Both Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum and Designated Player Marco Di Vaio will be making their debuts this weekend.
While Di Vaio joined the Impact in midseason last year, both he and his new Swiss bench boss, who was brought on board in January to take over the reins of the team, will be involved in their first season opener in MLS this weekend.
And it’s evident that Schällibaum has done his homework.
“We will be playing one of the best teams, a team that has been playing really well recently,” said Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum. “I’m expecting them to put a lot of high pressure offensively. We will be playing in front of a large crowd, but if we hear them cheering against us, then we are doing a good job. We are not going to make any predictions for the game, but we are always aiming to get the maximum number of points possible. There is a positive tension around the team, but we aren’t nervous because we are a confident group and we are ready.”
With the troubles the team had on the road last season, Di Vaio knows how important it is that the team continues to work on the things that made them successful in preseason.
“We’ve done a lot of good work in preseason and we are ready to get things going,” said Marco Di Vaio. “Now we have to get back to work as the level of play will go up. Working together as a group, both offensively and defensively, will be the key to our success.”
