic Stadium, there’s only a few weeks – five and a half, to be precise – before the MLS season starts. It was therefore a day of discovery, not only for those who were part of the roster last year, but also for players putting on the Bleu-blanc-noir’s training gear for the first time.
“It’s going to go well,” said Samuel Piette. “We had a nice meeting on Monday and we made some things clear. Now, it begins. I think we have a very young team, very talented, with a lot of potential. We made some nice additions to the team. The biggest objective is to win the league.”
Nacho Piatti, who is preparing for his fifth season with the Montreal Impact, shared his teammate’s views. “The first impression is good, it’s positive,” said Piatti. “We still have six weeks to prepare with Rémi and the new players. There’s still a lot of time to work. I feel like we’re going to improve. I’m coming back with a lot of expectations and a lot of energy to start the season on the right foot, to win MLS and the Canadian Championship. I have objectives and I want to do better than last year.”
The confidence shown by Piatti and Piette translated into excitement for Chris Duvall, who recently signed a two-year contract. “It’s a fresh start. This group has never been together before,” followed Duvall. “It’s a chance for everyone to step up or to show themselves. We’ll be young and fit. The coaching staff has already set the tone with us. Things will be different and preseason will be tough on us. I’m extremely excited, and I’m ready to get this thing going.”
If these three players know Montreal well, it’s an entirely different story for Zakaria Diallo, the French center back who was presented to the media on Monday afternoon. The Impact’s number 5 will have a chance to discover the city, but also new teammates, new coaches, a new club and a new league.
“MLS is a league that progresses year by year,” said Diallo. “Honestly, with all the stars we’ve seen come here from Europe in recent years, the league has become very attractive for us French players. It’s always been in the back of my head, it’s always attracted me. Being here today makes me very happy. I’m excited to discover everything and have a great season with the Montreal Impact. I’m up for the challenge.”
They’ll all get a chance to get to know each other over the course of the next week, as the Impact’s training camp heads to Miami. We’ll keep you in the loop, of course.
