An Interview with Montreal Impact Head Coach Marc Dos Santos
Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos
Montreal Impact Head Coach Marc Dos Santos sat down with me last Wednesday evening in Casa Grande, Arizona. The Impact arrived several days late to the Grande Sports Complex because of a late February snow storm that grounded them in Montreal. But the team did get into Arizona in time to have one outdoor practice before playing the Portland Timbers in a preseason scrimmage. The Impact lost 1-0 to the Timbers but Dos Santos was encouraged by what he saw and was able to take a look at a few of his new offseason signings.
Dos Santos talks about the game against Portland and goes into detail on new Impact players Bill Gaudette, Hassoun Camara, Idriss Ech Chergui, Luke Kreamalmeyer and Zurab Tsiskaridze.
The Impact head coach concludes by explaining Montreal’s approach this year as the team prepares to play their final season as a D2 pro team before moving to MLS in 2012.
Please join me in this informative conversation with Montreal Impact head coach Marc Dos Santos.
Comments are closed.
Hey BQ: Did you ask the Dude what it was like to be the reigning second division meltdown kings??? That game in Cary last fall was a show. It’s so nice that Puerto Rico Islanders don’t have that rep anymore. I wonder if they are going to take that with them when they get “promoted”.
And what’s up with wotking while you are trying to vacation and take a break?!?!
Don’t get me wrong–I need my pro, lower division fix.
I guess that you jst can’t help yourself.
Lucky for me and the other diehards.
“Meltdown kings”?? They just won the championship in 2009?
This coach is good. He always keeps calm, much like in this interview, in times when even everyone seems resigned. I remember last season, when the team didn’t do so well and even Joey Saputo decided to show his frustrations one day by coming in to the dressing and kicking a garbage can.
Marc Dos Santos still kept calm and kept repeating the team needed a bit more time. a few days later they went on an impressive winning streak.
Meltdown kings is incorrect and shows yankiwhatever is looking for some drama. As John stated, they just won the 2009 championship. And many believed that the USSF did not want to see another all-Canadian final twice in a row. The impact have always been a team that plays with passion and as MDS said in another interview, they simply need to control better their passion on the field in key matches. Also I remember how the referee refused a goal to Montreal, allowed a doubtful goal and even ran to get the ball out of the net himself and put in the center circle in that last match impact played. Never saw a ref do that before.
Jasmin,
Marc does have a calmness about him that I like. However, the Impact have had there share of issues on the field with discipline. They will need to get that sorted out by the time they get to MLS because they will not put up with it and there will be big consequences for it. Also, as you point out with a very passionate but sometimes volatile Mr. Saputo, there is always the trickle down theory which I believe to be true.
@BQ – Good interview. I believe the coach when he says the Impact is playing to win this year, not just mailing it in for the final season in NASL. The players on this roster are going to be playing their butts off to show they deserve a chance to stay with the team next year. I expect the Impact to be as strong as always, and definitely a playoff team.
But they may prove to be more difficult than you might think. If you recall Portland had a terrific season in 2009. One of the best ever on record for the USL. Then in 2010, their last D2 season they were not as effective. Talking to insiders at Portland they felt the cause was too many players where trying to showcase themselves (like what often happens in tryouts) instead of playing a team game. This cause the Timbers to have a poorer than expected season last year.
It will take much work from Montreal to keep the same thing from happening.
@John: When you lose your cool on the field to the point that police need to become involved–in Baltimorespeak, that can be classified as a “meltdown”.
You’ve seen the footage, right?
@Jasmin: Uhmm, seems like Montreal brings the drama sometimes. Not me. I just metioned what is public record.
Great club–they have been known to meltdown when things don’t go their way.
Don’t kill the messenger. Montreal has a bit of a rep. Puerto Rico used to have one. Carolina and Syracuse has one for a while.
If we are going to celebrate everything that is lovely about Montreal all (and there is an awful lot to celebrate), let’s just keep it real and note that they have been invovled in couple ugly incidents over the years as well.
Incidents that are even more confusing when you see how mellow Dos Santos and Desantis are. They are both two very intelligent, sharp guys.
