Panamanian international was subbed on in last two games
It’s been quite a start for Omar Browne with his new club. He made the most out of his first moments with the Impact, coming on in the 40th minute of the game against Chicago after Clément Bayiha was subbed off injured, scoring the winning goal in the 82nd minute.
It prompted head coach Rémi Garde to give him 45 minutes in the game against New York City FC, last Saturday at Stade Saputo. Although he didn’t have the same impact on the scoresheet, it was clear that the chemistry between him and his teammates had already taken a step in the right direction.
“As the days at training with his teammates start to pile up, he’s becoming more comfortable with our game principles and with the way we function,” said Impact head coach Rémi Garde. “He’s discovering a lot here. What I learned throughout my career is that throwing new players into the mix right away doesn’t necessarily do them well. He will eventually be closer to starting a game.”
Considering the changes he’s experienced in the past few weeks, Browne has handled himself well up to now, and his knack for creating offense is evident. In the two games he’s featured in thus far, the midfielder had produced nine successful dribbles, more than anyone else on the team, including the one on the touchline that led to the winning goal against the Fire.
“He’s contributed a lot offensively in the past two games,” said Impact midfielder Samuel Piette. “He was our spark plug against New York. Offensively, it’s him that creates opportunities. Against Chicago as well, obviously he scored the goal, but he also created other chances. I think he can help us a lot up front.”
With the Impact in the middle of another busy week, with three games in the span of eight days, changes in the starting 11 are to be expected, and it may be the opportunity for Browne to earn his first start with his new team, as well as playing his first minutes on the road in MLS.
“The idea is to maximize his qualities, which is his ability to pierce defensive lines while in possession, and then deliver quality balls in deep. He has an interesting range of skills,” added Garde. “Most of all, it’s important for him to rack up minutes in training and during games, so he can be more comfortable and familiar with the way we want to play.”
