Impact moves Ouimette from Academy to MLS side

It certainly doesn’t have the headline-news pull of the signing of Designated Player Marco Di Vaio, but the Montreal Impact’s Tuesday announcement that it has promoted Canadian Karl Ouimette from the Academy to the senior side is far more relevant to the future of the team than any high-profile European could be.

On Tuesday, the club officially made the Ouimette, 19, the second Quebecer to make the MLS squad, and the first player to graduate from the Academy to MLS.

“The Academy is important for our club and the announcement today shows just that,” said Impact President Joey Saputo in a release issued by the club. “We believe in our younger players and we have put everything in place to develop their skills and help them progress. The structure that we established a few years ago is starting to show results. In addition, I am pleased to see how this demonstrates that all of our players are important and feel a sense of belonging as a part of our club, from our young prospects to our pro player, which helps to build a club philosophy.”

Ouimette’s move certainly won’t generate the instant gratification of the Di Vaio signing. He won’t become an instant celebrity in Quebec. But, long term, we need to cherish the moves of the likes of Ouimette, Bryce Alderson or Ashtone Morgan from their respective Academies to their MLS clubs. They will mean a lot to Canadian soccer and the long-term health of the three domestic teams.

In a couple of years, Di Vaio will be a memory, but Ouimette could be an important building block for the Impact. Players from the Academy will mean a lot more to the long-term future of the Impact than any DP will. DPs will put some bums in the seats, but homegrown talent will provide a sustainable resource to help teams develop winning rosters down the road.

So, yes, if you look at the longer term, the move to promote Ouimette could indeed be more significant than the inking of a European import.

That’s because it’s far more important for the Impact to nurture young talent than it is to bring in high-profile players.

And, the more young talent you nurture, the more attractive your club looks to those veterans you want to bring in. They see a plan, they see a structure.