Insanity in the City

I had this big post ready to be shipped out, comparing the MLS preparations of Montreal and the Cascadians, as well as mentioning the effect that Joey’s Trash Kicking Tirade is a very poorly planned and immature move. But then I saw just how many people were lining up around the block to kiss his ass for it.

And then I questioned my sanity because surely I slipped into some bizarro world where Montreal fans are happy their asshole team owner blasts his team  without first even attempting to talk to them. I decided it would be a better way to pass my time hitting my head against a wall, because it would cause less damage than hearing why people think Joey yelling about a problem he could have fixed himself privately is a good idea.

In order to save myself the excruciating pain that comes with even thinking about that, let’s switch topics to the hot off the presses coverage of the Montreal Mirror’s look at a game in Kop CXIV with the UM02:

Here it is!

Go to page 10 and check out the goodness!

And also get ready for this Friday Night, where our Gulls take on the Whinos from Rochester! It’s definitely something to keep your eye on, and hopefully the only Friday night crowd of the year will not leave disappointed. They’re coming into Montreal on a six game win streak, so hopefully we’ll send them home with that streak broken.

Here’s the part where I’d tell you all to get tickets and go to 114, but the game is sold out, so I’ll preface it by saying go deal with one of our beloved scalpers… and get your ass in 114! Hopefully this outbreak of insanity leads to a fired up Kop CXIV!

See you there!

Champion Requiem

I was taught when there’s somethin’ you can change around
Keep quiet, you got nothin’ to complain about
You got work to do, I don’t know if that work for you

Fitting that I’m able to contrast my previous use of a Mos Def song with another. For those of you too busy reveling in FCE’s run of 21-1 in their past two games, or busy biting their nails in anticipation of the upcoming Cruz Azul-TFC game. Or, busy doing whatever’s happening in Vancouver, whatever that is. Pot Smoking?  Anyways… For those of you too busy to notice, Joey dropped quite a bomb on Montreal recently, coming out of his hidey-hole to lambast almost everyone in his organisation, except for those that deserve it. Here is the english press release, which was followed up by a statement from the 2.77 Billion Dollar Baby on CKAC.

“Following the recent performances of the team, I wish to reiterate that Nick De Santis, Marc Dos Santos and the other members of the technical staff continue to have my vote of confidence and they will stay in their current functions. They have proved their skills in the last few years and we will continue to build the future of this club with them.”

“The players, veterans as well as newcomers, are the only people responsible for the position of the team in the standings. They have not lived up to expectations so far this season. They have to look at themselves in the mirror and ask if they could have done more. Certain players have yet to convince us that they should be part of this club in Major League Soccer in 2012; as well as in 2011, as we will focus on our MLS preparation.”

“With seven matches to play this season, making the playoffs is still possible, but to do so the players on this team will have to react and find solutions. I cannot accept the results thus far, as the standards set by the Montreal Impact are higher than simply just making the playoffs.”

What a crock of shit, right? Well, to be fair, there’s a few dead-on things in his press release, most notably that Joey will never fire his organisational staff, not even if our lives depended on it. They, coughcoughNickcoughcough will stay and build a future with us, yes. Notice how Joey Saputo shies away from saying a build a GOOD future. Guess we can’t hold Saputo to that one…

“They have not lived up to expectations so far this season”: Partly True. Some have been found wanting.

“The players, veterans as well as newcomers, are the only people responsible for the position of the team in the standings. “: Completely False. Absolute bullshit coming from the master of it himself. Teams don’t organise from the ground up. If many underperform as a whole team, while occasionally having individual flashes of brilliance, the problem is most likely coming from the actual organisation of the team itself, not every single player. And if there truly is a problem among every single player like Saputo says, shouldn’t his brother NDS be able to bring in people who can fit in the system? Shouldn’t MDS be able to try and reorganise to play to the strengths of what he has available?

