Top Stories

Didier Drogba set to miss Impact’s playoff clash with D.C. United

Photo by Eric Bolte/USA Today Sports
Photo by Eric Bolte/USA Today Sports

The Montreal Impact will be without their star forward for the start of the postseason.

Didier Drogba will miss the Impact’s playoff opener with D.C. United on Thursday. The forward did not travel with the team, who departed on Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Impact coach Mauro Biello said that Didier Drogba was unlikely to feature in Thursday’s clash due to a lingering back issue. Biello said that “chances are very minimal” that the forward sees the field in the opening round, which is formatted as a one-game playoff.

“I don’t think the chances will be good,” Biello said at a pre-match press conference. “He hasn’t trained. He still feels discomfort, so the chances are very minimal.”

Drogba reportedly did not train with teammates on Tuesday, but did jog with a trainer for about 15 minutes. The forward missed practice last week to reportedly meet with a doctor regarding his back issues.

The news comes in the aftermath of Drogba’s highly-publicized refusal to play against Toronto FC during the second-to-last match of the season. Since the incident, which stemmed from Drogba’s refusal to come off the bench, Impact president Joey Saputo says the issue has been smoothed over between the player and club.

Comments

  1. Really not worth it. Bringing in these big money guys. For what, so guys that can’t get excited about soccer in the US, can watch a couple of games. Not worth it.

    If you get someone that takes it seriously like Keane, sure, but the number that have been complete waste of money guys, because they couldn’t handle the league, or didn’t care to, FAR outnumber the Robbie Keanes.

    Reply
    • Quit Whining:

      While I agree that these “big money guys” can be a crapshoot, I think on the balance, it is worth it for clubs to take a chance. Many have worked out quite well almost instantly, such as Keane and Giovinco. Some take a bit of time to get going, like Beckham or Lampard. Some are total busts, like Mattheus. But Drogba followed a different plot. You may recall that everyone on SBI said what a great signing he was last year when he scored 11 goals in 11 games. And he was having an “ok” season until recently. Yeah, he may be showing his true colors now, but I still think the Impact got their money’s worth.

      In the end, how are these big name signings any different than what happens in every other league? Some work out beautifully while some, in hindsight, were huge mistakes. That’s just business. Building teams/MLS through college drafts and low-risks acquisitions from Central America, just doesn’t move the needle for most soccer fans.

      Reply

Leave a Comment