Colombian Montano will remain with Impact in 2012

The Montreal Impact’s MLS roster now stands at 20, as the club announced Wednesday that Colombian forward Miguel Montano will join the team for the 2012 season. It’s not a surprise, considering that Montano leaked the information on his social-networking platforms. Montano was one of several MLS players who was loaned to the Impact for its final NASL season, as it made a desperate yet unsuccessful push to make the playoffs in its final Division-2 season. Montano was sent to the Impact by the Seattle Sounders, for whom he appeared in two MLS matches in 2011. The former Colombian U-20 player also appeared in 12 matches — across all competitions — for the Sounders in 2010. Montano appeared in six NASL matches with the Impact and, while he scored just once, was a lively addition to the squad, and partnered well with striker Ryan Pore. “In 2011, Miguel showed that he is a dangerous, mobile, and intelligent young forward and his performances helped the team to a very strong second half of the season,” said Impact head coach Jesse Marsch in a release. “Moving into MLS, we believe that Miguel is ready to elevate his game even more and contribute to a successful year in 2012.” Two of the other players the Impact had on loan — Pore (from the Timbers) and Canadian keeper Greg Sutton (from the New York Red Bulls) were left exposed in the MLS Re-Entry Draft and were not picked up in Stage 1. Guaranteed that if Pore falls out of MLS, the 2010 Div.-2 MVP will stir a feeding frenzy among NASL general managers. Of the Impact’s 20 players, none are Canadian. The team still needs to add a minimum of three to the roster. RELATED: No new Canadian prospects invited to Impact’s evaluation camp (CLICK) Seven games left… can the Impact catch FC Edmonton? (CLICK)