SteveBeau Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 I have the exact opposite reaction and while I am also surprised he was signed it is a pleasant surprise. If there are 4 guys on every MLS team that can do what Mapp does I sure am not seeing them. He is a rare technically gifted player with vision who can make accurate long passes and has decent speed but not a lot of stamina (60 minutes a game player). The main problem with Mapp this year was that the Mapp-Di Vaio partnership did not work out very well. Before Di Viao joined the Impact, Mapp was consistently one of our best players. The expectation was if you added a DP striker then he would make a very good tandem with our best passing midfielder. Di Vaio, however, did not prove to be very capable at shaking defenders and getting free and if someone is going to pass to him, especially at a distance from the wings they have to have a target to pass to. Typically Mapp would break down the left side and Di Vaio would run down the centre with one defender covering him. For the whole run Mapp would be looking over and expecting Di Vaio to get past, feint, slow down or do something to get free of the coverage and Di Vaio would just continue to run with the defender leaving Mapp no other option but to shoot. Then afterwards Di Vaio would come over to bitch at Mapp for not passing. And the few times he would get free and Mapp would get him the ball, Di Vaio would shoot it 10 feet over the goal and then run over to Mapp to bitch about the pass because obviously it was Mapp's fault that he couldn't hit the net. Indeed there was almost nothing Mapp could do that would not lead to Di Vaio running over to him and bitching afterwards so he pretty much stopped passing to him for which I do not blame him at all. And with Di Vaio being the lone guy up front most of the time, the other guys that Mapp used to pass effectively to were no longer in position to receive passes so he ended up shooting a lot (Mapp almost always looks to pass before shooting). It is pretty clear to see how much Mapp's playing time decreased shortly after Di Vaio's arrival which is why I am pleasantly surprised that Mapp was re-signed. Hopefully it signifies that the Impact are also aware of some of Di Vaio's many shortcomings. And yes Di Vaio did not impress me very much this year, as far as I can see he seems to be a percentage striker, ie. give him enough chances and he will score but not a very high finishing rate. He has decent speed but lacks a lot of trickiness and ability to shake defenders. He has a hard but not very accurate shot so the occasional highlight reel goal but a lot of misses. His passing ability is mediocre but he is decent at short passes. His strength seems to be running around inside the box and making short passes so that is why he worked well at times with Felipe and Bernier. When Felipe is out on the wing he will rarely pass into the box and will usually run inside so it is not very hard for Di Vaio to get free enough for a passing play with Felipe. On the other hand for someone like Mapp who will usually stay to the outside and look to pass the ball into the centre it is much harder to find Di Vaio. And that is a big drawback when Di Vaio is playing a lone target forward role like he did this year. Obviously we still need one more quality striker on the team so hopefully we will get someone who will allow everyone to be employed in a formation more suited for their abilities. And possibly with a better midfield Di Vaio will get a lot more chances next year so will score a lot more but still in a lot of areas he was a lot less than I was expecting from an experienced Serie A striker. Possibly what we need is a real target striker with Di Vaio playing more of a withdrawn striker role. Whoever is chosen as our new coach, I hope they are able to get Di Vaio's attitude under control. He is constantly bitching at his teammates and Mapp can not be the only player who has gotten annoyed by this. The Serie A players seem to all have surprisingly little bad/arrogant attitude so far which would be great if Di Vaio was not providing the other's portions on his own. Totally agree with everything you wrote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccerpro Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 What is it that Impact are missing to be successful right now? What areas of the field do they need to improve in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 What is it that Impact are missing to be successful right now? What areas of the field do they need to improve in? They couldn't defend set plays, couldn't score on set plays, and couldn't do anything out wide. So I'd say a good couple of offensive wide players, that are good on dead balls. Also they only have 2 forwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappinchris Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 GK: Perkins/Bush/possibly Crepeau? = Pretty Solid D: With Nesta, Ferrari, Rivas, Camara we seem to be pretty safe in middle as far as R/L sides Valentin, Brovsky, Camara...maybe need some back up on both of the sides? M: Bernier, Felipe pretty safe to be starters..Warner, Arnaud, Mapp I'm not sure are that safe especially with a likely eurocentric coach on the way. I think Mallace will get more subs in but we need at least another wide man and maybe another creative central mid in case Felipe gets injured. F: