MONTREAL – There was only one positive from the Montreal Impact’s 3-0 defeat at Chicago last Saturday: A quick chance to turn things around.
The Impact will have a chance to move forward on Wednesday, when they return to action against the Vancouver Whitecaps (8 pm ET, TSN1, TSN5, RDS in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US, match preview). That’s a good thing for a frustrated Montreal side, who could not find a single good thing to say about last weekend’s performance in Chicago.
The most scathing review came from center back Laurent Ciman. The Impact showed “nothing” against Chicago, he said, adding that he could feel it coming during the warmups. For Ciman, the team was not focused enough, and he’s still upset about it. On Tuesday, he sounded like a true leader, urging his teammates to take the field against Vancouver with a point to prove.
“I think we have to be aware of what we did in Chicago,” Ciman told reporters. “We thought too highly of ourselves. We got there like stars, and we were sent straight back down to earth. It was foreseeable. Alas, we fell right into that. We have an important game tomorrow at home, and we have to lift up our heads quickly.”
Head coach Frank Klopas blasted the team performance in Chicago as “poor” and also challenged his troops to rally in the first of two games this week – the Impact also travel to Columbus this weekend.
“We know what [the Whitecaps] bring to the table. It’s just about us playing better; that’s it,” Klopas said. “We have to step in with the right mentality and motivation, rebound quickly. That’s the important thing. The message is that you can stumble, but how you recover is the important thing. That’s what I want to see on Wednesday.”
Result aside, the Chicago game left some more marks. Marco Donadel, a starter in Montreal’s last four MLS games, will miss this one through suspension after getting sent off in Chicago. Donadel will likely be replaced by Patrice Bernier or Eric Alexander.
Then again, Nigel Reo-Coker could return to midfield after his spell at right back. Victor Cabrera, Montreal’s right back early this season, has recovered from an ankle injury and is training with his teammates again. Starting Cabrera could be rushing it, but Ambroise Oyongo – who will leave for international duty with Cameroon after the game – and Donny Toia are fit to start on the outside of the back four, as well.
But this would not be the 2015 edition of the Montreal Impact if injuries weren’t popping up elsewhere – this time, on the sides of midfield. While Andres Romero should return after a minor groin injury sidelined him against Chicago, Dilly Duka is not expected to feature against Vancouver.
Late in the game on Saturday, an Adailton clearance smacked Duka in the face. Though Duka tweeted on Monday that he is indeed concussed, Klopas did not comment on the extent of the injury.
“He's presenting some symptoms,” Klopas said. “He’s not feeling really well. It’s day-by-day. He’s not here, so I don’t think he’s going to be available for the game [on Wednesday]. We'll see, but he's not here. Hopefully, every day, he gets to feel better, and it's not a long-term thing.
“With Dilly, it’s good that Romero’s back,” Klopas continued. “He’s been training. We’re a little bit thin there, but in the middle, I think we’re okay. We have other options that we need to look at and put in there. I always talk about the team, and there’s an opportunity, now – whether it’s injuries or not – with three games in a week. You have to rotate some guys and keep the guys fresh, and there are opportunities for other guys to step in and perform well.”
