There were days last winter when Rudy Camacho didn’t know what was in store for him in 2022 professionally. Central defender and CF Montreal sporting director Olivier Renard finally found common ground and, today, Camacho says he is having his finest moments in Montreal in MLS.
“From afar,” Camacho answered, without hesitation, to a question in this sense after CF Montreal’s 2-0 victory (6-3-2 – 20 points) against Charlotte FC, Saturday night, at Bank of America. Stadium.
“Not just because we win the matches, because we build them. We don’t leave room for chance, for chance, said the 31-year-old Frenchman. We build them and we master them. Today [samedi], I think it was a tactical demonstration, a technical demonstration. »
The win allowed head coach Wilfried Nancy’s squad to play an eighth straight game undefeated (6-0-2), improving on the team record set last week.
CF Montreal even added a second collective record to its list in 2022 by playing a fifth game in a row without losing abroad (3-0-2).
Finally, this triumph propelled CF Montreal to first place in the Eastern Conference, helped by favorable tiebreakers over Orlando City SC and the Philadelphia Union.
Camacho hasn’t missed a minute since the start of CF Montreal’s record streak, which began with a heartbreaking 3-3 draw in Atlanta on March 19.
After a hard-earned 4-3 win at home FC Cincinnati in early April, CF Montreal’s defensive squad has become tight.
In its last six meetings, the Montreal team has conceded only five goals. On Saturday, she collected a first shutout in 2022.
“It feels good,” Camacho admitted of the shutout. Before, we won games, but as defenders, we couldn’t be completely happy, because we conceded a lot of goals. On top of that, it’s a largely controlled victory. It’s “top” for everyone. »
In all this, Camacho considers that he can do much better on an individual level and that he is not yet at the level which earned him, in 2021, the title of defensive player par excellence of CF Montreal.
“If I manage to find my feelings of last year, we will be even better. As I said before, if the whole team plays at their best level, we can do great things this season. I hope we will continue. There is no reason [pour ne pas continuer]. If we remain confident and approach the matches in the same way, there is no reason. »
Widespread contribution
Saturday’s shutout went to the record of Sebastian Breza, who appears to have regained the confidence that propelled him to CF Montreal’s No.
“He had a complicated moment, as we can all have. It happens,” Camacho noted.
“The most important thing is to stay confident, and I think he has that. He has quite a strong character, and he remained confident despite the few mistakes he made. I made some. Everyone has done it. In these moments, the most important thing is to stay solid in your head, not to listen to what is being said on the side, because people talk a lot when things are not going well. That’s what he was able to do. Today he did the right thing. He did his job. And in the games before too. I hope it will continue, whether for him or for all the players. »
While Breza and the defense seem to have found their bearings, the offense continues to produce and above all, to score goals at important moments.
Djordje Mihailovic scored his sixth goal of the campaign at the very end of the first half. Then, Alistair Johnston added his first with the Montreal squad in the 67and minute.
Kei Kamara, who had come on to replace Romell Quioto, who suffered a shoulder injury on the streak leading to Mihailovic’s net, provided the assist.
Johnston thus became Saturday the 11thand different player on the Montreal team to find the back of the net in 2022.
“Everyone in the formation contributes. It’s not just a few players. Today “Ali” got his first goal and of course we are all proud of that. He deserves it,” Mihailovic said.
“This streak of success is the result of positive performances from everyone. We have guys who come into games late in the second half, who maintain the level of play and we are able to finish games, ”he concluded.