Di Vaio, Wenger, Nyassi...We for sure need a target man striker with some size...Wenger has size but still only 2nd year pro I would'nt want to pressure him too much plus he needs to work on finishing. Di Vaio also should be more used to MLS style this year (hopefully) Nyassi, speed but no vision.. I would say at least 2 forwards need to be signed (1 MLS exp. , 1 Elsewhere) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 Does the Impact expect any home grown players to get signed before the season? Is anyone close to making the jump? How much playing time do you guys anticipate Ouimette will get this season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurosawa1555362267 Posted December 18, 2012 Share Posted December 18, 2012 We all expect our 3rd canadian after Ouimette and Bernier will be homegrown. it remains to be seen who it will be. potential candidates are the Academy players that traveled to Italy. As for Ouimette it remains to be seen but he will probably get some games since most of our centerbacks are old and injury prone. Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, defender Maxim Tissot, midfielders Zakaria Messoudi and Wandrille Lefevre and forward Mircea Ilcu will all be considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappinchris Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 My $ is one Crepeau for 3rd string GK spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtlfan Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I`m starting to get impatient waiting to find out who will be running the show next season as Coach. The position needs to be filled ASAP and if Biello is named I will be very disappointed to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonte Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Does the Impact expect any home grown players to get signed before the season? Is anyone close to making the jump? How much playing time do you guys anticipate Ouimette will get this season? If I was to predict, I'd say Ouimette doesn't get a lot of PT, and ends up being Canadian content the same way Whitecaps have players that are Canadian content. I REALLY hope I'm wrong though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc88 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 What is it that Impact are missing to be successful right now? What areas of the field do they need to improve in? Echoing Keano's post - reinforcements up top and wingers. For anyone interested, a look at the roster and what the needs are http://www.rednationonline.ca/Articles2012/WhatsmissinginMontrealAsquadevaluation.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I also think that Montreal needs another central midfielder. If one of Felipe, Bernier or Warner had picked up a significant knock last year it could have been very ugly. Warner for me had a very good start to the season but started to tail off towards the end, I'd like to see someone else in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Impact Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I also think that Montreal needs another central midfielder. If one of Felipe, Bernier or Warner had picked up a significant knock last year it could have been very ugly. Warner for me had a very good start to the season but started to tail off towards the end, I'd like to see someone else in there. I really liked what I saw from young Calum Mallace , who earned a few starts at the end of the season. He's got some bite to him(6'3'' frame 22 years old), and is very comfortable on the ball. I think combined with Hassoun Camara, we are pretty set in that role. What's lacking, is a true number 10 CM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Yeah well whether or not we play with a #10 depends on if the new coach opts to go with Di Vaio and Wenger or just Di Vaio. For me Wenger is a guy who could become a real stalwart with the club, and potentially a US national team player in the future. Very smart player, good movement off the ball and works hard. If we start with a #10 and Di Vaio going into this season I'd be a little worried for what that means about Wenger's development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Nothing on the team website yet but according to this article and CBC also Bologna has loaned the Impact Andrea Pisanu for the 2013 season. He is a winger so could be exactly what we need. Edit: Still nothing on Impact website but it has been announced on the Bologna website. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2013/01/03/3646284/bologna-sends-pisanu-on-loan-to-the-montreal-impact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Nothing on the team website yet but according to this article and CBC also Bologna has loaned the Impact Andrea Pisanu for the 2013 season. He is a winger so could be exactly what we need. Edit: Still nothing on Impact website but it has been announced on the Bologna website. