The 2015 calendar year was nearly a magical year for the Montreal Impact. The 2014 Canadian Championship winners started 2015 with an impressive run through CONCACAF Champions League play to fall just 45 minutes short of doing what no MLS club has done before. The late addition of Didier Drogba, who scored 11 goals in 11 matches, seemed to be the final piece to propel the club to its first ever MLS Cup, before they were thwarted by the Columbus Crew.  2015 was a massive turnaround from the previous season and 2016 looks to be even better.

The Offseason

The initial news surrounding the Impact following the 2016 season was less than pleasant. Just after the transfer window opened, Justin Mapp became the first MLS Free Agent signing in league history.  Unfortunately for Montreal, he decided to join Sporting Kansas City. Mapp, who had been with the club since joining MLS in 2016, is still the assists leader for the Montreal Impact and was a fan favorite. His great work rate and leadership on the field proved a valuable asset to the Impact for the first three years in Montreal. His 2015 campaign was cut short by a sprained elbow suffered early in the MLS season.

Following the news of Mapp's departure, Drogba was linked with a move to Chelsea that seemed imminent. First reports hinted his return as a player, but it was later revealed that a coaching spot had been opened for him. With little information to go on and the usual assumptions that big offers from Europe then to get accepted, the general attitude around the league was not positive about Drogba's return. 

Things started to pick up in mid-January however. With Dilly Duka still not under contract, Montreal announced Lucas Ontivero would be joining them on loan from Galatasaray. The Argentine midfielder Adds another level of attack to the already potent Montreal squad and sealed the fate the Duka would not return in 2016. The club does retain Duka's MLS rights meaning they would have to trade him before he can play for another MLS club.

Nigel Reo-Coker was the next to make headlines. It was announced that he and the Impact had mutually agreed to terminate his contract. A return to England, his native country, seem imminent, but at the time of the writing of this piece, he is still unattached.

Just days after Ontivero was announced and Reo-Coker's free contract termination, Drogba sent out a tweet at the Impact that he was preparing for the 2016 season in Qatar. The unofficial announcement that he wasn't leaving was highly praised in both Montreal and throughout the MLS communities. 

Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images
Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images

Perhaps the biggest news of the offseason came in mid-February. Out of nowhere the Chicago Fire announced that Home Grown Player and Chicago native Harry Shipp had been traded to the Impact. The young breakout star was a fan favorite and appeared to be a cornerstone for the fire to build around which made this transaction all the more shocking. It's safe to assume there are few teams in MLS that wouldn't have accepted a trade for Shipp. The 24-year-old already has 64 MLS appearances with 10 goals and 14 assists in his first two professional seasons. Playing alongside Drogba, Ontivero, and Ignacio Piatti will likely accelerate his career.

Possible Formations

The Impact used several different formations last season including variations of the 4-1-4-1 and the 4-3-3 to varying levels of success. Given all the lineup changes, these will likely remain the formations used, but the players may be shifting around.

LatinContent WO Miguel Tovar/STF
LatinContent WO Miguel Tovar/STF

The back four will be largely unchanged for 2016. Evan Bush is still slated to start in goal. Laurent Ciman, the 2015 Defender of the Year, will anchor the defense as he did the previous year. Victor Cabrera will continue his partnership with Ciman in the central defense. Right back will be manned once again by Ambroise Oyongo. The young standout Donny Toia will continue to improve at left back and could be an even bigger impact player in 2016. 

The 4-3-3 was the only formation the Impact played in the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Marco Donadel, anchored the defensive midfield throughout much of the season. Drogba is still the obvious choice for center forward, but the rest of the positions are could see a lot of shuffle depending on how Montreal wants to push the game. Lucas Ontivero is a natural left winger that can shift to the right side when needed. This may cause some conflict since Piatti plays left wing when not in his natural attacking midfield role. Either one should be able to shift to the right, which would displace Dominic Oduro. 

