An die SV » get a result. Its definitely on our mind right now.With

Coming off the first Major League Soccer playoff appearance in team history, The Montreal Impact have a new head coach, a new captain and are looking to build on their success. TSN soccer analyst Noel Butler tells you everything you need to know about the 2014 Impact, while TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos tells you how they will succeed or fail during the new campaign. Noel Butler: Even with little turnover to the playing squad the off-season was far from quiet down Saputo Stadium way. In mid-December the Impact finally announced it had not exercised Marco Schällibaums option and that ex-Fire head coach, Frank Klopas would take over. Klopas inherited a squad of 21 returning players and by the time camp opened in late January that numbered had been enlarged to 28. Those additions included defender Eric Miller, who was selected 5th in this years SuperDraft. Then came the news Nelson Rivas had signed a new contract - the Columbian missed the entire 2013 campaign. Just before the club departed for the Disney Classic two more recruits were added. Attacking midfielder Andrés Romero, a player who showed much promise in early 2013, returned on another season long loan. Plus the club announced the signing of 21-year old Uruguayan striker, Santiago González. Bonus to those off-season moves evolves round two signings from last July. Hernán Bernadello, the clubs second designated player, was limited to only eight MLS appearances last season. Disrupting and orchestrating as he goes, Bernadello will sit in front of a defense which looked far from sure of itself during the pre-season. The other is central defender Adrián López, who is yet to feature in a league match. A torn ACL, occurring during a collision in training, ended the 27-year old Spaniards season. A fully fit López will feel like a new signing for the club. The move to hire as an assistant coach a defensive specialist, in Nikolaos Kounenakis was further enhanced with the announcement Alessandro Nesta had been added to the backroom staff. Nesta has officially joined as a consultant, tasked to analyze video. Much has been made of the fact Marco Di Vaio will miss the opening three matches. It could have been far worse. For most of last summer it seemed one of the leagues best performers in 2013 would not return for 2014 at all. Di Vaio will not score as freely as he did in 2013. Someone then who must shoulder more responsibility and finally return the faith shown in him by the club, is Andrew Wenger. Appearing in 24 league matches in his second season as a professional it still remains a complete mystery how the first overall pick in 2012s SuperDraft only tallied a solitary goal over that span. The 23-year old must display a more ruthless streak in front of goal. Berniers appointment as captain is the greatest testament any MLS club could make. A local product who commands the respect of teammate and opponent alike, Bernier reflects the very best for an organization entering its 21st season as a professional soccer club. When appointed, Klopas stated his philosophy has always been to look at the long run. Even in a league where parity prevails, only the most optimistic of the Impact faithful can realistically expect an immediate return to the playoffs this season. In a conference which includes the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup winners, then factor in the wholesale changes and upgrades in Toronto, there can be no denying Klopas has his work cut out to build on 2013s achievements. TSN Soccer analyst Jason deVos weighs in on how the Impact will succeed or fail during the 2014 season. Jason deVos: Montreal Impact will succeed if… …they find a partner for Matteo Ferrari at the back, and get goals from anyone not named Di Vaio. With the retirement of Alessandro Nesta (who has moved into a consultancy role with the club), Montreal need to find a starting centre back to partner Ferrari. Every indication was that this player would be Nelson Rivas, but his horrendous injury history has continued this season, and he looks unlikely to be fit to start the season. Wandrille Lefèvre has looked capable in pre-season, and he will likely get the first opportunity. If that fails, expect right fullback Hassoun Camara to slide inside. Up front, Marco Di Vaio is suspended for the first three games, due to his red card in the 2013 MLS Cup playoff loss to the Houston Dynamo. He will continue to score goals for the Impact, but it is supplemental scoring that is a concern for new head coach, Frank Klopas. No other player came close to hitting double digits last season, and unless that is rectified in 2014, Di Vaio will come under immense pressure to continue finding the back of the net. Montreal Impact will fail if… …any of their key players go down with lengthy injuries or suffer a poor run of form. The likes of Ferrari, Di Vaio, Hernan Bernardello and new skipper, Patrice Bernier must remain fit and available if the Impact are to succeed this season. The Impact have problem areas in their team - their entire left flank being one of them - and they simply cannot afford to have the spine of their team go missing. If any of their key players struggles with injury or form, there are very few like-for-like options available. The one with the most pressure on his shoulders is last years leading scorer, Di Vaio, whose 20 goals were the reason that Montreal made the playoffs. If anyone can handle that pressure, though, it is the Italian. If only the Impact could find another like him. 2013 finish: 14-13-7 (fifth in Eastern Conference). Lost to Houston in Knockout Round. Whos In?: F Santiago Gonzalez (transfer from Sud America). Whos Out: M Davy Arnaud (traded to D.C. United), M Paolo DelPiccolo (option declined), D Alessandro Nesta (retired), M Maximiliano Rodriguez (option declined), M Sinisa Ubiparipovic (option declined), D Zarek Valentin (transfer to Bodo/Glimt). SuperDraft: D Eric Miller (1-5), MF George Maliki (2-37). Deandre Ayton Jersey . But unfortunately for the Niagara Falls, Ont., native, a pulled muscle wouldnt allow him to go past the second set. Japan sealed its victory over Canada in the first-round Davis Cup tie after Nishikori downed an ailing Dancevic 6-2, 1-0. Phoenix Suns Jerseys . - A retired Indiana school principal who was NASCAR star Jeff Gordons drivers education teacher was killed with his wife in a Tennessee crash while returning from watching Gordon race. https://www.thesunslockerroom.com/Mikal-Bridges-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The ninth-seeded Safarova doused Swede Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-3 on the green clay at Family Circle Tennis Center. The Czech player was a finalist here two years ago and captured back-to-back doubles titles in 2012 and last year. Ricky Rubio Suns Jersey . - Florida State has suspended Jameis Winston for the entire game against Clemson on Saturday, extending its initial punishment of one half after the quarterback made offensive and vulgar comments about female anatomy earlier this week. Charles Barkley Jersey . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday.MONTREAL - The Montreal Impact didnt even need to step on the field to clinch a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals.The idle Impact advanced to the Champions League knockout stage late Wednesday night after the New York Red Bulls failed to earn a victory in El Salvador in Group-3 action. The 0-0 draw between the Red Bulls and C.D. FAS in Central America means New York cannot catch Montreal in the standings, thus guaranteeing the Impact top spot in the three-team group.As a result, Montreals Olympic Stadium will be awash with blue and white when the Impact play a quarter-final match at home next February, the teams first in six years.To qualify without having to play the last group game shows how much effort we put into it, and the types of performances we put in, said Jack McInerney on Thursday. Its great exposure for the club. Goals were reached last night.Montreal opened its 2014-15 CCL campaign with back-to-back one-goal victories against FAS a€” 1-0 at Saputo Stadium and 3-2 in San Salvadors Estadio Cuscatlan in August. Last week, the Impact defeated a largely inexperienced Red Bulls side 1-0 at home to take a six-point lead atop the group.New Yorks failure to win on Wednesday helped Montreal partly redeem an embarrassing Major League Soccer season. With the Impact (6-17-6) in last place in the Eastern Conference and eliminated from the MLS playoffs, the teams fans have had little to celebrate this season.The promise of February soccer in the city is the years silver lining.Were in the best eight teams in North America, said Marco Di Vaio, who scored four goals in three matches so far in the CCL group stage. Its a big day for the club. In February, theres a big game in the teams history. Its a historic moment for the city and the fans.Although he was instrumental in getting the club to the quarter-finals, Di Vaio will likely play his final game with the Impact next month, and thus miss Februarys CCL showdown.Last week, the 38-year-old strongly suggested he would return to Italy after his contract with the Impact expires in October regardless of Montreals Champions League aspirations. The teams guaranteed spot in the quarter-final has done little to sway the Italian striker.I cant come back just for two games, said Montreals fourth all-time leading goal scorer. This doesnt change anything. If I come back, it will be for the full year, not just two months.The Impact are returning to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2009, when the team was eliminated by Mexicos Santos Laguna 5-4 on aggregate. Montreal was still competing in the lower-tier North American Soccer League at time.After beating teams from Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago in the group stage that year, the Impact were sitting prettyy after their first quarter-final leg, a 2-0 victory played in front of more than 55,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium.ddddddddddddmpact Academy product Maxim Tissot, who was 17 at the time, remembers the game like it was yesterday. He watched from the Big O grandstands as Impact great Eduardo Sebrango scored twice to give Montreal the victory.The atmosphere was something else, said Tissot, who was playing for Montreals farm team, the Trois-Rivieres Attak, at the time. I remember it well. What a game!Two weeks later, Montreal took a one-goal lead into halftime in Torreon, Mexico, before a stunning second-half meltdown sent the Impact tumbling out of the competition.I thought for sure we would win, said Tissot, now 22 years old. For the guys who watched that game, we dont want a repeat of that. We have to move past the quarter-finals this time with that game in mind.Despite already qualifying for the knockout stage, Montreal still has a lot to play for in its last CCL group stage match against New York at Red Bull Arena on Oct. 22.The eight teams that qualify for the quarter-finals will be seeded according to the number of points accumulated in the group stage. The top-four seeded teams will have the benefit of playing their return leg at home, a luxury not afforded to the Impact squad that conceded five goals in Mexico in 2009.The last game still means a lot, said McInerney, who will likely see his playing time on the rise between now and the end of the season. You can miss some big teams in the next round if we go to New York and get a result. Its definitely on our mind right now.With more group-stage matches still to be played, only three other clubs have secured their place in the quarter-finals. D.C. United, Mexicos Pachuca, and Costa Ricas Herediano could face Montreal in late February and early March. And barring final-game collapses, fellow MLS teams Sporting Kansas City and Portland will also clinch a spot in the quarter-final.With travel time in mind, Impact players are already indicating their preference to face a team in the United States.If you have to travel down south, its going to be tough, said McInerney. An MLS team would be ideal for us. But whether we go to Mexico or D.C., its a big opportunity.Added Tissot: Wed be more comfortable with what we know. We may not want to face Mexican teams because theyre so good. But well be ready in any case.Notes: Montreal will play the first leg of its quarter-final either Feb. 24 or Feb. 25. The return leg will be played either March 3 or March 4. a€| Montreal is representing Canada in this edition of the Champions League after winning the Canadian Championship in June. The Impact hoisted the Voyageurs Cup after beating rivals Toronto FC 2-1 on aggregate in the final. ' ' '