Player Focus: Drogba Spearheading The Impact's Playoff Charge With Aplomb

It appeared the Montreal Impact were on the brink of securing a playoff place some number of weeks ago. But with just two games left to play of the regular season Mauro Biello’s side still haven’t clinched a top-six spot in the East, which is somewhat peculiar, given that they won four of their last six fixtures. 

Indeed, following the dismissal of head coach Frank Klopas the Impact have found their groove - and they have one player, more than any other, to thank for that. With nine goals in his last nine games, Didier Drogba has given Montreal the thrust to propel them into playoff contention. 

Just to put into context the impact Drogba has had at his new club, he is already Montreal’s top scorer for the 2015 season, despite only playing his first game in late August. For so long the Impact lacked a leading attacking to front their forward line, but now they have it - and then some - in the Ivorian.  

The former Chelsea man is already stacking up some impressive numbers, despite having played just one full month in Major League Soccer. His average of 3.8 shots per game ranks him as the division’s fourth most productive forward - and with nine goals already to his name, with his conversion rate (26.5%) among the best of players to score at least five league goals. 

With Dominic Oduro as the central striker, Klopas looked to play the ball into the channels for his attackers to run on to, with the Ghanaian possessing the pace to facilitate such an approach - at least to a certain extent. Drogba, however, brings a different dimension to the Montreal Impact’s frontline. 

Drogba gives the Impact a focal point at the head of their attack, and his presence in that role is illustrated by his average of three aerial duels won per match, the most of all players at the club. Montreal have found a way to work off the Ivorian’s knockdowns, allowing them to push higher up the pitch than even Oduro could take them. 

Along with the Columbus Crew’s Kei Kamara and the Colorado Rapids’ Kevin Doyle, Drogba wins as many aerial challenges as any other striker in MLS, and the Montreal Impact have made the most of that capacity to boost their chances of making the playoffs. 

That’s not to say that the Impact have become a long-ball team with Drogba as their central striker. With the likes of Dilly Duka, Andres Romero and Ignacio Piatti backing up the former Chelsea forward, Montreal are still a relatively dynamic outfit, even if they are more willing to opt for a more direct approach. 

As one might expect, Drogba doesn’t ordinarily drop deep to involve himself with Montreal’s general build-up play. That is simply not his role, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. He only averages 26.1 passes per game, which places him behind goalkeeper Evan Bush (27.1 passes per game) in the corresponding column for the Impact. 

In terms of his assist-play around the final third too, Drogba lags behind his more rounded teammates. The Ivorian striker averages just 1.1 key passes per game, compared to the two per game made by both Piatti and Justin Mapp. Drogba isn’t much of a dribbler either, averaging just one per appearance in MLS. 

Of course, the most impressive statistic of Drogba’s is his goal tally - he has nine to his name having played just 692 minutes for the Impact, giving him an average of a goal every 76.7 minutes, the best in MLS 2015 of the 65 players to net five or more goals. That’s where he has made the biggest impression, and that’s where his true value is to the Montreal Impact and their interim head coach Biello.  

Drogba is a smart and shrewd player and has made Montreal more streetwise. The striker, just as was the case in England, has shown just how good he is at winning freekicks - being fouled an average of 2.1 times per match. It just so happens that Drogba himself is among MLS’s best at taking those set-pieces too, scoring a total of three free kicks in his first couple months in the division, second only to Sebastian Giovinco’s five this season. 

With victory over the New England Revolution this weekend, the Montreal Impact can finally secure their place in the playoffs. Orlando City’s upturn in form has kept the Canadians waiting, but with just one more result - and maybe one more Drogba goal - they will edge over the line. 

Jay Heaps’ Revolution side have already spoken about how they plan to quell the former Chelsea striker this time around. “He’s been killing it in the league,” defender Andrew Farrell admitted ahead of this weekend’s clash. Now he, along with his defensive teammates, are charged with ensuring New England stay alive. 

It’s less than a month since Drogba dismantled the Revolution at Stade Saputo with ease, finding the net and contributing an assist in a 3-0 win for the Montreal Impact, gaining a WhoScored rating of 8.74 in the process. The Ivorian looks in even better shape than he did then. His talent and presence already defines his new team - how far can he now take them?

How far can the impact go with Didier Drogba in such fine form? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below