Forennews » :54. "What I liked was that we didnt change anything

Coming off the first Major League Soccer playoff appearance in team history, The Montreal Impact have a new head coach, a new captain and are looking to build on their success. TSN soccer analyst Noel Butler tells you everything you need to know about the 2014 Impact, while TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos tells you how they will succeed or fail during the new campaign. Noel Butler: Even with little turnover to the playing squad the off-season was far from quiet down Saputo Stadium way. In mid-December the Impact finally announced it had not exercised Marco Schällibaums option and that ex-Fire head coach, Frank Klopas would take over. Klopas inherited a squad of 21 returning players and by the time camp opened in late January that numbered had been enlarged to 28. Those additions included defender Eric Miller, who was selected 5th in this years SuperDraft. Then came the news Nelson Rivas had signed a new contract - the Columbian missed the entire 2013 campaign. Just before the club departed for the Disney Classic two more recruits were added. Attacking midfielder Andrés Romero, a player who showed much promise in early 2013, returned on another season long loan. Plus the club announced the signing of 21-year old Uruguayan striker, Santiago González. Bonus to those off-season moves evolves round two signings from last July. Hernán Bernadello, the clubs second designated player, was limited to only eight MLS appearances last season. Disrupting and orchestrating as he goes, Bernadello will sit in front of a defense which looked far from sure of itself during the pre-season. The other is central defender Adrián López, who is yet to feature in a league match. A torn ACL, occurring during a collision in training, ended the 27-year old Spaniards season. A fully fit López will feel like a new signing for the club. The move to hire as an assistant coach a defensive specialist, in Nikolaos Kounenakis was further enhanced with the announcement Alessandro Nesta had been added to the backroom staff. Nesta has officially joined as a consultant, tasked to analyze video. Much has been made of the fact Marco Di Vaio will miss the opening three matches. It could have been far worse. For most of last summer it seemed one of the leagues best performers in 2013 would not return for 2014 at all. Di Vaio will not score as freely as he did in 2013. Someone then who must shoulder more responsibility and finally return the faith shown in him by the club, is Andrew Wenger. Appearing in 24 league matches in his second season as a professional it still remains a complete mystery how the first overall pick in 2012s SuperDraft only tallied a solitary goal over that span. The 23-year old must display a more ruthless streak in front of goal. Berniers appointment as captain is the greatest testament any MLS club could make. A local product who commands the respect of teammate and opponent alike, Bernier reflects the very best for an organization entering its 21st season as a professional soccer club. When appointed, Klopas stated his philosophy has always been to look at the long run. Even in a league where parity prevails, only the most optimistic of the Impact faithful can realistically expect an immediate return to the playoffs this season. In a conference which includes the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup winners, then factor in the wholesale changes and upgrades in Toronto, there can be no denying Klopas has his work cut out to build on 2013s achievements. TSN Soccer analyst Jason deVos weighs in on how the Impact will succeed or fail during the 2014 season. Jason deVos: Montreal Impact will succeed if… …they find a partner for Matteo Ferrari at the back, and get goals from anyone not named Di Vaio. With the retirement of Alessandro Nesta (who has moved into a consultancy role with the club), Montreal need to find a starting centre back to partner Ferrari. Every indication was that this player would be Nelson Rivas, but his horrendous injury history has continued this season, and he looks unlikely to be fit to start the season. Wandrille Lefèvre has looked capable in pre-season, and he will likely get the first opportunity. If that fails, expect right fullback Hassoun Camara to slide inside. Up front, Marco Di Vaio is suspended for the first three games, due to his red card in the 2013 MLS Cup playoff loss to the Houston Dynamo. He will continue to score goals for the Impact, but it is supplemental scoring that is a concern for new head coach, Frank Klopas. No other player came close to hitting double digits last season, and unless that is rectified in 2014, Di Vaio will come under immense pressure to continue finding the back of the net. Montreal Impact will fail if… …any of their key players go down with lengthy injuries or suffer a poor run of form. The likes of Ferrari, Di Vaio, Hernan Bernardello and new skipper, Patrice Bernier must remain fit and available if the Impact are to succeed this season. The Impact have problem areas in their team - their entire left flank being one of them - and they simply cannot afford to have the spine of their team go missing. If any of their key players struggles with injury or form, there are very few like-for-like options available. The one with the most pressure on his shoulders is last years leading scorer, Di Vaio, whose 20 goals were the reason that Montreal made the playoffs. If anyone can handle that pressure, though, it is the Italian. If only the Impact could find another