This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • When Jordan Allen stumbled upon the news Thursday morning that Didier Drogba would not be making the trek from Montreal to the Wasatch Front, the young Real Salt Lake midfielder immediately weighed the pros and cons.
A pro: Missing out on one of the best goal-scorers worldwide in the last 10 years. A con: Missing out on playing against one of the best goal-scorers worldwide of the last decade. Allen, a lifelong Arsenal fan, saw enough of Drogba's star quality while at Chelsea FC.
"You always want to play against good players, and in Drogba's case, he's a great player," Allen said. "Good for us probably result-wise, but on a personal level, it's disappointing because he's a legend."
Drogba may be the club's catalyst, but the Montreal Impact's recent renaissance in Major League Soccer goes beyond one of the globe's most-recognizable soccer names.
Which is good for Montreal's followers, but bad for those expected to pack in Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night in hopes of seeing the 38-year-old Ivory Coast striker whose star rose higher as a physical, deft scoring machine with a thunderous right foot in the English Premier League.
"Yeah," said RSL defender Chris Wingert, "he's a beast, man."
But the beast won't be in Sandy. Drogba continues to rehab a thigh injury that kept him out of Montreal's dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind win over the New England Revolution last weekend, Impact coach Mauro Biello told reporters in Montreal this week. RSL fans a year ago were treated to big-name first appearances such as Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco, L.A. Galaxy's Steven Gerrard and Orlando City's Kaká.
No such luck in 2016.
It's an obvious break for the home side, but Montreal has proved that it's more than just Drogba and all the sensational ability the aging striker can still exude. Sure, Drogba has five goals and five assists in just eight starts in 2016, but the Impact have such a variety of attacking players — much like RSL — that allows for Saturday's visitors to absorb the absence of Drogba for a second straight match.
"Without him, they're very good, too," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said. "Their record is very good without him. Their coach has done a good job there. They're a solid team. There's not a lot of weaknesses out there."
Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti can shoulder the load as the rangy attacking center-point. There's also longtime MLS forward Dominic Oduro, still one of the swiftest players in the league. Montreal traded for Chicago midfielder Harry Shipp this offseason and has also added Costa Rican Johan Venegas and Argentine Lucas Ontivero within the last year.
"You have to have a good game on both sides of the ball, because they can hurt you attacking and they're pretty sound defensively, so you have to have a good game plan and execute it," Cassar said.
The return of MLS All-Star center back Laurent Ciman, off with the Belgian national team for Euro Cup 2016, will stabilize the Montreal back line. Former RSL outside back Donny Toia, a first-choice defender who has been hampered by a hamstring injury, is nearing his return as well. RSL's game plan will need to be followed closely and executed if it wants to eradicate the bad memories of seeing last week's near-win against D.C. Untied slip away.
"We know how dynamic their attack can be, and again, especially at home, our best defense is our offense," Wingert said. "We can really kill the game off with goals and possession in the right areas and just limiting their touches."
RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland called Montreal "a complete team." Regardless of Drogba's likely absence, the Impact are threats now more than ever to send Rio Tinto Stadium into a shock similar to when D.C. United waltzed out of Sandy with points in hand.
"They're losing a world-class forward," Allen said, "so obviously their approach is going to be a little bit different."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Missing Impact: About Didier Drogba
Age • 38
Position • Forward
Hometown • Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Club career • Montreal Impact (2015-current), Chelsea (2014-2015, 2004-2012), Galatasaray (2013-2014), Shanghai Shenhua (2012-2013), Marseille (2003-2004), Guingamp (2002-2003), Le Mans (1998-2002)
International career • Starred in 105 matches with the Ivory Coast national team from 2002 to 2014, scoring 65 goals. Was captain of three World Cup squads in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Retired from the national team in Aug. 2014.
Impact in Montreal • Scored 11 goals in his first 11 matches in MLS in 2015. Has five goals and five assists in eight starts in 2016. —
Real Salt Lake vs. Montreal Impact
P At Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy
Kickoff • 8 p.m.
TV • KMYU
Radio • 700 AM
Records • RSL 8-5-4, Montreal 6-4-6
Last meeting • Montreal 4, RSL 1 (May 16, 2015 at Montreal)
About RSL • Goalkeeper Nick Rimando can move into a tie with former goalkeeper Kevin Hartman for most wins by an MLS goalkeeper (180) should RSL win Saturday. … Right back Tony Beltran is suspended due to yellow card accumulation. … Midfielder Sunday Stephen (multiple facial fractures) will miss the next 6 to 8 weeks after undergoing surgery last week. … Luke Mulholland started all eight matches across all competitions in June, the lone RSL player to do so. … RSL (5-0-2) is one of six MLS clubs unbeaten at home in 2016. … RSL is one of three teams in MLS with three players (Martinez, Movsisyan, Plata) who have scored at least five goals so far this season.
About Montreal • Center back Laurent Ciman is back with the club after spending the last month with the Belgian national team in this summer's Euro Cup 2016. … Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti is second in MLS in goals scored in 2016 with 10, trailing NYCFC's David Villa (12). … Montreal is 0-2-0 all-time at Rio Tinto Stadium. … Forward Didier Drogba has five goals and five assists in 2016, but is out with a thigh injury. … Michael Salazar scored his first two goals of his MLS career, spurring Montreal's come-from-behind win over the New England Revolution last weekend.