In the midst of the playoff race in the Eastern Association, CF Montreal head coach Hernán Losada would have done well without answering questions surrounding the Matko Miljevic saga. “We have already answered the questions about Matko, I think that’s enough,” Losada said dryly on Thursday, before a team training session at the Nutrilait Center.
It’s that his 22-year-old Argentine player made headlines for the wrong reasons 24 hours earlier, sometimes forcing journalists to be a little more insistent about what’s happening off the field than on it. .
The news broke on Wednesday morning, from the independent sports media Behind the Scenes. According to the article, Miljevic borrowed a false name to join an amateur soccer league in Laval and play three matches, which is not permitted under MLS contracts.
During another game in which he was not involved, Miljevic allegedly punched a player in the face following a heated exchange. The victim would have filed a criminal complaint for assault and the Bleu-blanc-noir midfielder would have been banned for life from the league in question.
Presented at the microphone before Losada, Mathieu Choinière and Kwadwo Opoku preferred not to answer questions concerning their teammate. The head coach offered a little more clarification. “MLS has opened an investigation and Matko will not participate in our training until it is completed,” he said. The people who have to make decisions will make them, but it is not up to me to give my opinion while we are in the middle of an investigation. »
Targeted as a potential replacement for midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, who was sold to a first division club in the Netherlands last year, Miljevic suffered an injury during camp, delaying his progress. Since his return to the game, he has not broken anything, collecting only one assist in eight games in MLS.
Defend your home
As it’s not just the escapades off the field that count, CF Montreal took advantage of the international break to prepare to welcome a direct rival in the race for the Eastern playoffs: the Chicago Fire .
Nine teams per association will have the opportunity to compete for the MLS Cup this fall, and Montreal is currently eighth, one point ahead of DC United and three ahead of the Fire. If Losada’s men could score a victory on Saturday night, they would breathe a little easier heading into a busy two-game week.
The head coach of the Bleu-blanc-noir feels that the goal is very close, but he does not want to project himself too far ahead because things change quickly in MLS. “We don’t look too far ahead, because it’s not just about our results, but also about those of other teams. The most important thing right now is that it’s in our hands. If we have good results, we won’t need to look at what’s happening elsewhere. We prepared the guys for three games in seven days, and I’m sure we will be ready,” Losada said.
The Montreal team will end the season by playing four of its last seven games at Saputo stadium, where things have been more difficult lately.
CF Montreal has lost two of its last five home outings, the last of which was 4-2 against the Columbus Crew. Uncompromising for two months in front of their supporters, notably with six shutouts in a row, Losada and his players are however not worried about the mixed successes of recent weeks.
“We have had a good record at home since the start of the season, so I don’t see why that would change now,” insisted Choinière. The crowd was great and helped us a lot during the matches. In our heads, it is still our fortress. »
“Against Columbus, we faced the best offense in the league,” Losada recalled. We had only allowed two goals in 10 home games before, so we’re not going to change everything for one game. »
Losada still hopes to have striker Romell Quioto back by the end of the season, but he will have to do without the services of defenders Aaron Herrera (ankle) and Robert Thorkelsson (adductors) for the clash against the Fire.
Quioto has participated in a few practices with his teammates, but is not fully recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in mid-May.
“We don’t know if Romell will return. We’ll see if he can help us this weekend or if the risk is too great. Otherwise, we will wait and see for Wednesday’s match,” he concluded.