Entrevue du coach sur le site de la USL.
Publié : 08 février 2005 9:24
http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/91763.html
Defending Champs hold training session
Q & A with Impact Head Coach Nick DeSantis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, February 7, 2005
This past Friday the defending USL First Division champion Montreal Impact officially opened training camp for the 2005 season.
In 2004 the Impact started the season with a 12-game unbeaten streak (8-0-4) and never looked back, finishing 17-6-5. The USL First Division’s stingiest defense allowed just 15 goals over the course of the regular season and earned shutout’s in four of their five post-season matches on their way to the team’s first title since 1994.
USLsoccer.com had a chance to sit down with Montreal’s head coach Nick DeSantis (right) to get his thoughts on the upcoming season.
USLsoccer.com: Your team led the league in GAA in 2004 at just over half a goal per game. With 2004 Defender of the Year Gabriel Gervais, 2004 MVP Greg Sutton, Patrick Leduc and Mauricio Vincello back, your defense is intact. How important is that as the Impact look to defend their title?
Nick DeSantis: I think the last three years we have been one of the better teams in the league. For us, keeping players like that is very important. I think this year it will be even tougher to defend the title. We’re trying to sign the core of the players [from last year’s team] plus we’re trying to make some additions to better the team.
USLsoccer.com: What new additions have you made to the team and what do they bring to the table?
ND: We are still negotiating with some players. Hopefully we’ll get a couple guys we’re looking for. We’re looking for another forward even though we had Eddie [Sebrango] and Fred [Commodore, at left]. You can never have enough forwards. It’s important for us to look for a proven goal-scorer. We played a lot of games where we missed a lot of chances. Forwards are hot and cold. When they are on a hot streak things are good but a little cold streak and their confidence goes down.
USLsoccer.com: Eddie Sebrango was in the top 20 in the league in points (with 19, 8g, 3a) and Freddy Commodore tied him with eight goals, what do you expect from them this season?
ND: I think that with Eddie we expect a lot from him. Eddie was coming off an ACL tear from the year before. During the season he suffered a little and was trying to get his form back. There were stages where he was quite injured and in the end he came through for us with two goals against Rochester. Freddie scored very big goals for us that decided a lot of games. Hopefully this year he comes back and puts the team in that same position. He’s a goal-scorer, hopefully he can score big goals this year as well.
USLsoccer.com: Last year attendance at Impact games went up over 2,000 fans a game. What do you attribute that to?
ND: I think it’s a question of putting the work in… I think they did a great job in the office of attracting people. It’s only natural in Montreal to want to watch a winning team. Last year was great. To have over 9,000 people a game, that was unbelievable. We’ll work to get those people back this year.
USLsoccer.com: The atmosphere at the 2004 USL First Division championship game was amazing, with a sold-out crowd and the home team winning it all. What makes the city of Montreal and your fans so special?
ND: I think Montreal is a city of trends. The Canadiens have become a big trend, so have the Alouettes and this is what we’re hoping for the Impact. You can feel that people were talking about the Impact. People were talking about getting Impact tickets. I remember last year a lot of games, especially the Final it was the hot ticket in town. We did so many public practices and appearances. This is a team that socializes and as a club they keep promoting themselves.
USLsoccer.com: The climate in Montreal is obviously much colder than in other USL First Division cities such as Atlanta and Puerto Rico. Does this put you at a disadvantage by having to train indoors to start with?
ND: I think we have an advantage because we have the field starting in February. At least guys will get together and start getting in a certain form before training camp. We play our first six games away. It’s going to be critical for us to be at a certain fitness stage and once we go down south just to customize ourselves to the hotter weather. We’ve got two games in three days in Puerto Rico and then in Virginia so it’s important for us to be in good shape.
USLsoccer.com: Last year some teams went to warmer weather climates to train outdoors, will the Impact be doing anything like that?
ND: We’re looking at different options because we do play the 29th (of April) and 1st (of May) in Puerto Rico and the weekend after in Virginia so we’re looking at staying down south that week and going a couple days before to Puerto Rico. There are things we are talking about and looking at that will help the team.
USLsoccer.com: Your 2005 season starts out with two games in Puerto Rico, a team you beat three times last year. As an expansion team, they seemed to put up a good fight, with the last two games both being won by 1-0 scores. What will you be looking for in those first two games?
ND: We expect a good atmosphere and a tougher place to play in. It’s a different atmosphere in Puerto Rico. It’s more of a home side advantage. It’s like your going into these Latin American countries. We have to expect the worst every time. They have a year of experience under their belts. They had made progress from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. It’s important for us to get a good start.
USLsoccer.com: You start out with six games on the road. What does a stretch like that teach you about your team?
ND: We usually start with three to four games on the road because of the weather. The teams have done pretty well in the away record and I think that’s because of the quality of the players, the pride. Even going away for away games they take nothing for granted. They are always playing with a certain motivation. It will be tough especially as a championship team having people want to beat us. It’s going to be very important to see where it places us before we get home.
USLsoccer.com: After the championship game, how long did it take you to start thinking about next season?
ND: You never stop thinking. Right away you start thinking about players that you want back and players that you can add, players that you need to better yourselves. It’s been like that throughout the whole winter. We let it ride a little after the championship. It’s only normal now that we have to defend it and we have to have the right frame of mind.