Having Bill Gaudette added to the mix should be really interesting. That guy is a beast and he annoys the heck out of opposing fans with his tactics. He was a great signing and I would love to be able to watch the first Montreal match tiwh Toronto because they hat Gaudette at the BMO.
That should make for some great tv.
Search IMSoccer News for meltdown and you will see what Yankiboy is referring to.
@Gumbygrrl: Please stop posting links. I appreciate the effort but I don’t want you painted with the same “looking for drama” brush that I have been.
You’re much too wonderful for that.
I wish that I had some access to some of the footage from the Montreal-Puerto Rico near riot in Bayamon back in ’05. It is legendary. part of the folkore.
Pizzolito cheapshotted Marco Velez in the groin while they were fighting for postion during a corner kick. Marco cold cocked him and Pizzo played the victim role. The ref’s didn’t see Pizzo’s dirty deed and didn’t believe Marco. Later the footage that the Islanders provided to the USL showed exactly what went down and Pizzo got suspended after the fact–of course, so did Marco-who actually became even more popular after the incident–something that I didn’t think was actually possible.
When I say near riot, I mean near riot. Puerto Rico fans lost their freaking minds. Old ladies were throwing stuff at the Impact delegation. Thank goodness for cops. Bayamon police are scary. Those gents don’t play. There was drama all the way back to the locker rooms and then when the Impact were trying to make it out of the JRL.
Hugo Maradonna went after De Santis when he caught up with him in a restaurant, post match.
What makes it all even weirder is that the GM who the Islanders brought in few months later, Jorge Alvial is another very bright guy so he was trying to calm things down and make peace. A few months later Islanders are playing the Rhinos in Rochester and Montreal arrives for a game the next night. So everyone is sharing the same hotel that the Rhinos used for visiting teams. Some players are still heated and staring each other down in the lobby when they see each other. Some others are trying to just show a professional respect between the two teams when they pass each other in the hotel lobby and restaurant bar.
Alvial–he’s a freaking genius. He invites some Impact front office guys to the same table where he is with Maradonna. He’s buying some drinks. Maradonna is the complete opposite of his brother–he doesn’t say much at all. Ever. Alvial invites me to hang out at the table.
I immediately realize what is up. It’s all by design. he’s trying to make the peace.
De Santis is working on his laptop in the lobby. Alvial introduces me to him.
Maradonna is a mellow guy. De Santis is a mellow guy. I end up being around Pizzo, never saying anything more than “Hey, how ya doin?” Marco is a good guy.
Montreal Impact became a “villian” for Islanders fans, the second team that Islander’s fans really “hate” but after seeing guys away from the stadium environment, it is a lot harder to think of Montreal as bad guys.
Even when they came to Baltimore last September, I have a hard time booing Pizzo or “hating” him after you see he is an ok guy and you see the way that De Santis and Dos Santos carry themselves. Even after the kicked my local boys in the but to the point that I wanted to crawl under a bleacher. After the game, when I went to talk to Sebrango they were pleasant dudes. All very intelligent, interesting guys.
No, I come not to bury Montreal–I come to thank them for making my life as a Puerto Rico Islanders and second division fan much more interesting.
The fans who travelled down to Baltimore for the match with Montreal were a spirited bunch. Much respect for followin their club with that sort of dedication
Thank God that the Islanders have learned to chill out (unless they are playing in CONCACAF Champions League but that is more about that competition and less about the club). I got tired of everyone talking about our meltdowns–even when we won games on the field–coz you can have meltdowns and still be a good team.
And still have some “good” guys. Just like Montreal… I really look forward to “hating” Montreal when you guys go to MLS…
Can’t wait until MLS sees what it is getting. A lot of MLS fans are sleeping on the flavor that Montreal is going to bring. Both the club and the fans…
I fixed my comments – I got carried away on my research. Sorry. I wish Montreal well.
@GumbyGrrl–I was just kidding (of course!) I loved the fact that I could get that stuff in one place. Now if only I could learn to edit my posts after the fact (especially the typos).