At the half-way point of its sophomore season in Major League Soccer, the Montreal Impact are in very good shape.

The Impact sit first in the Eastern Conference, won the Canadian Championship and have played an entertaining brand of soccer, especially at home.

Here’s a look at how the coach and the players have fared so far.

Marco Schällibaum (A): The Impact have dramatically improved ever since Schällibaum took over the coaching reins in January. Some defensive problems have recently popped up, but one really couldn’t ask for more from the Swiss Volcano — except for being a little more respectful towards the referees (Montreal is winless in the three games he was suspended).

Marco Di Vaio (A): He only scored five goals in 16 starts in the second half of last season, leading to some doubts as to whether or not the Italian would be able to live up to his reputation as a clinical goal scorer in MLS. But every doubt has surely dissipated as the 37-year-old Roman is now tied for most goals in MLS with 11 in 16 starts. He’s also helped make the players around him better, as his very intricate movement off the ball has forced his teammates to raise the level of their game.

Patrice Bernier (A-): Dropping nto a deeper position in midfield was probably not what Bernier had in mind for this season, but it’s made a big difference for the Impact. Having Montreal’s best passer on the ball in close proximity to the defence has helped the team’s transition play and gives the back four more immediate defensive cover as well. Despite playing further away from goal, Bernier has still managed to notch five assists.

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Troy Perkins (A-): Perkins has been one of the better goalkeepers in MLS so far this season. He has great command of his area (he handles crosses really well) but he’s also capable of making the odd spectacular save. He came up big quite a few times this year, especially early on in the season, helping the Impact hold on to some vital wins and draws.

Justin Mapp (B+): There’s no question that this year’s Justin Mapp is a much improved player from 2012. Last year, he was often inconsistent and never seemed able to play for 90 minutes. But this season, it’s been the complete opposite: he’s been one of the more consistent performers and he can also play at a good rhythm for the full length of a game. His combination play in the final third, particularly with Di Vaio, has been superb. But he’s had his injury problems and the Impact will be desperate to get him healthy again. In nine starts he has two goals and four assists.

Daniele Paponi (B+): Ever since Di Vaio joined the Impact last July, the club has been looking for a suitable partner and Paponi seems to fit the bill. Paponi has the advantage of already having played with Di Vaio for three seasons at Bologna, so there’s a natural chemistry between the two. He’s strong in the air, can fight off defenders, attack the spaces in behind defences and, most importantly, can distribute and effectively link up with Di Vaio. He’s only started in six games this year in all competitions because of a thigh injury which kept him out for more than a month, but Paponi has already notched three goals and an assist. The Impact may very well have the deadliest attacking duo in the league.

Matteo Ferrari (B+): Ferrari has been one of the very best signings by the Impact since the club joined MLS. He’s been Montreal’s most reliable defender this year and has everything one would want in a centre-back. He wins a lot of aerial challenges, has great timing and anticipation, plays well out of the back, and he’s also a great leader and exudes confidence on the pitch. If the Impact had a defensive style of play, he’d probably win defender of the year.

Jeb Brovsky (B): The Colorado native has made tremendous progress since joining the Impact last season and has become a very reliable and versatile defender that can play either fullback position, and even at centre-back if need be. He doesn’t offer all that much going forward, but he does the little things right at the back that often go unnoticed.

Hassoun Camara (B): Camara has also been a reliable figure in defence, who’s played predominantly at fullback but also in the middle when Ferrari or Alessandro Nesta have been injured. At fullback, he likes to get forward, though his decision making once he gets down the field isn’t always the best. He can, at times, be a little rash at the back, but he does make up for it with his aerial prowess on attacking set pieces. Remarkably, Camara already has three goals in MLS this season, and he also scored the decisive tying goal in the 2-2 draw in Vancouver, which ultimately granted the Impact the Canadian Championship title.

Alessandro Nesta (B): In the 11 games Nesta has played from the start, the Impact are 8-1-2. At the age of 38, the Italian defender is still able to make a difference and perform at a very high level, but he can’t play every game; from time to time he needs a break. That Nesta is prone to injury is a concern for Montreal. Whether he is fit or not come the playoffs in November could very well be the difference between the Impact hoisting the MLS Cup or going home early.

