MONTREAL - Paolo DelPiccolo is back in North America, and he was already playing on Tuesday.
A short-term contract with Eintracht Frankfurt was on the cards for the University of Louisville product when the Montreal Impact drafted him No. 27 overall in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. On trial with the German club at the time, DelPiccolo was nevertheless told by Impact director of soccer operations Matt Jordan that he would be welcome in MLS.
Eintracht decided not to extend DelPiccolo’s contract at the end of the season. An understanding thus came about a month ago that the native of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, would start a two-week trial this Monday. The 22-year-old midfielder played 76 minutes in the 5-1 MLS reserve league win over FC Dallas at Stade Saputo on Tuesday and even scored the opener.
“My main focus is playing as good as I can, impressing the coaches and getting a contract,” DelPiccolo told reporters on Monday. “Maybe it’s more of an opportunity now that they play more with the Champions League, but even if they weren’t in the Champions League, it would have been the same thing. It doesn’t change my mindset at all. I just need to play as well as I can and hopefully I can stay with the team and contribute in any way I can.”
DelPiccolo enjoyed himself as he played seven games with the Eintracht Frankfurt U23 side that finished 15th in the Regionalliga Südwest (fourth tier), picking up an assist in the process. He also got to partake in a number of training sessions under Armin Veh with the first team and played a friendly with them.
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While moving to Canada is yet another journey away from home for DelPiccolo, he finds a more familiar setting in Montreal. DelPiccolo used to play youth soccer with the Colorado Rush, the same club as fellow Coloradans Jeb Brovsky and Collen Warner. Despite the two-year age difference which, in your teens, can be massive, they have remained friends.
“He’s a solid player, good technically,” Warner said. “He’s left-footed, very smart and he’s a footballer – he likes soccer a lot and he plays the game with his head.”
As the name indicates, DelPiccolo, who describes himself as a No. 6, has Italian roots. But despite this, Andrea Pirlo is less of an influence than the players that shut him down in the Euro 2012 final.
“Maybe I play a little bit shorter, like [Sergio] Busquets, but I like Xabi Alonso,” DelPiccolo said. “He's my guy.”
