MONTREAL IMPACT HAVE been handling Didier Drogba with care since the veteran striker arrived in Major League Soccer and it’s paying off.
The 37-year-old has been part of the squad since the 1st August but last night made only his third start for the Canadian side but helped them to a 3-0 victory over the New England Revolution.
The former Chelsea attacker scored once and added a further assist to make it four goals in four appearances for the Eastern Conference outfit.
Drogba’s strike certainly had more than a hint of good fortune about it – his long-range free-kick taking a huge deflection off Kelyn Rowe and completely wrong-footing Revs’ goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
But his setup for Montreal’s third goal was worth the price of admission alone. He delicately controlled a long punt up-field from Evan Bush – the magnetic first-touch was just incredible – before he played a perfect pass for Duka to take it in his stride and finish to the corner.
The top-six teams in both divisions(East and West) qualify for the post-season play-offs so the victory for Montreal leaves them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference – two points clear of the high-profile New York City FC whose acquisitions of Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa still may not be enough to get them to the business end of the season.
