Football Season Review

A poor second half of the season proved to be costly for Montreal Impact who dropped out of the playoffs race long before the end of the campaign to finish ninth in the Eastern Conference. Montreal took their time to get going and it was not until the end of May that they finally managed to hit a consistent run of form which helped them remain in the race for a place in the top six. While Matteo Mancosu struggled to replicate his goal-scoring exploits from last season which convinced coach Mauro Biello to dispense with Didier Drogba's services, Piatti led the line for Montreal by top scoring with 17 goals while Blerim Dzemaili was also impressive in his first season, chipping in with seven goals and 10 assists. However Montreal struggled to keep Piatti fit over the course of the campaign as he was limited to just 26 starts while Dzemaili's late arrival meant that he was only able to take part in 22 games. Biello has since then paid the price for a poor season and has been replaced by former Lyon and Aston Villa coach Remi Garde. There have been changes in personnel as well with Patrice Bernier and Hassoun Camara retiring though their biggest loss with be a shock trade of Laurent Ciman to expansion club LAFC. They have so far brought in Jukka Raitala and Raheem Edwards but, with Montreal losing a lot of experience during the off-season, with Ambroise Oyongo, Hernan Bernardello, Eric Kronberg and Andres Romero also leaving, Garde will need to bring more bodies in before Montreal can be ready for the new season

Player of the Season: Ignacio Piatti