It did not take long for Didier Drogba to make his impact in the MLS, as he scored a hat-trick in his debut for Montréal Impact.
The striker recently completed his free transfer from Chelsea. Drogba has maintained all along that he remains fit enough to play top-level football for a few more years. However, his lack of first-team football at Chelsea meant that he decided to leave the club for a second time after just one year. His move to Montréal Impact is widely seen as a temporary one before he returns to Stamford Bridge in an ambassadorial role.
For the time being, he appears to be enjoying his life in the MLS. In a statement that will send shockwaves to the MLS defenders, Drogba has stated that he is just starting to experience the taste of football in America and that there is more to come. He targets more improvement in the upcoming games as he starts to gel with his teammates. The goals from Drogba help the Montréal get a narrow 4-3 win over Chicago Fire. The crucial moments came in the second half when Drogba scored twice in a four-minute spell. This gave Montréal Impact the victory in the game and three points.
“For me, it’s not a good result. The most important thing is that you get the three points, but when you look at the game itself, you know we’ve got a lot of things to change and to work on. There’s always room for improvement in this team. The crowd was amazing. And, you know, this Man of the Match [trophy] that they gave me at the end, it’s for them. I give it to them,” said the striker after the match. He also handed over his jersey to a fan at the end.