like him. 2013 finish: 14-13-7 (fifth in Eastern Conference). Lost to Houston in Knockout Round. Whos In?: F Santiago Gonzalez (transfer from Sud America). Whos Out: M Davy Arnaud (traded to D.C. United), M Paolo DelPiccolo (option declined), D Alessandro Nesta (retired), M Maximiliano Rodriguez (option declined), M Sinisa Ubiparipovic (option declined), D Zarek Valentin (transfer to Bodo/Glimt). SuperDraft: D Eric Miller (1-5), MF George Maliki (2-37). Cheap Rockies Jerseys . - The Jacksonville Jaguars are leaning more toward playing injured quarterback Blake Bortles against Tennessee on Thursday night. Colorado Rockies Store . On Monday night, many fans in this city placed the blame squarely on the captain for his role in the James Neal overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/ . His head snapped back from the impact and hit the floor. The All-Star power forward was all right afterward, a relief for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rockies Jerseys 2019 . When the next inning rolled around Wednesday, though, Nationals manager Matt Williams sent Strasburg to the mound to face the top of the Dodgers order in what would become a 3-2 victory for Washington, the first time this season the No. Custom Colorado Rockies Jerseys . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor.MONTREAL - There was just enough left in the Montreal Canadiens legs after rousing wins in Toronto and Boston to face the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Max Pacioretty broke a scoreless tie with his 100th career goal midway through the third period and former Sabre Daniel Briere added another as the Canadiens downed last-place Buffalo 2-0 on Tuesday night. "Mentally, the emotional high to come back and get motivated for a game against the Buffalo Sabres was the toughest part," said Briere. "We were a little sloppy in the first period, no doubt about it, but it got better as the game went on." Carey Price made 24 saves for the shutout as the Canadiens (41-26-7) posted a third win in a row and the sixth in seven games — a stretch that included a 2-0 win in Buffalo on March 16. The Sabres (20-44-8) have one win in their last 10 games. They played their fourth game of a five-game road trip that ends Thursday in Nashville. Their top player was goalie Matt Hackett, who made 33 saves in his second start of the season. "You have the give the kid credit. He played well," said Buffalo head coach Ted Nolan of Hackett. "He looks like hes fighting for a job and thats what you want." The Canadiens had played three games in four nights, including a 4-3 victory in Toronto on Saturday and a rousing but rough win against the rival Bruins in Boston on Monday night. With eight regular season games to play, they are two points up on Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division, but the Lightning have two games in hand. "This is a very important time for us," Price said after his fifth shutout of the season. "Obviously, everybodys trying to make the playoffs and to be able to pick up points against divisional teams and play well — its definitely a confidence-builder." The win in Boston was costly as two fourth line players left with injuries. Coach Michel Therrien said Dale Weise, who was checked from behind into the boards, has an upper-body injury and will be out for two to three weeks. He said Travis Moen, who jumped to Weises defence and got rocked by a punch from Bostons Kevan Miller, "feels bbetter" but has a concussion and will miss at least a week.dddddddddddd Already missing Brandon Prust to an injury, the Canadiens had a new fourth line of Lars Eller with Ryan White and Michael Bournival. They may have had the most jump on a team that looked short on energy to start the game. Through two scoreless periods, the loudest cheers from the 21,273 Bell Centre fans were for a sharp Price save on Matt DAgostini during a Sabres power play and when Olympic moguls gold medallist Alex Bilodeau was shown on the scoreboard screen. "The first period was even, we even outshot them (11-10), but we couldnt keep it going into the second," said Nolan. "Then there were bad penalties again." They finally broke the ice on a rush after a Buffalo power play when former Sabre Thomas Vanek slipped a diagonal pass that Pacioretty put in off Hackett at 10:53 of the third period. Briere picked the puck out of a crowd and beat Hackett with a wrist shot from close range on a power play at 16:54. "What I liked was that we didnt change anything when it was 0-0," said Therrien. "We stuck to the game plan and we were rewarded. Hackett played really well for them, but we were patient and disciplined with the puck. "I expected a tough start after the wins in Toronto and Boston." The Canadiens had a four-minute power play in the second period when DAgostini was called for holding and got an extra two for banging his stick on the glass in protest, but failed to cash in. Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers left the game at 6:15 of the third when he looked to hurt an arm or his ribs crashing into a goalpost. There was no immediate word on his condition. Myers was in his first game since sitting out five with an arm injury. Notes — With Weise and Moen both injured Monday in Boston, Eller and White returned to the Montreal lineup. Jarred Tinordi replaced veteran Francis Bouillon. . .Ville Leino, who is without a goal in 51 games this season, was back for the Sabres after sitting out two games in place of injured Zenon Konopka.. . The Canadiens swept their four-game season series with Buffalo. ' ' '