yyys123
Joined: 08 Jul 2019
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 Posted: 22.02.2009 Post subject: piece that Diaz snapp |
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| Right on cue and as advertised at exactly 1pm et Tuesday afternoon, the Montreal Impact officially began their 2013 season post-mortem in front of what was a very sizeable and highly-engaged media throng. In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Gems included; did a member of Impact management and not head coach Marco Schallibaum pick the team for the Impacts first-ever MLS playoff match? Others placed Alessandro Nesta in the role of the Impacts third head coach since it began play in MLS in March 2012. From last weekend and right through Monday and Tuesday morning, the intrigue over these two specific rumours continued to add layers as it increased to fever pitch. Was Schallibaum already home in Switzerland contemplating a 2014 without the Impact? Surely not, as an option is his contract for an additional year would automatically strike for making the playoffs. MLS Playoffs were the only requirement. Not that singular play-in round the now fully-qualified legal boffins proffered. Mauro Biello was certainly keeping his assistant coaching role under Nesta. What, though, would come of Philippe Eullaffroy? The Frenchman in his role as Impact Academy Director is very much the reason the likes of Karl Ouimette, Maxim Tissot and Wandrille Lefèvre have already seen decent MLS playing time. Ouimettes qualities and promise were reconfirmed Friday afternoon when it was announced he had gotten his first National Team call-up. Eullaffroy, and his work are very much admired by the two people in the organization who appeared from behind the curtain at 12:59pm Tuesday. Even before a word had been uttered by club president, Joey Saputo most of the 50-plus individuals, which had now packed out the media conference room, were of the strong belief Schallibaum was no longer the head coach of his team. A team that for the largest part of the season was a legitimate contender for not just making the playoffs but to contend for the holiest of North American soccer grails, the MLS Cup itself. Those from the Schallibaum hanging jury had a massive piece of evidence. Well, sort of, on the circumstantial evidence front. There were only two microphones at the IMFC Post Mortem rostrum with neither containing the name of the head coach. By 1:05pm Tuesday afternoon Schallibaums hanging-out-to-dry trial was dismissed. The Impact President confirmed a meeting had indeed taking place with his head coach just some 24-hours previously and that he was still the head coach. It didnt take long either for Saputo to kick into touch any thought (rational or otherwise) that one of the modern eras greatest central defenders was currently getting measured up and suited and booted for his head coach threads. Licenses and Badges not included. We were further advised that only following what most certainly will be the most thorough of Impact investigations in their 20 year history - into reasons why things went so terribly wrong and downhill late in the season - would any decision be announced on who the clubs head coach will be in 2014. Not down with the darkening mood in the room, likely due to the repetitive nature of the questions the Impacts Sporting Director cleverly spotted opportunity to bring up the woeful Toronto FC. Hales of laughter ensued. Job almost done, Saputo and De Santis left the media to fight amongst themselves shortly afterwards. Heres another nugget to chew on, thrown out earlier by the clubs Communications Director, the very affable Pat Vallee, who himself came through the Impacts ranks from back in the Claude Robillard days. Vallee announced a sequel to the IMFC Post Mortem 24-hours later would now not only include the announcement of the 2013 MVP, but additionally head coach Marco Schallibaum would play a leading role in Wednesdays matinee. Di Vaio was not so much voted in as MVP but confirmed by proclamation. Not only one of the very few players in MLS history to breach the 20-goal regular season plateau but the ex-Bologna hit man exceled exceedingly so off the pitch as well right through 2013. This began the moment Di Vaio stepped foot back in Montreal in early January. The elder statesman the very first Impact player to show up in La Belle Ville and well ahead of that date marked physicals. Early to arrive, early to get on the score sheet as well. In all my years of been around the club there has not been another player that captures and captivates the imagination as this native son of Rome does. In less than 18 months since Di Vaio and his family - which included a brother-in-law with remarkably similar physical features and profile - stepped off the plane and onto Impact terra firma, the striker has led the Impact to a strong MLS start. Not only supremely gifted as the most natural of goal scorers ever to have set foot on an MLS pitch, Di Vaio is also a charismatically gifted individual. Disarming, charming by nature in abundance, last Thursday nights 60 seconds of madness was completely and utterly out of character. Joey Saputo is not kidding when he states the Impact hit the jackpot when signing Di Vaio. Well, the Impact just recently won the 6/49 once again with the recent announcement their original DP would indeed continue his Montreal adventure. Shortly after Saputo and Di Vaio left the stage following the official awarding of the Giuseppe Saputo Trophy a very quietly confident Marco Schallibaum appeared. His tone beginning seriously and assertively, fully understanding of the want, need and desire to properly understand what went wrong. At the exact time when things were meant to be so right. Saputo and De Santis have all the right in the world to demand answers. Their head coach will want them himself. Slowly, likely knowing he had won over the trust of the room, Schallibaum let the veneer down and turned into his jovial self. The one which had humoured so often in his media briefings and gatherings all season long continued to do so. "Any