Rosenhof: Story » ed physicals. Early to arrive, early to get on the

Right on cue and as advertised at exactly 1pm et Tuesday afternoon, the Montreal Impact officially began their 2013 season post-mortem in front of what was a very sizeable and highly-engaged media throng. In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Gems included; did a member of Impact management and not head coach Marco Schallibaum pick the team for the Impacts first-ever MLS playoff match? Others placed Alessandro Nesta in the role of the Impacts third head coach since it began play in MLS in March 2012. From last weekend and right through Monday and Tuesday morning, the intrigue over these two specific rumours continued to add layers as it increased to fever pitch. Was Schallibaum already home in Switzerland contemplating a 2014 without the Impact? Surely not, as an option is his contract for an additional year would automatically strike for making the playoffs. MLS Playoffs were the only requirement. Not that singular play-in round the now fully-qualified legal boffins proffered. Mauro Biello was certainly keeping his assistant coaching role under Nesta. What, though, would come of Philippe Eullaffroy? The Frenchman in his role as Impact Academy Director is very much the reason the likes of Karl Ouimette, Maxim Tissot and Wandrille Lefèvre have already seen decent MLS playing time. Ouimettes qualities and promise were reconfirmed Friday afternoon when it was announced he had gotten his first National Team call-up. Eullaffroy, and his work are very much admired by the two people in the organization who appeared from behind the curtain at 12:59pm Tuesday. Even before a word had been uttered by club president, Joey Saputo most of the 50-plus individuals, which had now packed out the media conference room, were of the strong belief Schallibaum was no longer the head coach of his team. A team that for the largest part of the season was a legitimate contender for not just making the playoffs but to contend for the holiest of North American soccer grails, the MLS Cup itself. Those from the Schallibaum hanging jury had a massive piece of evidence. Well, sort of, on the circumstantial evidence front. There were only two microphones at the IMFC Post Mortem rostrum with neither containing the name of the head coach. By 1:05pm Tuesday afternoon Schallibaums hanging-out-to-dry trial was dismissed. The Impact President confirmed a meeting had indeed taking place with his head coach just some 24-hours previously and that he was still the head coach. It didnt take long either for Saputo to kick into touch any thought (rational or otherwise) that one of the modern eras greatest central defenders was currently getting measured up and suited and booted for his head coach threads. Licenses and Badges not included. We were further advised that only following what most certainly will be the most thorough of Impact investigations in their 20 year history - into reasons why things went so terribly wrong and downhill late in the season - would any decision be announced on who the clubs head coach will be in 2014. Not down with the darkening mood in the room, likely due to the repetitive nature of the questions the Impacts Sporting Director cleverly spotted opportunity to bring up the woeful Toronto FC. Hales of laughter ensued. Job almost done, Saputo and De Santis left the media to fight amongst themselves shortly afterwards. Heres another nugget to chew on, thrown out earlier by the clubs Communications Director, the very affable Pat Vallee, who himself came through the Impacts ranks from back in the Claude Robillard days. Vallee announced a sequel to the IMFC Post Mortem 24-hours later would now not only include the announcement of the 2013 MVP, but additionally head coach Marco Schallibaum would play a leading role in Wednesdays matinee. Di Vaio was not so much voted in as MVP but confirmed by proclamation. Not only one of the very few players in MLS history to breach the 20-goal regular season plateau but the ex-Bologna hit man exceled exceedingly so off the pitch as well right through 2013. This began the moment Di Vaio stepped foot back in Montreal in early January. The elder statesman the very first Impact player to show up in La Belle Ville and well ahead of that date marked physicals. Early to arrive, early to get on the score sheet as well. In all my years of been around the club there has not been another player that captures and captivates the imagination as this native son of Rome does. In less than 18 months since Di Vaio and his family - which included a brother-in-law with remarkably similar physical features and profile - stepped off the plane and onto Impact terra firma, the striker has led the Impact to a strong MLS start. Not only supremely gifted as the most natural of goal scorers ever to have set foot on an MLS pitch, Di Vaio is also a charismatically gifted individual. Disarming, charming by nature in abundance, last Thursday nights 60 seconds of madness was completely and utterly out of character. Joey Saputo is not kidding when he states the Impact hit the jackpot when signing Di Vaio. Well, the Impact just recently won the 6/49 once again with the recent announcement their original DP would indeed continue his Montreal adventure. Shortly after Saputo and Di Vaio left the stage following the official awarding of the Giuseppe Saputo Trophy a very quietly confident Marco Schallibaum appeared. His tone beginning seriously and assertively, fully understanding of the want, need and desire to properly understand what went wrong. At the exact time when things were meant to be so right. Saputo and De Santis have all the right in the world to demand answers. Their head coach will want them himself. Slowly, likely knowing he had won over the trust of the room, Schallibaum let the veneer down and turned into his jovial self. The one which had humoured so often in his media briefings and gatherings all season long continued to do so. "Any questions in German?" was one of his last offerings. With Schallibaum back behind what had quickly turned into the most famous curtain in Montreal the players were given their turn at the mic. Davy Arnaud displayed much fortitude disclosing hed let the Swiss volcano in him off when giving his head coach a piece of his mind over not been selected to play in Houston. The club captain was very candid and brutally honest when asked if perhaps his time in an Impact shirt was done and how would he view his tenure, Arnauds Texan pride and loyalty to the cause bubbled over. The effervescence award though goes to the man upon which much of the weekend rumour mongering and speculation centred: Alessandro Nesta. This was Nestas