Victor Wanyama eyes bright restart
Montreal Impact midfielder Victor Wanyama talks to the press in Montreal, Canada on March 4, 2020. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Twenty-five of the 26 teams from the MLS are competing in the MLS is Back Tournament after FC Dallas was withdrawn early this week after 10 players and one coach tested positive for the coronavirus.
- Florida has confirmed over 200, 000 cases and over 3,800 deaths.
Victor “Big Vic” Wanyama will be hoping for bright start when Montreal Impact launches its campaign at the MLS is Back Tournament against New England Revolution in Orlando, Florida on Thursday.
The Kenyan captain made his debut on a wrong-footing when Impact was trounced 2-1 by CD Olimpia in the first leg of the quarter-final Concacaf Champions League in Montreal on March 11.
Wanyama, who became an Impact player 127 days ago after arriving from English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, has been quoted by Major League Soccer telling reporters that his new team has enough quality to surprise many at the five-week competition.
“I think we have a good young group. Technically, we have a lot of good players all over the pitch. It’s just a matter of time [before] we all click together and we can surprise many,” the 29-year-old midfielder told reporters in a Zoom call Tuesday.
He added, “With the quality we have and the plan the manager has for us, it’s just a matter of time that we master it very quick and then we shock many.”
The former Southampton player admits it was a really tough period for him, “joining a new club and then everything just went wrong with the pandemic hitting the world.”
“It was a really tough period, but I had to look at the positive side which was staying safe.”
Wanyama has taken that positive attitude with him to Orlando for the MLS is Back Tournament.
According to MLS website, Wanyama is “spending much of his time off the training ground in the game room, bonding with teammates he’s essentially just met”.
The former Celtic star says he has no pressure to carry his new team.
"I’ve nothing to prove. I just want to try and help my team, try and give my best in every game I play and the rest we’ll see where we can be. I don’t have any pressure or anything. I just want to go out there and enjoy myself, play football, make sure I help my teammates and do my job.”
“In football, we cannot stop learning. We always learn and we have a young manager who had also a good career and is someone we can all learn from. That’s the advantage we have.”
After New England Revolution, Thierry Henry’s men will take on Toronto FC (July 15) and conclude Group C matches against D.C. United (July 21).
Twenty-five of the 26 teams from the MLS are competing in the MLS is Back Tournament after FC Dallas was withdrawn early this week after 10 players and one coach tested positive for the coronavirus.
Florida has confirmed over 200, 000 cases and over 3,800 deaths.
Additional reporting by MLS