The attacking section of the 4-3-3 is much easier to navigate than the congested midfield. With Donadel being the only real lock to play, you are left with a myriad of players capable of filling the remaining two spots. It gets even more confusing if Piatti is dropped back into the midfield in favor of Oduro and Ontivero on the wings. Patrice Bernier, although 36, is still a valuable player on this squad. The most likely competition for Bernier is Calum Mallace, who fills a similar role on the field.  These two did take the field together in 2015 in the absence of Reo-Coker, but this is highly unlikely to be a mainstay in 2016 given the roster and Bernier's age. Andres Romero is another able midfielder who likes to work the right side. Eric Alexander has been a capable sub while Maxim Tissot has shown promise at just 23 years of age. Either one could be competing for a starting role in the upcoming season.

The elephant in the room is still Harry Shipp. Although Montreal only gave up draft picks and some allocation money for him, he's too valuable to sit on the bench as a sub long term. Assuming he starts, Mallace or Romero will be relegated to the bench. 

For the 2016 opener, this is a highly likely lineup if the 4-3-3 is brought out.

Bush

Oyongo -  Cabrera - Ciman - Toia

Mallace - Donadel - Shipp

Piatti - Drogba - Ontivero

Minas Panagiotakis - Getty Images
Minas Panagiotakis - Getty Images

Perhaps the more natural and favorable lineup for the club is the 4-1-4-1. It allows greater freedom in the midfield and bring players into their natural positions.  Donadel would again hold the line directly in front of the defense, but the expanded midfield allows for greater flexibility of positions. Ontivero would slide back to the left wing role, while be allowed to push forward as he pleases.  Piatti would greatly benefit by moving back into an attacking midfield role and this prevents his, or Ontivero's, more to the right wing. Shipp would also be moved back to the attacking midfield role and taken off the wing. This change would likely protect the young star and limit the pressure he faces to make the big plays; something Chicago couldn't afford to do. In an attacking formation, Romero would likely fill the right wing spot. If the club chooses to go for a more defensive look, Mallace would come in and it would likely be Shipp or Romero that gets taken out of the lineup. 

If Montreal starts in a 4-1-4-1, this is what could be expected.

Bush

Oyongo - Cabrera - Ciman - Toia

Donadel

Romero - Shipp - Piatti - Ontivero

Drogba

Early Season Outlook

With MLS, it's very hard to predict how teams will do over the long haul, but short predictions can be made. Montreal will have a tough go of it through the first five weeks of the regular season. Thankfully there are no CCL matches to add extra pressure. They open the season in Vancouver where they will face the first of five MLS Cup Playoff participants from 2015. Their home opener will be against the New York Red Bulls, winners of the 2015 Supporters' Shield. The Impact then travel to Dallas where they will face to runners up for the 2015 Supporters' Shield. After a week off, they play in Seattle, which is likely their easiest game of the set before returning home to face the Columbus Crew. The Crew emphatically knocked the Impact out of the playoffs last season after trailing 2-1 after the first leg and late into the second.  77th and 111th minute goals by the Crew ended their playoff race.

Season Outlook

Overall, the Montreal Impact and their fans should be excited and hopeful for 2015. The Impact appear to have one of the strongest staring XIs in all of MLS. Their defense might be a bit average, but their attack could easily be one of the best. Backing up the first team is a group of players with the experience to fill in both short and long term without losing too much on field performance. With the likes of Oduro, Mallace, and Bernier all having experience as starters to Cameron Porter and Maxim Tissot being young talents eager to prove themselves, the Impact are built for the long haul.

Montreal should look to repeat their success from 2015 and given that midseason MLS debutants typically take time to adjust, that could mean Drogba hasn't shown MLS the best of what he can do. If the team lives up to how they look on paper, they could be one of MLS' best in 2016. Missing the playoffs would be a monumental failure, while not finishing in the top two spots in the East would be disappointing. Winning the Eastern Conference and the Supporters' Shield are highly likely.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Blayne Riffle
I am a KC native, living away from my true home. I do IT for a living. But I have always been an avid soccer fan and follow many other sports. Obviously there is some KC bias.