However, team captain Patrice Bernier, who re-signed for one final season with the Impact before becoming one of the club’s academy coaches, doesn’t think the team, which is mostly composed of veteran players, will have trouble coping with Drogba’s departure. His star power also contributed to a significant rise in ticket sales and local interest for the Impact. The Ivorian forward may have only featured as a substitute during the playoffs last year, but he was an important piece for the Impact during his one and a half seasons, scoring 22 goals and providing eight assists in 39 appearances. The question remains how the Impact will be able to cope with the absence of Drogba.