Defending Champs hold training session
Q & A with Impact Head Coach Nick DeSantis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, February 7, 2005
This past Friday the defending USL First Division champion Montreal Impact officially opened training camp for the 2005 season.
In 2004 the Impact started the season with a 12-game unbeaten streak (8-0-4) and never looked back, finishing 17-6-5. The USL First Division’s stingiest defense allowed just 15 goals over the course of the regular season and earned shutout’s in four of their five post-season matches on their way to the team’s first title since 1994.
USLsoccer.com had a chance to sit down with Montreal’s head coach Nick DeSantis (right) to get his thoughts on the upcoming season.
USLsoccer.com: Your team led the league in GAA in 2004 at just over half a goal per game. With 2004 Defender of the Year Gabriel Gervais, 2004 MVP Greg Sutton, Patrick Leduc and Mauricio Vincello back, your defense is intact. How important is that as the Impact look to defend their title?
Nick DeSantis: I think the last three years we have been one of the better teams in the league. For us, keeping players like that is very important. I think this year it will be even tougher to defend the title. We’re trying to sign the core of the players [from last year’s team] plus we’re trying to make some additions to better the team.
USLsoccer.com: What new additions have you made to the team and what do they bring to the table?
ND: We are still negotiating with some players. Hopefully we’ll get a couple guys we’re looking for. We’re looking for another forward even though we had Eddie [Sebrango] and Fred [Commodore, at left]. You can never have enough forwards. It’s important for us to look for a proven goal-scorer. We played a lot of games where we missed a lot of chances. Forwards are hot and cold. When they are on a hot streak things are good but a little cold streak and their confidence goes down.
USLsoccer.com: Eddie Sebrango was in the top 20 in the league in points (with 19, 8g, 3a) and Freddy Commodore tied him with eight goals, what do you expect from them this season?
ND: I think that with Eddie we expect a lot from him. Eddie was coming off an ACL tear from the year before. During the season he suffered a little and was trying to get his form back. There were stages where he was quite injured and in the end he came through for us with two goals against Rochester. Freddie scored very big goals for us that decided a lot of games. Hopefully this year he comes back and puts the team in that same position. He’s a goal-scorer, hopefully he can score big goals this year as well.
USLsoccer.com: Last year attendance at Impact games went up over 2,000 fans a game. What do you attribute that to?
ND: I think it’s a question of putting the work in… I think they did a great job in the office of attracting people. It’s only natural in Montreal to want to watch a winning team. Last year was great. To have over 9,000 people a game, that was unbelievable. We’ll work to get those people back this year.
USLsoccer.com: The atmosphere at the 2004 USL First Division championship game was amazing, with a sold-out crowd and the home team winning it all. What makes the city of Montreal and your fans so special?
ND: I think Montreal is a city of trends. The Canadiens have become a big trend, so have the Alouettes and this is what we’re hoping for the Impact. You can feel that people were talking about the Impact. People were talking about getting Impact tickets. I remember last year a lot of games, especially the Final it was the hot ticket in town. We did so many public practices and appearances. This is a team that socializes and as a club they keep promoting themselves.
USLsoccer.com: The climate in Montreal is obviously much colder than in other USL First Division cities such as Atlanta and Puerto Rico. Does this put you at a disadvantage by having to train indoors to start with?
ND: I think we have an advantage because we have the field starting in February. At least guys will get together and start getting in a certain form before training camp. We play our first six games away. It’s going to be critical for us to be at a certain fitness stage and once we go down south just to customize ourselves to the hotter weather. We’ve got two games in three days in Puerto Rico and then in Virginia so it’s important for us to be in good shape.
USLsoccer.com: Last year some teams went to warmer weather climates to train outdoors, will the Impact be doing anything like that?
ND: We’re looking at different options because we do play the 29th (of April) and 1st (of May) in Puerto Rico and the weekend after in Virginia so we’re looking at staying down south that week and going a couple days before to Puerto Rico. There are things we are talking about and looking at that will help the team.
USLsoccer.com: Your 2005 season starts out with two games in Puerto Rico, a team you beat three times last year. As an expansion team, they seemed to put up a good fight, with the last two games both being won by 1-0 scores. What will you be looking for in those first two games?
ND: We expect a good atmosphere and a tougher place to play in. It’s a different atmosphere in Puerto Rico. It’s more of a home side advantage. It’s like your going into these Latin American countries. We have to expect the worst every time. They have a year of experience under their belts. They had made progress from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. It’s important for us to get a good start.
USLsoccer.com: You start out with six games on the road. What does a stretch like that teach you about your team?
ND: We usually start with three to four games on the road because of the weather. The teams have done pretty well in the away record and I think that’s because of the quality of the players, the pride. Even going away for away games they take nothing for granted. They are always playing with a certain motivation. It will be tough especially as a championship team having people want to beat us. It’s going to be very important to see where it places us before we get home.
USLsoccer.com: After the championship game, how long did it take you to start thinking about next season?
ND: You never stop thinking. Right away you start thinking about players that you want back and players that you can add, players that you need to better yourselves. It’s been like that throughout the whole winter. We let it ride a little after the championship. It’s only normal now that we have to defend it and we have to have the right frame of mind.
