ESSENTIAL FACTS
Last year in a sentence: Reaching the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League and retaining the Canadian Championship offered respites from the generally disappointing league campaign.
Offseason in a sentence: Impact coach Frank Klopas focused on gathering experienced players to reinforce a side weakened by the retirement of captain Marco Di Vaio.
(as of March 1)
Incoming: Eric Alexander (New York Red Bulls), Victor Cabrera (loan from River Plate/Argentina), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liège/Belgium), Marco Donadel (free transfer), Kristian Nicht (loan from Indy Eleven), Eric Kronberg (Sporting Kansas City), Dominic Oduro (Toronto FC), Ambroise Oyongo (New York Red Bulls), Cameron Porter (Princeton/SuperDraft), Nigel Reo-Coker (Chivas USA), Bakary Soumaré (Chicago Fire), Donny Toia (Chivas USA), Romario Williams (Central Florida/SuperDraft)
Outgoing: James Bissue (option declined), Futty Danso (out of contract), Marco Di Vaio (retired), Matteo Ferrari (option declined), Krzysztof Krol (mutual consent), Gorka Larrea (option declined), Felipe Martins (New York Red Bulls), Zakaria Messoudi (option declined), Issey Nakajima-Farran (waived), Karl Ouimette (waived), Heath Pearce (IFK Göteborg/Sweden), Troy Perkins (Seattle Sounders), Gege Soriola (option declined),
Ignacio Piatti is expected to serve as the hub in the Montréal midfield.
FUNDAMENTALS
Key player: The decision to sign Ignacio Piatti from San Lorenzo last summer gave the Impact a midfield operator capable of asserting dominion over matches. Piatti struggled for fitness at points after his arrival, but his return to full health during the close season offered a boost to the CONCACAF Champions League efforts. His continued presence in the starting XI is vital to an Impact side that will need to create plenty of chances in order to produce at the sharp end.
Philosophy: Klopas generally prefers a 4-2-3-1 setup designed to play briskly through midfield and rely on the pace of the lone forward to get in behind. The addition of Dominic Oduro during the close season reinforces those principles, but this group might need to find more proficiency in possession (48 percent possession share, 17th in MLS last season, per Opta statistics) to relieve pressure from time to time.
Strengths: This group boasts the necessary grit and experience to compete week after week. Laurent Ciman and Bakary Soumaré anchor a revamped back four with plenty of seasoning and strength. Piatti operates as the hub of a midfield improved considerably by the arrivals of Eric Alexander, Marco Donadel and Nigel Reo-Coker during the close season. There is considerable craft in the wide areas with Dilly Duka, Justin Mapp and Andres Romero, while Ambroise Oyongo – pending the favorable resolution of his transfer imbroglio – supplies searing pace on the left. Oduro remains a willing line runner capable of dashing behind the line and scoring his share of goals if presented with plenty of chances, while Jack McInerney is a true poacher capable of offering a change of pace.
Weaknesses: There are question marks on every line of the field. Evan Bush takes over in goal, but he is yet to hold the starting job for a full season since transitioning to MLS. The defense lacks depth behind Ciman and Soumaré (a center back with a point to prove after his indifferent season in Chicago last year) and wrestles with questions about the choices at fullback. The experience in central midfield masks a dearth of mobility at points, while Duka and Mapp both suffer from bouts of inconsistency. The loss of Di Vaio strips away the most potent and reliable threat for a team reduced to floundering in front of goal for much of last season.
Laurent Ciman presents a firm building block for the reconstituted Impact defense.
KEY QUESTIONS
* Is the recalibrated defense strong enough to hold? Klopas took decisive action to rectify the concerns from a year ago. Belgium international Ciman is the fulcrum to those efforts with his experience and his robust approach. Soumaré – if he can find his best form and stay healthy – can complement him. Both fullback positions are a work in progress. Klopas boasts plenty of options, but he must choose wisely in order to form a cohesive back four.
* Will the work in possession improve substantially? Most of the midfield additions pointed toward a desire to keep the ball more reliably. Piatti fosters plenty of confidence with his ability to pick a pass, but there are concerns about whether this group can close down quickly enough to win the ball in good areas.
* Are there enough goals in this team? Klopas opted to replace Di Vaio with a committee of forwards, not a like-for-like replacement to lead the line. The decision places pressure on McInerney and Oduro to produce reliably and the midfielders to contribute more goals (18 last season).
Best-case scenario: The draw at Pachuca inspires a comprehensive home performance to reach the Champions League semifinals and spur an encouraging start to the season. This group -- complete with a resolute defense, a reinvigorated midfield and a sharp forward corps -- musters the self-belief to push toward the postseason.
Worst-case scenario: Pachuca undermines the positive result in Mexico by sweeping aside the Impact in the return leg at Olympic Stadium. The setback deals a tough blow to this nascent group at the start of the season. All of the questions linger through the duration of the campaign. Opposing teams expose a pliable defense and relish the lack of sharpness in the final third. Another season outside the playoff places leaves the Impact to wonder about the direction of the team moving forward.
