An Interview with the Newest Montreal Impact Player Marco Terminesi

Marco Terminesi throws his body at goal to get his head on a ball. In spite of being held he scored on the play. The match was played last September when the MN Thunder took on the Puerto Rico Islanders at the NSC Stadium in Blaine, MN. Photo by Jeremy Olson - www.digitalgopher.net

When IMS last checked in with Marco Terminesi in late March things hadn’t gotten any worse but they hadn’t gotten a lot better either. Doctors were conflicted on what exactly was going on with his health. They knew the Canadian soccer player and former Thunder goal scorer had a tumor in the center of his brain which was nonmalignant. They didn’t know if that was even the cause of his headaches and dizziness. The tumor was not growing and some doctors speculated that it could have been there since he was young. Doctors even suggested it could be an odd virus causing the problems.

Terminesi was put on the disabled list by his indoor team the Milwaukee Wave, who he was under contract with at the time. The symptoms had sidelined him and even though he wasn’t happy about it there wasn’t a lot he could do. The course of action from doctors was to wait things out. Despite the pain and isolation the headaches caused, he stayed positive, and on Tuesday the Montreal Impact released a statement saying that they had signed him to a 1.5 year contract.

Terminesi spoke to IMS from Baltimore where he made the trip with his new team to play Crystal Palace on Saturday evening. He explained what happened over the last several months to get him to the point where he is now able to play again and sign a contract with the Montreal Impact through the 2011 season.

“I went through a bunch of testing over the past 5 months and they ruled out all the serious things,” said Terminesi. “All the test came back negative. I was on some medicines because I had some difficulties with some things in my blood. Levels being too high of this or to low of that.  I just started getting better gradually. We don’t know if it was the meds or if I had a virus that I got over. I just started getting better gradually. I really don’t know if it was anything the doctors did for me or if it was just my body getting better. Even the doctors don’t know. Some of the doctors said it just may be something that caused it that we will never know. As  long as I’m better that’s a good enough explanation for me because it’s been a rough couple of months. I’m just happy to be out of it.”

Terminesi says all symptoms he previously had seemed to have toned down, including the headaches and dizziness, while some symptoms are gone completely. He also says he’s been training and playing at a pretty high level for the last month.

The former Minnesota Thunder player says he signed with Montreal over a week ago and when he flew into Montreal on Wednesday morning the paperwork was already complete. By Wednesday evening the 25-year old Woodbridge, Ontario native was wearing a Montreal kit with the number 18 on his jersey and was penciled into the 18-man roster that would face rivals Vancouver at Stade Saputo.

“It was something I’ve prepared for mentally for 5 months while I was lying in bed,” said a very upbeat Terminesi. “Thinking about that moment was something that got me through my sickness. It was the light at the end of my dark tunnel. I just knew I was going to get back and I knew I was going to get to do what I wanted to do again. Stepping on the field with my Montreal jersey on in front of thirteen thousand people was just …. it was beyond emotional.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play for Montreal,” continued Terminesi. “Not only are the coaches great and my teammates are cool people, the front office people are great as well. Everyone seems to have faith in me and that’s helping me out a lot.”

With the Canadian soccer player contracted through next season with Montreal, he says he has thought about being on a team that will be moving to MLS.

“Yeah, I do think about MLS because that’s still a dream of mine but as of right now and coming back from injury I’m just taking this day by day,” said Terminesi. “I’m not going to get caught up thinking too much about my future. I’m not trying to focus on next month or next year especially. I’m focusing on today’s practice, tomorrow’s game and then the next practice. That’s what will keep me grounded the most. If I extend my focus too much it might hurt me. Right now I am so excited to be playing again that I’m just taking it hour by hour.”

“My fitness is obviously not at ninety minutes but I’ve been running and training a lot. I have a program with the Montreal staff for strength and fitness and it won’t be too much longer before I’m back to the same Marco that I once was.

The Impact currently sit 3rd in the NASL Conference of the USSF D-2 Pro League with a 6-4-6 record. Montreal is in a 3-way tie with FC Tampa Bay and the Puerto Rico Islanders for 7th place overall in the 12-team league. It’s a position the Impact have rarely found themselves in and is a disappointment to many Montreal fans this season. Terminesi says the mood on the team is still “outstanding” and says the Impact players are not yet concerned because they know the ability of the team.

Terminesi, who was nicknamed the M-Train for his hellbent runs at goal and who once stated emphatically, “I hate losing” after a poor team performance and loss with the Thunder, said: “We’ll bounce back; Trust me. This team is confident and at the end of the season we will be there in a playoff spot.”