Greater Production Needed in 2015:
With Marco Di Vaio battling injuries during the 2014 MLS season the Montreal Impact struggled to find the back of the net during the campaign. Early on in the season Montreal decided to give up on youngster Andrew Wenger and traded him to Philadelphia for fellow striker Jack McInerney. The trade seemed like a great deal at the time (and for the next month) however as the season went on Wenger asserted himself in Philly, while McInerney struggled at times in Montreal. With Marco Di Vaio retiring at the end of the season a lot of the pressure to produce goals in 2015 will fall to Jack McInerney.
One of the bright lights up front is Impact Academy graduate Anthony Jackson-Hamel who showed flashes of skill after signing for the first team in August. Jackson-Hamel possesses lots of athleticism in the box and has the opportunity for a breakout season in 2015.
The final segment of this three part series will review the forwards of 2014.
Anthony Jackson-Hamel: One of the most promising young players the Impact have. Great speed, athleticism and natural ability. Jackson-Hamel will hopefully be able to split more time with McInerney up front next season. Looks like he is MLS ready, and needs to see more time on the field. 6/10
Andrew Wenger: After a great looking start to his career in Montreal, the Pennsylvania native fell behind Di Vaio in the depth chart which seemed to hurt his confidence. Wenger continuously struggled with possession during his time with the Impact. Trade with the Philadelphia Union looks like it might work out for both teams in the long run. 5/10
Marco Di Vaio: It was hard to compare the 2014 season with last season, but Di Vaio was solid again. Even though he struggled through some injuries and little service from the midfield (until the arrival of Piatti) he still managed to score 9 goals. Marco Di Vaio will be impossible for the Impact to replace in 2015. 7/10
Jack McInerney: After the trade things looked promising for McInerney. He suffered some of the same problems Di Vaio did in 2014, such as little assistance from the midfield. The American also looked at times to suffer with confidence issues (similar to Wenger). McInerney is now the ‘go to guy’ up front and will feel the pressure from Anthony Jackson-Hamel early if he cannot produce. 6.5/10
Impact Acquire Nigel Reo-Coker:
On Wednesday afternoon the Montreal Impact acquired midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker through the MLS waiver draft. Coker will hopefully bring some stability and leadership to the team that was hurting in those two areas last season. The Englishman has played in over 200 games in the English Premier League adding some big game experience to the team. This will be particularly helpful for the two CONCACAF Champions League games in February and March against C.F. Pachuca. Head coach and director of player personnel Frank Klopas was quoted as saying, “He fits the profile we were looking for in a midfielder. He has strong leadership qualities and his addition will be a positive for the group.”
With the recent addition of Marco Donadel and now Reo-Coker the midfield has been strengthened. The next step will be to add to the defensive corps after Heath Pearce was taken by Orlando in the expansion draft on Wednesday.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @John_Richan. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
