The best teams in MLS are not perfect, but their success comes from their focus and consistency. This is what CF Montreal must work on if it wants to climb the rankings.
Facing Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, the Bleu-blanc-noir looked like FC Barcelona for 40 minutes on Saturday evening, and took a 2-0 lead. More seasoned, the Florida club nevertheless showed why it was at the top of the league and took advantage of a few small lapses in concentration to finally escape with a 3-2 victory.
After the match, head coach Laurent Courtois was happy with the way his men played, but he stressed that he would like a little more of a “killer mentality” from them.
The Montrealers therefore went back to the drawing board on Tuesday, with the aim of progressing in the mental aspect of the sport. All this to prevent these situations from repeating themselves, especially during set pieces, which were the cause of two goals for Inter Miami CF.
“We have guys well positioned in the penalty area, but after that it’s a question of desire and concentration. It’s a war on both surfaces and we have to adopt that mentality. We’re getting better at it and it’s coming. I don’t think many teams can beat us in terms of play, but it’s having that mentality. Games are won with small details,” said defender Joel Waterman, before training at the Nutrilait Center.
The system implemented by Courtois is starting to be well established and after 11 matches, his players are more and more comfortable with the ball. The head coach was also able to make adjustments throughout the matches.
There are many ways to correct tactical errors on the field and it is much easier to note what to work on to improve. The mental side, however, is a somewhat more abstract concept. How to move to the next level?
“It’s an individual awareness. And when you are already able to make this mental shift, you need to know how to help your teammate not lack attention and concentration, Courtois explained. We see more certainty about things we think are interesting, but we concede elsewhere, especially on the mental aspect. We must be able to manage certain key moments. We validate things, but we come back to others. This is the perpetual dilemma. »
CF Montreal (3-5-3) managed these moments well on April 27 when it obtained a 0-0 draw against the Columbus Crew (3-2-6), reigning MLS champion, at Lower.com Field. The Crew will also be visiting Saputo stadium on Wednesday evening.
Both teams like to maintain possession, open the game with successive passes and make good runs between the covers. Courtois expects a similar match, but his team could have some surprises in store for their next opponents.
“We forced them to put speed into their game. They want to create advantages with their passes and we were able to minimize that in Columbus,” said the head coach. The dilemma here is whether we will try to be more aggressive in our intentions while not conceding these spaces in transition. »
CF Montreal will once again have to make do without injured attackers: Matias Coccaro (knee), Josef Martinez (knee) and Kwadwo Opoku (ankle).
Cautious, Courtois did not want to give a timetable for their return to the game, but he was still optimistic about Coccaro, who “should not have much longer”. With an abdominal injury, Raheem Edwards should be the first to return to the lineup.
However, the head coach does not want to use the numerous injuries as an excuse.
“We look at the players who are there and we try to see how we can make them perform better. We know there is quality, so there are no excuses,” he insisted.