MONTREAL – There will be changes to the Montreal Impact’s lineup.
This is not spilling the beans. FC Dallas, Montreal’s opponents at Stade Saputo on Saturday (8 pm ET; MLS LIVE in US, TVA Sports in Canada), have known for almost a week.
Speedy forward Dominic Oduro was forced out of Montreal’s 4-1 thrashing of Real Salt Lake last weekend due to a groin injury in the 63rd minute and will be out for a couple of weeks, the team announced. Forward Kenny Cooper, a possible replacement for Oduro, is also unavailable after he underwent knee surgery that will keep him out for a couple of months, the Impact announced Friday.
Oduro would have come in handy Saturday against a team that “get behind the ball in numbers,” Montreal head coach Frank Klopas said referring to FC Dallas’ defensive approach.
“Dom, especially with his pace, he’s very dangerous,” Impact midfielder Dilly Duka told reporters on Friday. “I don’t know what our starting lineup is tomorrow, but I’m sure that we’re going to put in a guy that has experience and has been performing well in training. I think we’ll be all right.”
Klopas’ substitution of Jack McInerney, the Impact’s joint-top scorer with four goals in all competitions this season, for Oduro last weekend would suggest that he’ll get the nod up top with Andres Romero, Ignacio Piatti and Duka in support.
McInerney put in a fine shift against RSL, providing a cross that RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando tipped into Duka’s path for the fourth goal. Although a different threat than the one that Oduro poses, McInerney can nonetheless pose a danger.
The three men behind him could compensate for the effects of losing Oduro. Romero, Piatti and Duka interchange at times, and depending on their positioning on the field in any given situation, they could stretch the Dallas backline.
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“Sometimes they do it on their own, sometimes we try to switch things around just based on matchups and see if things work better,” Klopas said. “But I think there’s a good understanding with those three that, during the game, they have the ability to interchange, but also the responsibility, based on where they are.”
At the back, the bill of health is improving, but the likes of Donny Toia, Victor Cabrera or Hassoun Camara are unlikely to return. Instead, a new face could show up.
Ambroise Oyongo has completed his first full week of training with the Impact, and Frank Klopas is considering a spot in the 18 for the Cameroon international who joined the team last week after a contract dispute.
“He’s a good player,” center back Laurent Ciman said. “He’ll bring us a lot of speed. Offense-wise, I think he’ll bring a lot. It'll take time for him to get back to his physical levels, but I think he’s a quite good player. He’ll certainly have to show it.”
