MONTREAL – Didier Drogba had a clear idea of who was Man of the Match this Saturday at Stade Saputo.
“Dilly Duka had a fantastic game,” Drogba told reporters after Montreal defeated DC United 2-0. “We don’t say it enough, but he harassed the opponent for 90 minutes.... Today, [Man of the Match] would be Dilly Duka. The work that he’s been doing for this team recently, he deserves it as much as I did.”
Duka’s response was, well, grateful.
“Really? He said that? My God!”
One could get an idea that Duka was a keen admirer of Drogba’s when he unreservedly gave up his No. 11 jersey to the Ivorian, picking up No. 5 instead. That idea grew when Duka highlighted the creator of his goal a week ago – Drogba, of course. But this Saturday, the plaudits went the other way.
Duka didn’t score. He didn’t get an assist. But he created space for others in a decidedly wide role with which he’s not that familiar.
“The coaches were telling me to touch the sideline, touch the sideline, and I’m a player that – I love to have the ball,” Duka said. “I was tucking in a lot. At half-time, they were telling me more to stay wide, stay wide.”
That’s what was needed in the Impact’s new-look 4-1-4-1. Interim head coach Mauro Biello, for the second time in six games, inverted his midfield shape, with Patrice Bernier and Nigel Reo-Coker given more freedom in front of lone holding mid Marco Donadel.
Duka praised Reo-Coker’s “simple” approach, allowing “everybody an opportunity to touch the ball.” But watching Drogba in action was something else. Two different goals, but most interesting for Impact fans, a direct free kick that Biello called the nicest he’d ever seen in 23 years at the club.
Duka was equally impressed.
“I was just telling Jason [Di Tullio], our assistant coach, for [Drogba] to hit a free kick like that in the fourth minute, you have to have confidence beyond belief,” Duka said. “Usually, you take a free kick that early in the game, and you’re just ‘Alright, let’s try something, we have 86 minutes left in the game,’ whatever. He went up to that ball, and he was like, ‘I’m putting this in the back of the net.’ And we all see it at practice--he has some power. And I’m not surprised it went in. It was fun to see.”
So, Dilly, who was your Man of the Match?
“Come on, man!”
Ok then.
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