Preparations for the Montreal Impact's entry into Major League Soccer are well underway.
Sponsorship and television deals have been settled, the expansion of Saputo Stadium has begun, the team's technical staff has been named, and a good number of season tickets have already been sold. Of course, the biggest concern for Impact fans has to do with players: what will the team look like in its first season?
Would it be worthwhile for the Impact to invest in designated players like David Beckham or Thierry Henry, players who - except for 335 thousand dollars - have salaries that don't hit the salary cap?
In a meeting with the media last July, Impact sporting director Nick De Santis said that having three or four "difference makers" in the team was a priority, and that the club was very open to pursing DPs in order to fulfill that need.
Just last week, in an interview with Montreal FM radio station 98.5, an Italian soccer agent, Tullio Tinti, said that Filippo Inzaghi and Luca Toni were "seriously considering" MLS and were open to any potential offers from the Montreal Impact.
While the thought of two of Italy's best goal scorers playing for the Impact is enticing, they aren't the kind of forwards that Montreal should be trying to sign.
Traditionally, the 4-4-2 formation - a formation that the Impact will most likely deploy in 2012 - would be comprised of two forwards with complementary characteristics. The first forward would have excellent finishing, would usually be tall - but be less mobile - and would attack the penalty box. The second forward would have excellent playmaking ability, be very mobile and would attack the spaces between one of the goal posts and the closest touch line.
Today's Liverpool side with the likes of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez leading the attack is a perfect example of that kind of classic complementary forward partnership that used to be so common in a 4-4-2. Unfortunately for the Reds, it has yet to really produce anything meaningful.
Inzaghi and Toni fall into the category of the first forward, that of the penalty box finisher. They may have scored many goals in their careers, but much of their success is due to having played alongside technically graced players that were able to craft out chances for them - Zinedine Zidane, Kaka, Adrian Mutu and Franck Ribery to name a few.
With the exception of a few teams such as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Juventus, most clubs among Europe's elite - even some of the best of MLS - are throwing the old one-dimensional penalty box striker out of the starting line-up and going with an attacking line consisting of players that are all quick and technical. It's a new trend and its bringing success.
It's true that MLS is a step down from the top flights of Europe, but the gap in quality is in no way significant enough for players like Inzaghi and Toni - if and when the Impact trail in an important game - to dribble past three players and score a scorcher from thirty yards out.
Bringing in Inzaghi or Toni may very well necessitate bringing in a second DP just to help them out; would the Impact really want to use up one of three DP spots for a forward that would heavily depend on someone else to make them click?
It's not to say that Inzaghi and Toni would flop in Montreal, but players like Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba (Chelsea) - also in the final year of their contracts - would be able to contribute in more ways than one. Del Piero can score goals, set up teammates and is one of the best set play specialists around. Anelka can play in any position up front and Drogba can score goals in a whole variety of ways, including on free kicks.
These players would surely cost more, but the first five to six games at the Olympic Stadium and a good showing at the Saputo Stadium over the course of the season would easily be able to handle their salaries. Del Piero is the best bargain of the lot. According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport, he is making one million euros this season, which, to put things in perspective, is less than what Julian De Guzman makes at Toronto FC.
Inzaghi and Toni have had splendid careers and the former is undoubtedly a legend of the game. However, as much as it is flattering of them to even think of wanting to play in Montreal, the Impact would do well to resist the temptation of fulfilling their wish and think about other options.
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