Photo by Indy Eleven/NASL
By AARON CRANFORD
Hours after receiving word that goalkeeper Evan Bush would not be available for the CONCACAF Champions League final, the Montreal Impact went out and found a new goalkeeper just before the deadline.
Per a report from both clubs, Indy Eleven goalkeeper Kristian Nicht will join the Impact on full transfer before their crucial CCL second-leg final, and the 33-year-old will most likely earn the nod to start in goal.
“I want to thank the Indy Eleven organization for giving me the chance to follow through on this wonderful opportunity,” Nicht told Indy Eleven. “While I am very excited to join Montreal, thanks to the support I received from Indy Eleven’s tremendous fans and the Indianapolis community as a whole I will always consider myself ‘Indy Forever.’”
The German keeper has been with the Canadian club before, joining the Impact’s roster in February when Montreal went up against Pachuca in the CCL knockout stage and against Alajuelense in March.
“We are very pleased to acquire an experienced goalkeeper who is having success this season and who has had success in the past,” Impact technical director Adam Braz told the Montreal Impact. “We know he will integrate within the group with ease as he’s spent a few weeks with us during training camp as well as for games in Mexico and Olympic Stadium.”
According to Goal.com, the Montreal Impact were also looking at the possibility of adding a goalkeeper from another MLS franchise on a short-term loan deal, but the team decided to add someone more familiar with the team and the competition.
Nicht has performed well with Indy in the NASL Spring Season, as his team is one of three teams in the league to still be undefeated; however he and Indy have yet to produce a clean sheet, with the team conceding one goal in each of their four games to start the season.
The Indianapolis side now only has two goalkeepers, Keith Cardona and Jon Dawson, to their name, and they’ll have the weekend off to mull over their new goalkeeping duo, as they have a bye week in the NASL.
The second leg of the CCL final will kick off at Olympic Stadium on Wednesday (8 p.m., FOX Sports 2, UniMas).
What do you think about the Impact signing Nicht? Think he’s up for the job in the CCL final?
Share your thoughts below.
It just shows how Peter Wilt is a Prince Among Men for owners, fans and players.
Can someone explain to me what’s so bad about Montreal’s backup keeper? Why is it down to this?
Mexican teams take it seriously enough to lean on CONCACAF officials to bail them out as usual. It’s getting to be as bad as WCQ, where English speaking teams need to be two goals better to win on the road, since the ref will find a way to either steal one or gift it to the home side.
Luckily, being two goals better than Mexico is rarely a problem for the USMNT.
Other than perhaps the AFCON, this is definitely the weirdest tournament on Planet Earth. But hey, I’m not saying I’m not entertained…..
Lol
Sometimes find myself mid-exhasperated-muddled-explanation or defense regarding the sometimes twisted, nonsensical inequitable nuances to cards, accumulations, suspensions and player eligibility in soccer tourneys and am left with an animated arms in the air shrug and a F*&%… I dunno…. it’s just the way it is.
Please do not CONCACAF Champions League with AFCON. Anyone who has watched AFCON would say that it is a very entertaining tournament, not wierd. CONCACAF Champions league is laughable tournament, and, frankly, should not exist. Mexican teams, honestly, only really take the Copa Libertadores seriously.
Oh cut the crap with your pompous nonsense. Yeah we get it— you like Mexican teams. That has nothing to do with my point at all. I didn’t even mention Mexican teams
You talk as though I have not watched AFCON. If you don’t think AFCON is a weird (though extremely entertaining, as we agree) tournament, then I’m highly confident it is you who has never watched. It is the weirdest thing in the soccer universe. Nobody knows what will happen in any game. Utterly and entirely unpredictable. Anybody who bets a dime on a single game in that thing is out of their mind. I can’t remember the last time the AFCON was actually won by a team that was obviously the best in Africa. Maybe never.
Listen, everybody knows CCL is a flawed tournament. You are not “breaking news” here. The fact that the consistent worst team in MLS is now the closest team every to winning it says it all. And I agree, it probably should not exist in its current form. Congratulations on telling everybody what we already know.
But nobody really gives a sh*t about how your precious Mexican teams don’t take it that seriously pal. Nobody cares that you think Mexican teams are so superior and take the Copa Libertadores “so seriously” (remind me how many they have won).
Ten years from now, MLS teams will utterly OWN Liga MX teams. It is basic economics. Inevitability. Top tier investors from around the globe are lining up to invest in MLS teams. All Liga MX fans have is “But… but … but… Carlos Slim!!!!”
And 20 years from now the Chinese Super League will own both those leagues.
Way to jump to conclusions there buddy! Since when is Edmondo a Spanish name? I am not Mexican, nor is it my favorite league. If you must ask, I have primarily French, Brazilian (Edmondo is Italian – named in honor of an Italian relative).
I watch the AFCON (on Bein Sports) and when I lived in Europe I watched AFCON in France. It is a great and entertaining tournament. The best teams doesn’t always win , but the best teams do not always win knock-out tournaments.Frankly, it is not weird.
CONCACAF CL is weird in the structure and inclusion of teams and the Mexican teams put out backup squads for the most part. The only take the Copa Libertadores seriously. This is coming from a guy who likes MLS and supports the MLS here in NY.
Ok… I did get carried away there. My apologies, Edmondo.
The AFCON is still weird, though. 🙂
Talk about no pressure. Playing in some second division with spotty attendance to all of the sudden on a regional major final that determines the best club in the region.
Spotty attendance? Nicht plays for Indy, which has sold out every single home match since joining the NASL in 2014. As for the “pressure,” regular season games down here in THE (not some) second division actually mean something, since not all of our teams are guaranteed to make the playoffs like in MLS.
Best of luck, Kristian.
ElMetrofan, looks like you might want to read up some on Indy. Dude plays in front of a packed house when they play at home. I can think of some Metros games where they might not have had as many in the stadium as Indy draws regularly.
Just sayin’…
I’m glad they didn’t get an MLS GK on loan (the Sean Johnson rumors). That would have taken some credibility away from Montreal and MLS.
I know right… Imagine the headlines:
NASL KEEPER SAVES MONTREAL AND SECURES MLS CCL VICTORY!
Getting ready for Finals, so I’m admittedly out of the loop. This was actually discussed? What…the…h*ll….?
Philly Union might be able to unload M’Bohli…
Pretty amateur move by Bush leaving his team in a bind like this and pretty amateur move by the club getting caught in this situation.
Nah that’s harsh. You can’t predict injuries. Even with them acquiring a GK that was cap-tied in the CL competition, two GK for one competition (only a few games were left) should have been enough. The improbable now happens and they have to adjust and get a 4th GK.
Excellent last name for a ‘keeper.