After the release, Joey himself went on air saying he has not yet spoke to the players in private yet. But then he goes on to name individual players and their problems: It was a mistake to make Pizzolito captain, DeRoux doesn’t perform, Ali Gerba(Zherba) gets paid too much to do nothing, Placentino “thinks he’s the future of the team” but “a guy like Rocco Placentino is cheating the organisation, the club and our fans”.

After those player-centric diatribes, Joey comes close to skirting the issue by saying that the issues and philosophy needs to change, and that a change will come in 2011, but ignoring the fact a clubs “philosophy” is closely tied to the aura exuded from the front office, which right now is a large part of this complacency and stagnation that exists in Montreal. A technical director is in charge of the team, and should that team end up playing below their expectations, one most look towards the technical director for answers. Answers like why does he rely on player Philippe Billy to spearhead our search for talent, rather than earn his money by finding the players himself?

And has it never occurred to Joey that only talking to the Technical staff would paint a picture that is biased towards placing blame on the players? Maybe he should grow up and act like an adult, and hear both sides of the story before going about in public blindsiding his players? But then again, this is a man who calls us Ultras “pieces of shit” and “not real fans” one day, and “great fans” the next. The guy whose team is very totalitarian when it comes to criticism, and keeps his players from their fans when celebrating their championship?

Who can really expect a proper response to a situation from an entitled boy who’s acting not like an adult owner, but more like a boy who is having a problem with his toys?  Even if he says there is a youth movement coming to Montreal in 2011, one must realise that our 2012 will look less like the start of a new era, but more of the same old shit. All this for a team that’s sitting out of a playoff spot, who haven’t won in near on a month, with seven games left. Perfect.

Look for some “pieces of shit” making the trip down to Baltimore, regardless of how badly you mismanage the team, Joey.

Next home game is the 27th vs. Rochester.

You got work to do, I don’t know if that work for you
But thats how Mos work it through

Montreal Roundup #3

Montreal played away to the dozen or so in attendance at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester. Reda got his first goal off of a Pastel cross. The only members of the Rochester Stampede in attendance put on quite the show and came in second at their halftime hotdog eating competition(not a joke). Disappointing to lose to a rival, as always.

Another name has been added to the list of dearly departed Gulls: Stefano Pesoli. Negotiations between the club and the player broke down recently and with the transfer window soon to open up, the serviceable Italian centreback has chosen to try his luck over in Europe. Stefano, before his departure posted a letter over on impactsoccer.com, mentioning that he spent “two and a half fantastic years, perhaps the best since I [started]  playing football ” which I can certainly believe. Stefano played hard and left it all on the field. I remember being very angry with him in the first ever Gulls-Torontoshire game as I believe had he not gotten a red card, Montreal would have won(though it doesn’t matter, we won yet another Voyageurs Cup that year…). The rest of his translated letter reads:

“I started in 2008 with a suitcase and hopes to find a world and a better football in North America, and so it has been … I met a new country, a beautiful city, a society and people who were always serious and friendly with me . My heart cries writing this letter, I never thought it would end all so suddenly and especially leaving things [unfinished]. Ultras, with you we had lots of satisfaction, winning a Canada Cup, taking part in CONCACAF with great results and winning a championship last year , all unexpected and maybe the best results in the history of Impact! I’ll always be proud and [honoured]. I helped write an important piece of history with this team and no one can take that away from me! I would have liked to continue the adventure here, but sometimes in football you put aside feelings of guilt and affection for “good” money, it’s enough just to come in and go against the road together, but it was unfortunately not so… Maybe it was lack of confidence because I played little this year because of my injuries, but I can also say that when I got into camp I have always shown my worth, sacrificing and spitting blood for this shirt… [Things] could be done differently, but sometimes fate brings you back home with the same case but with some championship titles in there’… Despite everything, I want to thank the company for all he has done for me over the years, thank the staff and my teammates that I will miss you very much and fans who have always supported and helped us even in the most difficult times. I want to thank my partner and I ‘was near this Canadian adventure and I hope that our future will be’ as good and ‘been there… Montreal thanks for everything, who knows’ if we meet again in a few years ….

with affection

Stefano Pesoli”

