Gäste-Forum » 10 men after Marek Suchys

MONTREAL -- A day before heading to Florida to continue training camp, the Montreal Impact picked up a new captain and a new striker. Veteran midfielder Patrice Bernier will be a popular choice to replace the departed Davy Arnaud as captain, not only because he is a local player and fluently bilingual. "Hes always very positive in his attitude around the team," sporting director Nick De Santis said Thursday. "And even in difficult times, you never see the pressure get to him. These are important things." And Santiago Gonzalez, a 21-year-old forward from the Sud America club in Uruguay, who was signed under Major League Soccers special discovery rule, could be a nice addition to a club that is thin up front. The Impact ended their first phase of camp indoors at Marie Victorin College and now move onto grass fields and warm weather in Orlando, Fla., to defend their title in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, a pre-season tournament. Bernier, of Brossard, Que., was hoping to get the captains armband after Arnaud, their skipper for their first two MLS seasons who left for D.C. United. New coach Frank Klopas picked veterans Marco Di Vaio, Matteo Ferrari and Troy Perkins as Berniers assistants. The 34-year-old Bernier began his pro career with the Impact, then played nine seasons in Europe before returning for the clubs MLS expansion season in 2012. "Its another step in my career and a new challenge in terms of my personality and what I have to do, not just on the field, but how to interact with my teammates," said Bernier "I started off here and hopefully I end here. Now, to have the armband, its a great show of respect." Luring Bernier back from Europe was one of the Impacts most important moves while moving from the second tier NASL to MLS. It gave them a high quality midfielder who understood North American soccer but who could also relate to the many European, especially Italian, players the club brought in. Bernier has 13 goals and 16 assists in 58 games over the last two seasons. He was named the Impacts player of the year in 2012 and played in the MLS all-star game last season. Arnaud arrived with the experience and credentials to make him the logical pick as the teams first MLS captain, and Bernier was the obvious pick to succeed him. Even while Arnaud wore the armband, Bernier was the teams most visible player in the media and out in the community. "Maybe now Ill be looked upon as the reflection of the team in what I say and what I do," he said. "Ill be the same guy as before, but maybe you have to stand out. "Its something special. In soccer, the captain is the first one to step onto the field, the first one that people see, that the referees go to for explanations or rectifications or whatever. So I cant just think of my own bubble anymore." Star striker Di Vaio had a little fun when asked about Bernier as captain. "I dont agree. I wanted to be captain," he said, before smiling and adding "No. Its good for us and its good for Patrice. Its the best thing for the team. We know that Patrice is going to be a good captain for us, for the club and for the fans." Bernier has been unable to join his teammates on the field since the first day of camp as he heals from surgery on Dec. 11 to fix loose cartilage in his right knee. He expects to resume full training in Florida. Also on the pitch in Orlando will be Gonzalez, who was in Montreal and was to make the flight with a team after undergoing a medical exam. De Santis said that as a special discovery player, the club can amortize the five-foot-eight forwards costs over several years, so that his salary cap hit stays between $125,000 and $150,000. He is also not a designated player, which leaves one DP spot open for a future signing. Di Vaio and Argentine midfielder Hernan Bernardello are the teams DPs. "Hes going to bring a new dynamic to the team," said De Santis. "Theres a question of adaptation because its the first time he leaves his country to play professional soccer, so we need to be patient with him. But hes got a lot for good qualities." De Santis also denied reports from Italy that Pablo Piatti of Valencia and Stefano Mauri of Lazio would be joining the Impact, saying hes had no contact with either club. He said he may still sign another player "if we can add an important piece to get you to the next level." Clearance Air Jordan Store . The Blue Jackets announced the injury through their official Twitter account Friday afternoon. Gaborik, 31, has scored five goals and six assists in 17 games with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14. Air Jordan Outlet . Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion. https://www.jordanchina.us/.twitter.com/TeZD3KOvlA — Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) September 24, 2014 Sorry for the delay, we just got back from lunch at Papa Vons #NBAFastFood pic. Air Jordan Discount . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Wholesale Air Jordan . - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant.Andrea Pirlos sumptuous free kick earned Juventus a place in the Europa League quarterfinals, where the competition favourites were joined in an attractive lineup by Sevilla after its penalty-shootout win over fierce Spanish rival Real Betis on Thursday. Portuguese sides Benfica and Porto also advanced to the last eight while Basel overcame an early red card to win 2-1 at Salzburg and progress from a last-16 second leg that was briefly suspended because of crowd trouble. Lyon, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar will also be in Fridays draw in Nyon, Switzerland, where the team to avoid will be Juventus -- even though the Italian champions made heavy work of their all-Italian last-16 match against Fiorentina. Having drawn 1-1 at home in the first leg, Juve was staring at elimination on the away-goals rule until Fiorentina defender Gonzalo Rodriguez was dismissed in the 69th minute for a second booking. From the resulting free kick at the edge of the area, Pirlo stepped up and whipped a brilliant strike into the top corner to seal a 1-0 win. The classy Italy midfielder shows no sign of decline at the age of 34 -- he scored a similarly sublime free kick for his team in a last-gasp league win over Genoa on Sunday, which kept Juve 14 points clear in Serie A and on course to defend its title. Juventus will be hosting the Europa League final on May 14 and the runaway Italian league leader may yet be playing in the showpiece match in front of its own fans. Sevilla overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit courtesy of goals by Jose Antonio Reyes and Carlos Bacca, earning a 2-0 win that sent the match to penalties. Sevillas first spot kick by Vitolo was saved but Alfred NDiaye and Nono failed to find the target with Betis last two attempts, putting the two-time winners through 4-3 on penalties. Benfica remained on course for a return to the final after surviving a late fightback by Tottenham to draw 2-2 in their second leg and advance 5-3 on aggregate. Two goals in less than two mminutes by Nacer Chadli put Spurs 2-1 ahead on the night and gave them 11 minutes to score another, which would have forced extra time.dddddddddddd The English team missed a number of chances before conceding a penalty deep into injury time, converted by Lima. There was no repeat of the touchline spat between rival coaches Jorge Jesus and Tim Sherwood form the first leg -- Sherwood opted to sit in the stands and stay out of trouble. Portos 1-0 lead from its first leg against Napoli was wiped out by Goran Pandevs deft finish in the 21st minute. The Italian side dominated but was picked off on counterattacks through goals by Nabil Ghilas in the 69th and Ricardo Quaresma in the 76th. Quaresma, the mercurial playmaker, finished off a flowing move by jinking between two defenders and slamming a shot high into the net for the goal of the evening. Duvan Zapatas consolation goal earned Napoli a 2-2 draw but it exited 3-2 on aggregate, denying coach Rafael Benitez the opportunity to retain the title he won when in interim charge of Chelsea last season. Players were taken off the pitch by the referee for about 10 minutes midway through the first half of Salzburg-Basel after missiles, including fireworks, were thrown onto the field of play by Basel fans. The score was 1-0 to Salzburg at the time after Jonatan Sorianos competition-high eighth goal in the Europa League, while Basel was down to 10 men after Marek Suchys straight red in the ninth minute. However, Marco Streller and Gaston Sauro scored headed goals in the second half for the Swiss team and Salzburg also ended the match with 10 men after Alan received a second yellow card for trying a bicycle kick and hitting Basel defender Philipp Degen in the face. Lyon lost 2-1 at Viktoria Plzen but advanced 5-3 on aggregate, Valencia beat Ludogorets Razgrad 1-0 thanks to Paco Alcacers 59th-minute goal and advanced 4-0 on aggregate. AZ Alkmaar drew 0-0 at Anzhi Makhachkala for a 1-0 aggregate victory. ' ' '