questions in German?" was one of his last offerings. With Schallibaum back behind what had quickly turned into the most famous curtain in Montreal the players were given their turn at the mic. Davy Arnaud displayed much fortitude disclosing hed let the Swiss volcano in him off when giving his head coach a piece of his mind over not been selected to play in Houston. The club captain was very candid and brutally honest when asked if perhaps his time in an Impact shirt was done and how would he view his tenure, Arnauds Texan pride and loyalty to the cause bubbled over. The effervescence award though goes to the man upon which much of the weekend rumour mongering and speculation centred: Alessandro Nesta. This was Nestas final press conference as a footballer. Montreal and the Impact got the utmost privilege to host this rather historical moment, not only in MLS terms, but by the broadest of football measures. It was rather fitting that his teammate from the Rome suburbs who was with Nesta as an eight-year old was some 30 years later still there, four-square cheek by jowl. Nesta and Di Vaio. We will never see them again together, as teammates., which is both Milan and Montreals loss. Is it Miamis gain? When I departed Saputo Stadium vey late Wednesday afternoon it wasnt what had been said which rung round me, it was actually something that wasnt said. When we mark down how far football and the culture of the sport has come in La Belle Ville in recent years we can now add this. The media are finally taking it seriously, giving the beautiful game the respect it has merited and deserved for years. I did not hear anyone utter the words "Montreal Canadiens" nor take a Habs players name in vain on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon as I always have in the past. Rather ironically, and with perfect timing, it was Alessandro Nesta and Marco Di Vaio who were introduced to the sold out Bell Centre crowd this past Tuesday night. Rising Performances, Growing Attendances and Crashing Heartache: A review of the Impacts 2013 season is coming next week. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Carlos Bacca Colombia Jersey .Ryan Anderson had 14 points for the Pelicans, who trailed 78-63 after three periods before trimming the deficit to 86-83. Jrue Holiday had 13 points and Eric Gordon added 12 for New Orleans.Mike Scott and Jeff Teague each had 11 points for Atlanta. Johan Mojica Colombia Jersey . -- Ben Bishop had a milestone game against one of the NHLs greatest goalies. http://www.nationalcolombiafootball.com/juan-guillermo-cuadrado-colombia-jersey/ . The team reported the signing on its website Thursday, but said Friday the deal was off in "a mutual parting of the ways that had to do with the language of the contract. Abel Aguilar Colombia Jersey . Last year, Islanders forward Colin Mcdonald released a "Do It For Colin" campaign to promote his teammate and friend John Tavares for the EA sports honour:The most popular sports voting video ever has to go to Chris Bosh who showcased his comedic abilities in his effort to get fans to vote him into the 2008 All Star Game:You can vote for TJ and other star players for the NHL 15 cover vote here. Jose Izquierdo Colombia Jersey .com) - Sporting Kansas City announced Thursday that club has signed former on-loan midfielder Jimmy Medranda to a permanent contract from Colombian side Deportivo Pereira.FRISCO, Texas - Fabian Castillo, Je-Vaughn Watson and Michel scored in a 15-minute span of the second half Saturday night to keep FC Dallas unbeaten with a 3-1 victory over Chivas USA. Dallas (2-0-1) sits atop the Western Conference with an MLS-best seven points. Castillo opened the scoring in the 71st minute off a Mauro Diaz set piece, and Watson outran defender Tony Lochhead on a long ball and then juked goalkeeper Ian Kennedy for the eventual game-winner in the 78th minute. "We have a good team," Watson said. "The guys are running really hard. To get three goals so fast was like a reward because we had them on the back foot from the get-go of the game. I think the guys came out in the second half and decided we were going to go for the kill." Chivas forward Erick Torres grabbed his third goal of the season in the 81st minute to put the pressure back on the hosts, but Michel, a second-half substitute, slotted in a low, left-footed free kick in the 86th and Chivas (1-1-1) lost for the first time this season. Each team had 10 shots, but Dallas had nearly 60 per cent of the possession. "When you make those mistakes on set pieces and concentration, you dont deserve (points)," Chivas coach Wilmer Cabrera said. "You have to get punished in order for us to improve because weve been working — set pieces — weve been working on that, and today we lost concentration and then we got punished.dddddddddddd" Dallas midfielder Andrew Jacobson left the game in the 67th minute with what coach Oscar Pareja said was an "extreme" left ankle injury. Jacobson was on crutches after the game in the Dallas locker room. Jacobson, who came on in the 11th minute after Andrew Moffat tweaked a muscle in his left leg, hurt his ankle going for the ball and getting tangled with a Chivas player near midfield. Chivas Oswaldo Minda was replaced in first-half stoppage time with a right-leg injury that will be evaluated when the team gets home. Castillos strike came from a set piece that Diaz snapped into the box from 36 yards out. Veteran Honduran midfielder Hendry Thomas received the ball and headed it toward Castillo about 6 yards out, and Castillo swept it off Kennedys outstretched hand for the opener. Kennedy kept Chivas in the game in the first half when he saved a 30th-minute, point-blank header from Blas Perez, pushing the shot off the line to keep the game square. Both teams then started fouling more aggressively in the midfield and four yellow cards were shown in the final 15 minutes of the half, including three to Chivas players. The visitors picked up two more yellow cards in the second half, and Thomas earned an ejection during stoppage time. ' ' ' |
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