The Montreal Impact entered 2016 with legitimate MLS Cup aspirations, but rather than being talked up as a serious title contender, they were instead dogged all winter by one, pesky question: When is Didier Drogba going to show up?
We’re only two games into the new season, but Ignacio Piatti already has a resounding answer.
It doesn’t matter.
While Drogba is in Sacramento keeping his fitness up ahead of Montreal's first match on natural grass on Saturday at Dallas, Piatti and the Impact have firmly placed themselves among the league’s best. The Argentine playmaker has led Montreal to two of the most impressive victories of the young campaign, scoring two goals and notching an assist in their opening day win at the Vancouver Whitecaps and adding another goal and assist in their 3-0 win over Supporters’ Shield holders New York Red Bulls at Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
Despite being denied on three clear-cut chances and missing the frame on another against New York, Piatti still has sole possession of the league lead with three goals and is tied for first in MLS with two assists. He’s now played exactly one season’s worth of regular season matches since joining the Impact from Argentine club San Lorenzo in July 2014, notching 16 goals and 11 assists in those 34 games – the vast majority of which came for a bad Impact team in 2014 and one that was middling before Drogba arrived last year.
It’s Piatti, not Drogba, who is the most important man for Montreal. He’s a hot commodity, with the Impact reportedly turning down a $5 million transfer offer for him in December. He’s the one who one member of an opposing technical staff says was “arguably the best player in South America” when Montreal signed him and is now is now a “top-five for sure, arguably top-three” talent in MLS.
He’s established himself as one of the best players in the league, an MVP-level talent who is one of the few capable of challenging his 401 Derby rival, Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco, for the title of MLS's top dog.
As our own Matt Doyle has noted several times already this year, Piatti has been terrific since Impact head coach Mauro Biello moved him from a central role to the left wing following Drogba’s debut last August. The 31-year-old has thrived in the increased space on the flank, scoring or assisting on 12 of the Impact’s 23 goals in the 11 matches (including playoffs) he’s played since moving to more of a wide position.
Even more tellingly, Montreal is 9-1-1 in those 11 matches, compared to 2-4-1 in the seven games Piatti has missed in that span.
His talent was on full display against New York, when Piatti picked the ball up in a variety of positions and almost always looked dangerous while on it. He combined very well with new midfield acquisition Harry Shipp and left back Ambroise Oyongo and kept the Red Bulls guessing all afternoon. He occasionally played quickly and moved the ball after one or two touches, at times held onto it a bit longer to allow a teammate to set up a run and other times – like he did on his Goal of the Week-winning effort at Vancouver – drove forward into the box to fire a shot of his own.
"Having a player like Nacho is motivating for the whole group. We know that, at any moment, we can score," Oyongo told TVA Sports after Saturday's match. "It's like when you watch a Barcelona game, you trust that Messi can give you a win with just a couple of touches. That's the way it is with Nacho. He's in great form."
With Shipp and fellow new addition Lucas Ontivero shouldering some of Montreal’s creative burden, Johan Venegas settling in for his first full season in MLS and Drogba and injured winger Andres Romero set to return later this year, Piatti has more talent around him now than ever before in Montreal. He’s clearly comfortable playing a bit wider, and, barring injury, there’s no reason to think he won’t be able to continue the tear he’s been on since last summer.
Their biggest name may be in California, but the Impact’s best player is happy, healthy and hot. If Piatti keeps it up, he’ll rack up some serious individual accolades and Montreal will pick up plenty of points – no matter how long it takes Drogba to get into action.
