Wednesday morning, just past 11 a.m. The weather is chilly but comfortable at Center Nutrilait. The CF Montreal players quietly arrive at training, to the sound of rhythmic music that will fade at the start of the session. Some exchange the ball. Others shoot. Joel Waterman talks at length with his assistant coach, Laurent Ciman.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
Maybe it was trivial. A conversation among many others over a long season that stretches since February. Or it reflected what works so well at the Blue and Black in 2022. Listening, cohesion, the game philosophy based on sharing and the collective.
And who better than the former Impact general in central defense to share his experience with his modern counterpart?
“What I tried to do was to teach him what I had stored up throughout my career”, explains Laurent Ciman during an interview with The Pressa few hours later.
Ciman would not reveal the content of his discussion with Waterman that morning. The Belgian instead told us about the receptivity of the Canadian defender.
“Joel is someone who listens a lot. Who wants to learn, to improve. Who has qualities that are very, very good. We saw it this year: it passed one or two levels. He erased a lot of his flaws. And he increased his qualities. »
Lolo, “an interesting character”
This little anecdote with Waterman allows us to look at the coaching style that Ciman cultivates. It is presumed that under Wilfried Nancy, he was the architect of the Montreal ramparts. So we ask Alistair Johnston about it after training.
He’s an interesting character. It keeps the vibe really light, but it’s very serious at the same time.
Alistair Johnston on Laurent Ciman
Then the defender starts talking naturally about the evolution of his teammate Waterman.
“You can see how Joel developed under his tutelage,” he explains. He holds our entire unit accountable. He was playing until recently, so you can have concrete discussions with him. He understands what we are going through. »
After the Impact, Ciman played for LAFC and Toronto FC, before retiring from the sport in 2020.
“Talking to him face-to-face, he’s going to say, ‘I understand what you wanted to do and why, but can you make sure you bring that player closer?’ When you have that type of connection with your coaches, it makes a big difference. »
healthy competition
After a difficult start to the season in defence, the breaches were closed in the second half of the campaign. For example, CF Montreal had only one shutout in 19 games, before signing 6 in 15 games to conclude the season. He also won 2-0 against Orlando in the first round of playoffs last Sunday.
Ciman agrees that his team were “conceding avoidable goals” due to “individual errors” at the start of the year. But he believes that the coaches have “not changed anything” in their teachings.
What makes the difference is that we work much more as a team. We attack together and we defend together. The first defenders are the attackers.
Laurent Ciman
He talks about creating competition between goalkeepers James Pantemis and Sebastian Breza, making them “more successful”. And that generated by the fact that reserve defenders Gabriele Corbo, Robert Thorkelsson and Zorhan Bassong “can play too”.
All of this made for “much better” defending, according to Ciman.
A success “based on the collective”
Laurent Ciman was there in 2016, when the Impact came within a hair’s breadth of participating in the MLS Cup. Does he feel that the 2022 edition of this club is his best chance to seek a championship?
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Laurent Ciman (right) with the Montreal Impact in 2016
“From the moment we are in the playoffswe want to go as far as possible”, he begins by saying.
“Do I have a feeling that I can go all the way more than before? No. I almost did with Montreal, with Toronto too. If I had stayed in LA, maybe. »
If it does indeed draw a parallel with 2016, it is moving away from it just as quickly.
It was another philosophy. It was more based on individuality. Here, we are more based on the collective.
Laurent Ciman
“At the time, it was Nacho, it was Didier, it was Mancosu. Occasionally it was midfielder and defender. But there, there is much more homogeneity. »
Laurent Ciman likes his job. He feels that he is “evolving”, that he is “busy”. He also has a healthy relationship with Wilfried Nancy. “When I have things to say, I say them to my face, and he is the same thing. »
“What Will has done here feels good, because it’s the same philosophy in which I would have liked to play. »
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
CF Montreal head coach Wilfried Nancy
He speaks of “attacking football”, of wanting possession of the ball.
“He wants to be aggressive on the opposing side. He wants to conquer. »
Alistair Johnston jokes that with what coach Ciman is showing in training, the former defender could still “play 90 minutes at the highest level”.
What does the main interested party think?
“Yes, I still want to play with them when I see them playing on the field, that’s for sure,” he admits, smirking.
Physically, if I worked with a physical trainer, I think it would take me, what, two months to be ready. But in my head, it’s classified.
Laurent Ciman
So here he is, a teacher. With the success of Joel Waterman, who will potentially be part of the Canadian selection at the World Cup, in particular thanks to what he learns at CF Montreal, he finds his account there.
“What’s good is that the players are there and listen to the career I’ve had. »
“Afterwards, I don’t need recognition, no need for it to be said or expressed, whether it’s because of me. I want to teach them what I know, and then let them express themselves. »