MONTREAL – The Impact went two years without a sellout at Stade Saputo. They came close on a number of occasions, but for two years, some tickets remained available.
Then this happened:
The scramble at the airport for Didier Drogba spilled over to the ticket office. In the leadup to Drogba’s debut on August 22 against the Philadelphia Union, Impact fans took to Facebook and Twitter in hopeful bids to find secondhand tickets. For the first time in two years, Montrealers were bemoaning a shortage of MLS tickets. Stade Saputo was sold out.
Six months after club president Joey Saputo lamented that the buzz for his team “wasn’t there anymore,” the Drogba signing has revitalized the fans’ interest in their local team, four months after a CONCACAF Champions League run that also won the club a supporter or two. One supporter even kneeled down and climbed the 283 steps of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal to celebrate.
The Impact are watercooler talk material again.
“At first, I didn’t have Impact fever,” said Louis, a caller during a phone-in last Friday on Montreal’s Radio 9 – which this writer was a guest on. “But kudos to the Impact. The fever’s there. The buzz is big. I couldn’t get tickets [for August 22], but I’ll shoot for September 5. … Let’s hope for a goal by Drogba.”
Last Saturday, the chance to witness a Drogba goal – which never came – was a hot commodity. As the Stade Saputo gates opened, 90 minutes from kickoff, fans sprinted into the general admission sections to get a front row seat next to the Ultras Montréal supporters group, in the West stand.
Five minutes from halftime, “Di-dier Drog-ba!” chants signaled the crowd’s impatience. They needed to see their new Designated Player in action. When Drogba took off his substitute’s bib, in the 56th minute, fans gave him a standing ovation – and almost failed to notice a near-goal from C.J. Sapong.
When Drogba finally entered the field, in the 59th minute, the roar was so loud, it gave an idea of what it’ll be like if Montreal qualify for MLS Cup someday. With Drogba on board, the interest for the team has shot up.
“Last year, I didn’t go to a game,” said Éric, another caller during the phone-in. “I’d been, the first two years. But last year, I felt like the buzz was lacking. Something was missing for me to go to a game. As soon as I learned that Drogba was coming to Montreal, I checked the schedule and figured that August 22 was when I’d be going.
“I bought four tickets, not knowing if I’d have to go by myself,” he continued. "I’ve got buddies who don’t like soccer. I bought the four tickets, and my buddies asked me ‘How about we go to an Impact game? How about we go to an Impact game? Drogba, Drogba, Drogba!’ I’d bought four tickets without telling anyone, and my three buddies are coming with me.”
The Impact have won themselves fans, once again. Neophytes that used to be reluctant to accept an invitation will be more tempted now. So will European soccer fans that needed convincing. More members of the African community have also rallied behind the team.
“Even those who don’t know about soccer are interested,” said Adjanatou, a Burkina Faso native who isn’t much of a soccer fan herself, in a conversation with MLSsoccer.com. “They share information on Drogba. They’ll start going to games a bit more.”
Indeed, the reach of Drogba’s arrival goes beyond the soccer fans. Every Montrealer that picked up a daily newspaper in late July saw Drogba’s face on the front page a number of times – and not just on the cover of the sports section.
“It looks like the lay audience has woken up, as if, all of a sudden, following the Impact was worth it,” said Marie-Christine, an Impact supporter, in a conversation with MLSsoccer.com. “It’s a little bit like when the [NHL’s] Canadiens are in the playoffs. People discuss the team with me more, they think it’s a big thing. When I say that I’m going to a game that night, they ask me about it more than before. The interest is higher. It's the same when I wear the jersey on the street. I've even been high-fived a couple of times!”
Drogba will miss Wednesday’s second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship final at Vancouver (10 pm ET; Sportsnet One in Canada, MLS LIVE in USA) with an injured toe. But he’s aiming for a swift return to action on Saturday at BMO Field against Toronto FC (4 pm ET; TSN, MLS LIVE). If he were to help Montreal to a first-ever win at their archrivals, there’s no telling how many sold-out crowds Stade Saputo can host in the next 18 months.
