Montreal was preparing to play the perfect shot. To bring down the championship leaders. But on the penultimate action of the match, the feat gave way to a refrain that was a little too familiar.
At the 95e minute, goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois clumsily threw himself at Dominique Badji in the area. The penalty offered to FC Cincinnati was clear, unequivocal. The visitors tied the score at 1-1, courtesy of Luciano Acosta, on the penultimate action of the match.
Montreal thus let two other important points slip away in its race for the playoffs, as was the case last Saturday against a very weak Fire.
“It breaks my heart to see that the guys gave everything until the end without being rewarded,” said Hernán Losada at a press conference after the match.
It is true that Montreal played a rigorous, solid match in front of the best team in the league. Particularly defensively, with a Sirois otherwise master of his zone, and with a Waterman-Campbell-Corbo trio that is tight and confident.
Their performances, combined with a magic wand from Kwadwo Opoku in the 53rde to open the scoring with a long shot, gave Montreal hope. To make this match accessible.
“Why do you say this match was accessible? », asks Losada to the representative of The Press.
Because you were leading until 95e minute.
Yes, OK, but when you play against the first one, it’s not [un match] accessible. Yes, obviously, if you score in the last minute, there is a feeling that the match was over. But it wasn’t over. You play the matches until the end.
Hernán Losada, head coach of CF Montreal
“When you play against the best team in the league, this kind of thing can happen,” he added later. We were focused until the very end, but we didn’t reap the rewards of our efforts. »
Sirois, “the most useful player”
The technician does not seem to agree with the referee’s decision to award the penalty shot to Cincinnati. “For him, there was no doubt that it was in the box, and not next to the box. »
The sequence took place like this: a long lofted ball descends into the Montreal area. Badji jumps to control him from the chest. Sirois comes behind him, jumping in turn, the contact is strong, above the line. Clearly inside the box, according to the official. Not so clearly, according to Losada.
Whatever. “Yes, it was risky,” concedes the coach. But at that moment, he made this decision, and we are 100% behind Jo’s decision. He saved and gave us a lot of points with his performances. He broke the record for shutouts this year, so if we start giving criticism to our number one, that would be very bad of me. »
Same story from Joel Waterman.
“At the end of the match, I told him that he was our most valuable player this season,” reveals the Canadian defender. That didn’t change tonight. We support him with all our hearts, because we know he will help us again in the next five games. »
Without Opoku, nothing at all
The CF Montreal staff would like to remember the positives of this draw snatched from the championship leaders. The fact remains that without a flash of genius from Opoku, the team did not go far offensively on Wednesday evening.
At 53e, Opoku moved forward, in the axis. He got rid of a first defender. He placed the ball towards his left foot. Then he struck, a few meters from the penalty area. The leather made its way to the left corner of Roman Celentano’s net, and beat him, barely.
This decision came after a dull and frustrating start to the match on both sides. It took that push to finally open the game. And that’s what happened.
“I try to help the team as best I can,” said the Ghanaian, all smiles after the match. I can take the initiative and help him that way. With the grace of God, I hit the ball into the goal. »
Hernán Losada let slip that a virus had circulated within the team this week. Zachary Brault-Guillard was not in the lineup at all, after having looked good last Saturday. This is an additional challenge that the CFM must manage, which will play its third match in a week on Saturday evening, in Atlanta.
RISING
Kwadwo Opoku
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Kwadwo Opoku
He was not perfect, none of his attacking colleagues were, but his offensive commitment makes him the most electrifying element of CF Montreal these days.
FALLING
Mason Toye
If the first half had the effect of a sleeping pill, it will at least have confirmed the observation that Mason Toye is still not the offensive solution sought by the CFM. He made himself invisible during his first minutes of play since July 22, in the League Cup.