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Drogba Scores Hat Trick in First MLS Start

There is no "tire" in retirement league.

Montreal loves Didier Drogba, and Didier Drogba loves Montreal back.

After being swarmed upon his arrival at the Montreal airport, it was viable to question whether or not the aging 37-year-old Côte d'Ivoire national was going to deliver on his tremendous hype. After rejecting the Chicago Fire's offer to play for the club, Drogba settled with a place more kind to his French-speaking tongue, by signing with the Montreal Impact.

And last night, he delivered on all of his promises and rubbed it in Chicago's faces with a confident hat trick on his first MLS start.

His first goal involved a powerful turn that simply unpeels two defenders before guiding a left-footed shot along the carpet. After Chicago built a 3-2 lead, Drogba's second goal came off of a cheeky restart as he takes another left-footed shot that elevates over a tackling defender and past the keeper to test the stringing of the upper right corner. In his final goal, Chicago's keeper Sean Johnson blocks the shot initially, but then Drogba follows through after Johnson stumbles back, and casually spikes the ball back into the net with a header.

Drogba looked a bit flat-footed on a couple of runs, but if that's how the man stores energy for a hat trick, I'm sure Montreal will be happy to supply the old man with a walker and cane.