Faith plays a vital role in sports.
As a supporter, you have to believe your team can win, no matter what. You have to have faith in your coach’s decisions.
The same rings true for player and coach.
Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum has stated ever since he took over the reins of the team that he had faith in his entire roster. With so many games scheduled in such a short time, Schällibaum is ready to test that faith, giving a number of younger players an opportunity versus Toronto tonight.
However, a number of veterans also boarded the plane. With their leadership and belief in one another, the Impact is in good hands for the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship.
“This is an opportunity for players who haven’t played as much,” said Impact midfielder Patrice Bernier, who is most likely to wear the captain’s armband tonight. “It would be impossible for the same players to play every minute of every game over that stretch of six games in three weeks coming up.”
Bernier could be joined by midfielders Justin Mapp, who has played over 10 years in Major League Soccer and Collen Warner, who played in 29 games for the Impact last season for 2,431 minutes. Hassoun Camara and Jeb Brovsky have both become key cogs on the Impact defensive line, while young South American midfielders Felipe and Andres Romero are available for selection.
Keep in mind that for the first time ever, the Impact will have all five of its Quebec based players on the 18-man roster for the game, including Bernier, last season’s team MVP, along with Academy grads Karl W. Ouimette, Wandrille Lefèvre, Maxim Tissot and Maxime Crépeau. These players understand the importance that surrounds the rivalry between these two clubs and the two provinces.
“This will be a test of our depth and we will need everyone, not just tonight, but all season long to be fit and ready. Even if we have injuries, as we’ve seen early on, or if we qualify for the Champions League, everyone will have to be ready to contribute,” added Bernier.
Throw in forward Andrew Wenger and goalkeeper Evan Bush, both looking to prove their worth, along with recently acquired forward Danielle Paponi, anxiously awaiting his debut, and this game is shaping up to be one you won’t want to miss.
