“The transfer of Nicht to Impact “helps Indy in the short term and long term goals,”
According to a press release on IndyEleven.com, the Montreal Impact have acquired German goalkeeper Kristian Nicht on transfer from Indy Eleven. Montreal was preparing to enter the return leg of their CONCACAF Champions League final against Club America without an eligible goalkeeper, due in part to Evan Bush’s suspension in the first leg of the final, an injury keeping Maxime Creapeau out of the lineup, and the cup-tie status of former Sporting KC keeper Eric Kronberg. The acquisition of Nicht give Montreal an experienced goalkeeper who will be available for Montreal’s match on Wednesday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 61,004 at Olympic Stadium.
“It is our desire to be a player-friendly club, and we are honoring that by allowing Kristian to join Montreal at this time,” said Indy Eleven president and general manager Peter Wilt. “This move will provide an incredible opportunity for Kristian, and everyone at Indy Eleven wishes him the best of luck during this tremendous moment in his career.
“I would also like to thank Adam Braz at the Montreal Impact for agreeing to a deal that benefits Kristian, Indy Eleven and Montreal both in the short and long terms,” concluded Wilt.
“Kristian Nicht’s impact both on and off the field has been a huge part of what Indy Eleven has become,” said Indy Eleven director of soccer operations and head coach Juergen Sommer. “I’d like to thank Kristian for everything he has given to the club and look forward to following this next step in his career development.”
“I want to thank the Indy Eleven organization for giving me the chance to follow through on this wonderful opportunity,” said Nicht. “While I am very excited to join Montreal, thanks to the support I received from Indy Eleven’s tremendous fans and the Indianapolis community as a whole I will always consider myself ‘Indy Forever.’”
The move itself makes sense for both parties. The Montreal Impact needed to make a move for a goalkeeper by 8 pm EST tonight in order to get the player registered in time. While Indy loses their first signing after the team was announced in 2013, they gain immediate and long term benefits. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, many speculate that Nicht might not be gone from Indy Eleven for the rest of the season.
May be parsing but this quote from @PeterWilt1 has me wondering if Nicht might be back with Indy soon. #IMFCpic.twitter.com/NHF2rkiwcx
— Jeff Crandall (@jefecrandall) April 27, 2015
Indy now sits with Jon Dawson, the backup for Nicht last season and Keith Cardona, a new signing that is formally of the Red Bull Academy. Neither has played a competitive game since signing with the club, but with Indy having a bye this week there is plenty of time for both to get time before the club’s trip down to play the newest expansion for the North American Soccer League, Jacksonville Armada.
Montreal now gets an experienced goalkeeper that provides big leadership along with skill and confidence in front of the net.
Main Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images