final press conference as a footballer. Montreal and the Impact got the utmost privilege to host this rather historical moment, not only in MLS terms, but by the broadest of football measures. It was rather fitting that his teammate from the Rome suburbs who was with Nesta as an eight-year old was some 30 years later still there, four-square cheek by jowl. Nesta and Di Vaio. We will never see them again together, as teammates., which is both Milan and Montreals loss. Is it Miamis gain? When I departed Saputo Stadium vey late Wednesday afternoon it wasnt what had been said which rung round me, it was actually something that wasnt said. When we mark down how far football and the culture of the sport has come in La Belle Ville in recent years we can now add this. The media are finally taking it seriously, giving the beautiful game the respect it has merited and deserved for years. I did not hear anyone utter the words "Montreal Canadiens" nor take a Habs players name in vain on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon as I always have in the past. Rather ironically, and with perfect timing, it was Alessandro Nesta and Marco Di Vaio who were introduced to the sold out Bell Centre crowd this past Tuesday night. Rising Performances, Growing Attendances and Crashing Heartache: A review of the Impacts 2013 season is coming next week. 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Lions signed cornerback Dante Marsh to a contract extension on Friay and released receiver Paris Jackson. Mark McGwire Cardinals Jersey . -- Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, shot a 2-under 69 on Tuesday to finish first in stroke-play qualifying at the Womens U. Whitey Herzog Jersey .Y. - Carey Price had an early feeling that one goal might be enough to settle the latest matchup between his Montreal Canadiens and longtime Original Six foe, the New York Rangers.PHILADELPHIA -- Buddy Carlyle had a memorable return to the big leagues. Now, he and his New York Mets teammates would like to get some rest. David Wright had an RBI single with two outs in the 14th inning and Carlyle, who was called up as an emergency arm prior to the game, tossed three scoreless extra innings to lead the Mets to a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the second straight marathon game between the teams. New York needed 5 hours, 32 minutes to win this one after losing to the Phillies 6-5 in a 14-inning game Friday night that took 5:23 to complete. "It feels good just coming back," said Carlyle, who has spent the majority of his 16-year professional career in the minor leagues. "Its a lot of work to get back. I wasnt sure if Id get another opportunity to play at the major league (level). It just feels good to contribute." Carlyle (1-0) last pitched in the major leagues in 2011 and last earned a victory on June 25, 2008. He was in El Paso, Texas on Friday night pitching for the Mets Triple-A Las Vegas club when he received a call at 11 oclock summoning him to Philadelphia after New York used eight pitchers on Friday. The right-hander said he slept "maybe a couple of hours" before boarding a 6 a.m. flight, arriving at Citizens Bank Park at 2:30 for the 3:05 scheduled first pitch. The Phillies and Mets have played 37 innings in three games with two more still to play in the rare five-game series. The Mets went without a hit in extra innings until Wrights knock off Antonio Bastardo (3-3). Bastardo walked Ruben Tejada to start the 14th, and Tejada went to second on Juan Lagares sacrifice bunt. After Daniel Murphy popped out, Wright lined a single to left to score Tejada. "David Wright was in a big spot and got a big hit," Mets manager Terry Collins said. Carlos Torres worked out of a jam in the bottom of the 14th to earn his second save in three chances. The Phillies put runners on first and second with no outs, but Torres struck out Ben Revere, got Jimmy Rollins to pop out and struck out Chase Utley. "The only thing we know is we won, dont ask me how," Collins joked. "There are a lot of tired bodies out there." Carlyle, who travelled much of Saturday just to make the game, knows he isnt the only tired one. "Probably every pitcher is just as exhausted as I am," he said. Tejada had three hits, includding a homer, with two RBIs for the Mets, who won their fourth in five games.dddddddddddd. Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer for Philadelphia, which tied the game in the ninth on Domonic Browns RBI single. Phillies reliever Jeff Manship pitched four hitless extra innings, striking out six, and wouldve come out for the 14th but he strained his right quadriceps trying to beat out a grounder in the 13th. It was the second at-bat for Manship, as Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg was limited to just one bench player and was trying to preserve Philadelphias bullpen. "I was feeling real good pitching," Manship said. "Its definitely an outing to build on, but its just frustrating the way it ended. I was going to do anything I could to get a hit there." Brown singled off Jeurys Familia, who blew his first save in his second opportunity. But then both teams had trouble generating offence. Carlyle didnt allow a hit in the 11th or 12th. Browns ninth-inning hit prevented Mets starter Jacob deGrom from earning his first career victory. DeGrom has pitched well in all four of his starts, owning a 2.42 ERA, but is 0-2. He was in line for the win after striking out 11 in 6 1-3 strong innings before Familia blew the save. The Mets were in control of the game with a 4-0 lead until Howards homer in the seventh. Bobby Abreu and Lucas Duda had RBI hits in the first to help the Mets jump to a 2-0 lead. Tejada put New York in front 3-0 with a rare show of power, clearing the fence in left for his third career homer in 1,342 career at-bats. New York tacked on a run in the sixth on Tejadas single. All of four of the Mets early runs came off Kyle Kendrick, who is 1-10 over his last 18 starts dating to Aug. 11. Kendrick allowed eight hits while striking out five and walking two. Howards homer gave him 1,000 career RBIs. He reached the milestone in 1,230 games. Curtis Granderson broke an 0 for 22 skid with a ninth-inning single. NOTES: Reid Brignac went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts. ... To make room for Carlyle, the Mets sent starter Rafael Montero to Triple-A. ... Lagares was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to a strained rib cage. Chris Young led off and started in centre in his place. ... Former Phillies right-hander Roy Oswalt threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... Mets LHP Jonathon Niese (3-3, 2.74) opposes Phillies LHP Cole Hamels (1-3, 4.43) at 1:35 Sunday. ' ' '