It’s very unfortunate to lose a player like Stefano, who certainly gave us everything he had and more, and it’s unfortunate that such a strong and dedicated player is cursed with multiple injuries, as it really leaves us wondering what could have been, had they stayed healthy. The Gulls will certainly be weaker for having lost Stefano, both the ever-weakening defense(Joqueviel, Pesoli, Aaboubou(returning next game?)) but also the heart of the team will have suffered a blow. Stefano was truly a wonderful player, both on and off the field. His dedication to the fans is demonstrated both by the fact he himself left this letter to the fans on IS.com but also in his actions when talking with UM02 members and small children alike.

He will always be missed.

Turning to a somewhat related piece of IMFC news, Montreal has entered talks with one Antonio Ribeiro, even though Nick De Santis has gone on record saying he was not a good player in his previous stay with us . It would be nice to see Nick eat crow, but I don’t really see why we would need a defensive mid, as we’re actually quite strong in the mid, while continuing to be weak up front and now with Pesoli’s loss, weak in the back.

It’s nice that the team has gone on record to say “we are actively searching for a central defender” but slightly troubling that they have not gone on record saying they need a striker. If it came down to only signing a striker or CB this transfer window, I say get a guaranteed striker. I can live with a crack in our defensive foundation, and put the games in the competent hands of Jordan and Srdjan, while also counting on a goal or so a game, rather than filling the hole at CB, and scoring nothing.

Hopefully the Gulls are not affected by the loss of Pesoli and play inspired away against St Louis Saturday and home against the Caramilks this coming Wednesday.

I, on the other hand, am going to hedge my bets by going to the upcoming Baby Gulls game this Sunday, to see them destroy( I assume) the St. Catharine Wolves by a score of (I assume) 4-1. That is, if I don’t melt before the game.

Also, we might see the return of Pierre- Rudolph Mayard to the flock, as he was not listed as a player or benchwarmer in the Battery’s recent 3-0 USOC loss. His loan was set to end at the end of July, but perhaps his recent success in Charleston, coupled with our dire need for offense has sped up his return?

Looking Ahead

So, in order to try and pretend that the Gulls-Rhinos rivalry is still a relevant one, and not the footballing equivalent of an estranged and soon to be divorced couple I went above and beyond for gameday, deciding to use it as the framing device for my very first player interview, with a very important Gull, Stephen Deroux. I truthfully think that today we’ll see a change group of Gulls, ones that are able to terrorize defenses, and play competently. Hopefully I’m not wrong because there not many teams better to give confidence than a fellow team that is struggling with mediocre results, as well as a home game against a longtime rivalry. So let’s get on to the very first D&G Interview(whoooo!):

D&G: So Stephen I’m real glad you were able to take some time out of your day to answer a few of my questions. It’s a real pleasure to hear from you, as I find it kind of strange we don’t hear more from you in the media. Either way, let’s get to it.

How did it feel last year to win the cup in Montreal?

DeRoux: It felt really good, it was my first championship in my career.

D&G: With the recent MLS announcement, Montreal has been given the OK to play in the league come 2012. Is there a lot of excitement in the dressing room about the announcement and do you hope to still be a part of the team in 2012?

DeRoux: Yeah, I would love to be a part of the squad when we go to the MLS. The club and all the players are really excited.

D&G: You turned quite a lot of heads in the recent friendly against AC Milan, how did it feel to not only step on the field with them, but also do so well?

DeRoux: Playing against AC Milan brought out the best in me, I think for a person to reach their full potential, they have to be put to the tests. It was a dream come true.

D&G: You yourself have been having a pretty good year, what do you think about the club’s performance so far?

DeRoux: I think we’re in a good position to finish first in our division, and first in the league also.

D&G: What do you think the main difference is between last year’s club and this year’s edition? Is the loss of Joey Gjertsen significant to the team?

DeRoux: The team is the same as a whole, except it’s a couple of different players have to play the same role for us.

D&G: Can you tell me how the team feels about their good play on the field, except when it comes to finishing?

