MONTREAL – There was only ever one man for Matt Jordan’s old job of technical director.
The Impact enjoyed the initial discussions with their candidate. So much so that, while they thought about other candidates, they only met with one, and he’s their new TD: Adam Braz.
Richard Legendre, executive vice-president of soccer operations and Stade Saputo, presented Braz to the media at team sponsor BMO’s headquarters on Monday afternoon.
“For this to go as quickly as it did, we didn’t make a great deal of approaches,” Legendre told reporters. “Very quickly, we saw it was going in the right direction with Adam, that it matched exactly what we were looking for at this point in our organization. We’re building a new three-year cycle, so Adam’s leadership and vision [will be useful].”
After it became clear that Matt Jordan would leave for Houston, director of international business development Nick De Santis contacted Braz, who joined the family business in Florida after 10 seasons in Montreal as player and team manager. Having left the Impact after the 2013 season, Braz knew Legendre. It translated into a positive meeting.
But Braz and head coach Frank Klopas were strangers. Yet a “synergy” developed between them when they met, Legendre noted. Klopas will report to Braz, who will report to Legendre. But Klopas will have the final say on players – it’ll be up to Braz to negotiate.
“I’ll never put a player in place that the coach doesn’t want,” Braz said. “I’m here to put the coach and his staff in the best possible conditions for success and to win. I’ll help find players, identify characteristics to find the best players for each position.”
Braz’s negotiating skills, a result of business studies at St. John’s University and Fairfield University, also charmed the Impact. The new technical director's childish grin at nearly every mention of the word ‘negotiation’ on Monday betrayed his enjoyment for such talks.
He’ll need a good crash course on MLS first: on Tuesday, Braz will be flying with Legendre to New York City to get familiar with league rules and quirks. But he is confident that, with his knowledge of the club, it will be a smooth transition to a front office role.
“I think I have a clear idea of where I want to go, and it aligns with the vision of the club,” Braz said. “I also think I have a clear understanding of the culture and the philosophy of the club because of all the years that I’ve been here. I understand that winning is number one, and our fans are extremely important.”