Sanna Nyassi (B): One of the more underrated players in the side, Nyassi is making a case to be a starter on the outside of midfield. He does a lot of things well; works hard when the Impact don’t have possession, can quickly carry the ball away from danger and often wreaks havoc with his speed in the final third. His finishing product (crosses and shots) however, isn’t usually great; if it was, he would already be a star in this league.

Davy Arnaud (B): Arnaud played most of last season on the outside of midfield, but moved back to his more preferred position in the centre under Schällibaum, where he’s been able to show his best qualities. He suffered a concussion which kept him out for a long period and the Impact clearly missed his tenacity and work ethic in the middle of the park while he was gone.

Evan Bush (B): As a backup to Perkins, Bush received his chance between the pipes in the Canadian Championship and MLS reserve games, and his performances have been very positive. He continues to prove that he has what it takes to be a starting goalkeeper in MLS – though it might not be in Montreal.

Felipe (B-): Recovering from a hernia operation, it took a while for Felipe to fully recover, but by the time he did the Impact switched to a 4-4-2 and the Brazilian found himself having to play in the centre of midfield, instead of higher up the field behind the forward line where he likes to be. It will take some time for him to adapt to this new position and getting used to having to track back and help out defensively. But despite only showing flashes of brilliance like he did last season, he’s still managed three goals and five assists in 17 starts.

Andres Romero (B-): After making the move to Montreal from Brazil, it’s taken some time for Romero to get accustomed to his new teammates and the new league, but he’s beginning to show his quality. With his 1-v-1 ability in the final third he’s brought a different dimension to the Impact’s offence, but he can often be a bit of a passenger in matches where Montreal is struggling to keep the ball. That’s a part of his game he will need to rectify, especially with the Impact leaving too much space in midfield and conceding goals far too easily in their recent outings.

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Blake Smith (C+): Smith was picked up in the first round of this year’s expansion draft and he’s proving to be a useful player. He usually comes on in the latter stages of games and he’s always brought a good dose of much needed energy on the flanks.

Collen Warner (C+): Warner was a starter for most of last season, but with Arnaud and Felipe moving to the centre of midfield, Warner has fallen down the depth chart and has been on the bench for most of this year. But when he came on in the second half for a tired Bernier last week against Toronto, he was able to take command of the midfield and help the Impact fight back to earn a 3-3 draw. It was perhaps a sign that he needs more playing time.

Andrew Wenger (C): Paponi’s signing wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence for Wenger, but the 2012 first overall draft pick had a great opportunity to show his worth during the month that Paponi was out injured. However, he didn’t exactly make the most of it. He squandered several easy scoring opportunities. Wenger isn’t by any means a bad forward – he does have good qualities – but the problem is that he isn’t the right partner for Di Vaio. As long as Di Vaio is playing for the Impact, it will be difficult for Wenger to flourish, though he is at least trying to learn as much as he can from the Italian in training.

Andrea Pisanu (C): Pisanu was brought in as a creative player that could link up with Di Vaio, and he’s been able to do that well when he has the chance. There’s no question that Pisanu is a quality player; he’s intelligent and can play a really good pass when he has the ball at his feet. But he always seems to die out after just 30 minutes of being on the field and has never actually played for more than 60. Much like the last few years of his career, he’s also been repeatedly injured and that’s a big concern.

Dennis Iapichino (C-): Iapichino has been largely disappointing this season. He doesn’t offer much assurance at the back and though he likes the get forward he’s never really incisive enough when he does. For now, Iapichino is a back-up to Brovsky at left fullback, but when Maxim Tissot comes back from injury, he may very well fall further down the pecking order.

Karl Ouimette (C-): Ouimette hasn’t seen the field at all since he started a few games at centre-back after Nesta picked up an injury early on in the season. It seems as if the technical staff has lost confidence in the youngster after he committed several errors. In the reserve games, Ouimette is starting to play at fullback and that might very well be his way back into lineup.