DeRoux: As a team, we need to get better in all aspects of our game.

D&G: Is there a sense of pressure in the locker room to try and repeat last season’s success? IF SO, do you think that pressure is what’s causing the teams lack of finishing?

DeRoux: Pressure is something we can deal with because last year we were under a lot of pressure and came out on top, so that’s not it.

D&G: Has there been any sort of change in the way the club are approaching set pieces such as corners and free kicks?

DeRoux: We just have to be a lot more aggressive when it comes to our set pieces.

D&G: Do you think that the club might have turned around after the 2-1 win in Tampa?

DeRoux: Yeah, the win gave us some  more momentum and motivation to play our next game against Rochester.

D&G: I actually met you, briefly, at the Bell Centre when the Canadiens honoured the impact’s cup win. How do you feel about hockey and the city of Montreal?

DeRoux: This is a hockey city but soccer is on the rise and now that the Impact are going to the MLS, which is a great thing for soccer in Montreal. I love playing here.

D&G: A quick search of you online turns up results from girls talking about how much they, let’s say, admire you. Do you feel like Montreal is a great place to play professionally, and how do you feel about all the women out there who follow and support you?

DeRoux: I love playing in the city of Montreal. We’re ranked with some of the top fanbases in MLS and I appreciate all support I get from the city and from them.

D&G: What has been your favourite moment this season, and what was the most disappointing?

DeRoux: Playing against AC Milan was definitely my favourite moment by far while losing to Minnesota was my most disappointing.

D&G: Do you have anything to say to the Ultras, or Impact fans in general?

DeRoux: I love you guys, a lot of our success is because of you guys and thanks for all the continuous support.

D&G: Thanks for your time and good luck to you in the season and against Rochester!

DeRoux: Thanks!

—
Hopefully today we’ll be witness to some of the momentum and confidence that Stephen mentioned, and today is the turnaround we’ve all been waiting for.

Montreal Roundup!

In order to reduce the amount of daily small posts, I decided to wait a suitable amount of time, and present all Gulls related news in one handy-dandy, easy to link to(hint-hint) D&G post that covers the recent topics that have popped up in Montreal.

First off, WE SCORED!! Not just one, but Two(!) goals against Tampa Bay! Such a monumental occasion, it surely ranks up there with our three league titles and seven national titles. Hence my, perhaps over the top reaction, which consisted of lighting off four flares at work. I kid, it was only three flares.

So, two goals in one game, a feat that has only happened once before this season, in the 2-1 comeback against NSC Minnesota (sing louder, we can win this, it’s only Minnesota!). Oddly enough, this finished 2-1 as well, though it was not a comeback, for once.

Second of all, Montreal’s Baby Gulls spread their adorable little fledgling wings in front of 2,100 people against FCE tonight, resulting in a 3-0 loss against the Prairie Dogs. From the reports from those at the match, there was the promise of potential atmosphere with the Edmonton Supporters Group, as well as ownerships that seems willing to foster a loyal supporters atmosphere. A young Canadian of only 17 years managed to get two goals of his own this match. Hopefully, it was not a fluke and he continues to improve. The sole player to have played tonight  for the senior side this year was one Tyler Hemming, the Canadian midfielder who’s been on the outside looking in. Pity he plays in our strongest position as it gives him so few opportunities to crack the lineup. It seems hemming knows this, as he also spent time tonight as keeper, after Badescu received a red card. Maybe he thinks with Jordan’s injury, he has a better chance to crack the Gulls, as one of our goalies.

He probably has a better chance, to be honest. Next up for the Vermin is their match against Chilean Colo-Colo.

Next on the docket for those in Montreal is the home match sunday versus our once “proud(ish)” rivals, the Rochester (Raging) Rhinos. Don’t expect away support, as it seems the Stampede have all died, most likely myocardial infarctions brought about through years of eating garbage plates:

Heart Attacks never looked so good.

Also, expect another update sometime before the Rochester game, as I sit down with none other than the Gulls’ own Stephen Deroux.