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2013/01/03/3646284/bologna-sends-pisanu-on-loan-to-the-montreal-impact Is this the same guy who played third tier last season, or have I got that wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Is this the same guy who played third tier last season, or have I got that wrong? Yes but that doesn't really worry me, he has spent most of his career in Serie A though mostly as a sub/occasional starter. After he signed with Bologna he had major injury problems and last year he was fit again so they loaned him out to a 3rd division club because he is on a good contract and not a lot of clubs are interested in him with his salary and injury history. I don't think there is much doubt he will be a good player at MLS level and apparently he was very impressive when he trialled with the Impact on their Italian tour. The question about this deal is how much of his 380 000 Euro salary will the Impact be paying and whether he can avoid injury (he did play a pretty full season last year in the 3rd division). Still probably a risk worth taking given that it is only a 1 year loan not a long term contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmonte Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Well they aren't paying him DP money so it's worth a shot. Still better players over 30 in similar leagues with injury problems have struggled in the physical style of MLS (Mista comes to mind immediately). Doesn't mean you don't give a guy a chance to succeed though, I wish him well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Who was the Italian lower division player in his late 20s (left mid, I believe) who turned out to have a Canadian passport? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Who was the Italian lower division player in his late 20s (left mid, I believe) who turned out to have a Canadian passport? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Giuliatto This guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Giuliatto This guy? Yeah but not exclusively a lower division player, he has played 51 Serie A games and 60 Serie B games in his career so far. His mother was born in Canada and apparently he has a Canadian passport. He plays left back and left midfield which are not our weakest positions but judging solely on the level he has played at seems to someone who at the very least would be a very good depth player for us and possibly more. Don't know if the CSA has contacted him or not or if he would be interested but seems like a guy who should have been contacted several years ago to play for us. He is now in the 3rd division because his team got relegated but last year he was in Serie B. He is currently injured and seems a bit injury prone but after recovering from a hamstring injury he should be rejoining his team for the training in preparation for the 2nd half of the season. At 29 he should still be a possibility for the next WCQ. http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/alberto-giuliatto/leistungsdaten-detail/spieler_35707.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I was against it when I first heard about the Pisanu move, but now I'm willing to give it a shot because of the nature of the deal. A loan deal for a player like this makes it completely different than the Mista fiasco at TFC. It's also not as if Pisanu will be the central figure for Montreal, he will have an important role to play in the centre of midfield (where I said Montreal needed to strengthen anyways), and if he doesn't pan out there are others who can fill the role. As Grizzly said the main concern is the contract eating up a fair chunk of his salary, but I'm hoping in the draft Montreal will pick up a few useful Gen Adidas players to soften that burden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I was against it when I first heard about the Pisanu move, but now I'm willing to give it a shot because of the nature of the deal. A loan deal for a player like this makes it completely different than the Mista fiasco at TFC. It's also not as if Pisanu will be the central figure for Montreal, he will have an important role to play in the centre of midfield (where I said Montreal needed to strengthen anyways), and if he doesn't pan out there are others who can fill the role. i would think Mtl needs help on the wing more than CM... As Grizzly said the main concern is the contract eating up a fair chunk of his salary, but I'm hoping in the draft Montreal will pick up a few useful Gen Adidas players to soften that burden. Looks to be just 7 GAs for this year's draft. Mtl might pick up one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 i would think Mtl needs help on the wing more than CM... Looks to be just 7 GAs for this year's draft. Mtl might pick up one Yeah but I still think someone else in the midfield will help so we don't have to run Felipe and Bernier ragged this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Giuliatto This guy? Yes. Sorry, I thought he and Pisanu were the same guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I was against it when I first heard about the Pisanu move, but now I'm willing to give it a shot because of the nature of the deal. A loan deal for a player like this makes it completely different than the Mista fiasco at TFC. It's also not as if Pisanu will be the central figure for Montreal, he will have an important role to play in the centre of midfield (where I said Montreal needed to strengthen anyways), and if he doesn't pan out there are others who can fill the role. As Grizzly said the main concern is the contract eating up a fair chunk of his salary, but I'm hoping in the draft Montreal will pick up a few useful Gen Adidas players to soften that burden. Pisanu plays on the right wing not central mid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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