Hello to all,
We are concluding the second week of our training camp at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.
I can tell you that I am very satisfied with the quality of work of our team. The intensity is outstanding. Players approach every exercise with an incredible attitude. I hope that they will keep this motivation throughout the season.
During the first week, we concentrated on the defensive organization of the team, while this week, we focused on the offensive organization. What we were essentially seeking to do was staging the underlying principles that bring our system of play to life.
This methodology is specific to the Impact. Each coach has his own work method. My assistants and myself like to structure every single week and we consider that the most important thing is tactical organization, meaning our field play during different moments of the match. At the same time, we need to be very careful about the physical aspect of the preparation. At this time of the year, we must set in place good habits without overloading the players.
A number of players have not yet started training, so we are looking forward to have everyone on board. Leo (Di Lorenzo) and Roberto (Brown) are arriving this weekend, while David (Testo), Eduardo (Sebrango) and Nevio (Pizzolitto) are recovering from surgeries that were done during the off-season. Once everyone will be back, we will be able to take on our major principles.
I am very happy to see that our new players (Hemming, Soares and Billy) are adapting very well to the group. They were enthusiastically welcomed since their arrival and it’s a positive thing for the team chemistry. The new players have an excellent attitude by showing their will to adapt as quickly as possible.
The team will have its first real test Saturday at 12:30 pm, during its first inter-squad match. A few reserve team players from the Trois-Rivières Attak will get the chance to show what they have to offer.
Saturday, I will be watching the match from the grandstands, while Mauro (Biello) and Gil (Orriols Jansana) will be on the players’ bench. The coaching staff will be focusing on two main elements: attack-defense transition when we lose the ball and player reaction when we seize control of the ball. Does the team counterattack or maintain ball possession?
I’m expecting high intensity because the attitude during training sessions is very good. After two weeks of training, players like being put into game situations that match reality. To favour this realism, there will be referees during the game.
I think that the team starts camp just the way it ended the 2009 season, that is with a winning mentality. We keep on building on what we left behind last year. The upcoming weeks will allow us to be as ready as we can be for our friendly matches in Portugal and our first regular season games.
Talk to you soon,
Marc Dos Santos
