“Everyone fought,” Laurent Courtois summed up. “But everyone was miserable in the locker room.”
CF Montreal lost 1-0 to Toronto FC in front of a packed Saputo stadium, eager to see its team beat its eternal rival. And for the second time this season, after the 5-1 slap in Ontario in May, the CFM failed to do so.
The faces of the supporters were long at the final whistle. The reactions on social networks were virulent.
“We are the first to be disappointed,” Samuel Piette said. “The faces are long in the locker room too. We wanted to recover from the last match against Toronto, we knew how important that match was. For the fans, for the club, but also for ourselves.”
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Nicksoen Gomis escapes with the ball.
Piette recalls that in May, there was really “a lack of will, desire, commitment” on the part of Montreal. Tonight, “I think we answered the call,” believes the captain.
Against a TFC team that had lost seven of its last eight matches, the tackles were felt, successful, even during the empty periods of play on the part of the Bleu-blanc-noir.
And if Courtois did not see a lack of effort on the part of his men, he rather spoke of a “lack of audacity”.
“I think there was too much desire to prepare, and not enough to bring enough madness. We were too meticulous, perhaps.”
In any case, it was rather the execution that was lacking. Technical waste by the shovelful. And offensive breakthroughs, on the contrary, were too rare. CF Montreal’s first shot on goal came in the 76th minutee minute.
“I found that we were a bit static,” analyzed Samuel Piette. “It’s a shame, because in the second half, we accelerated the pace. We showed will, desire, we were there the whole match.”
Bernardeschi, the villain
It was a huge occasion, both on a sporting and emotional level. The two teams were neck and neck in the standings with 27 points heading into this Canadian derby, in the final two playoff spots. And a sold-out Saputo Stadium rose to the occasion.
Already, Mother Nature seemed to realize the magnitude of the evening by offering a rainbow above the enclosure, a few minutes before the first whistle, after a downpour of almost an hour. The supporters of the IMFC Collective had prepared a gigantic banner, which they unfurled above their section 132. And the stadium was ready to explode from the start.
And it almost happened in the 13th.e minute, when Josef Martínez had a golden opportunity to open the scoring. Alone in front of goalkeeper Sean Johnson after a nice pass from Joaquín Sosa, the Venezuelan shot wide of the target. Martínez missed another great chance at the very end of the game. The kind of chances that a striker of his calibre must take.
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Federico Bernardeschi tries to get rid of Raheem Edwards.
Otherwise, the locals were unable to make their mark in the game in the first half. And Federico Bernardeschi, a good Targaryen-looking villain with his blond hair, enjoyed making himself hated by both the players and the Montreal fans. It was also the breakthrough of the Italian designated player, on the right, that allowed Richie Laryea to make it 1-0 in the 38th minutee minute, after a pass from Lorenzo Insigne in the area.
It was one of only two real chances created by the Reds, who are far from being one of the big guns in MLS.
I think the guys wanted to do really well. I think there was that will. The ideas were clear. The mindset was there. […] But in the first half, we didn’t really get the game going, we didn’t create enough problems to create chances.
Laurent Courtois, head coach of CF Montreal
Courtois’ changes in the second period had a definite effect, notably the entry of Nathan Saliba for Joaquín Sosa. As was the case last Wednesday in New Jersey, Montreal dominated the end of the match. But this time, they did not have an equalizer at the end of the feet.
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Nathan Saliba (19) came on in the second half
“Everyone understood the magnitude [du derby]confirmed Jonathan Sirois. We talked about it a lot in the last few days. Our fans came too [vendredi] tell us about it. […] It’s a shame, because on the one hand, you look at the performance and you think you’re in control. But we’re leaving here with a defeat.”
On that note, CF Montreal’s attention turns to the Leagues Cup. It will face Orlando in Florida next Friday, then host Atlético de San Luis the following Tuesday.
He will have to sit on that loss to Toronto in MLS until August 24, against New England. Just enough time to think about it with the dunce’s hat in the corner of the room.
RISING
Nathan Saliba
He wasn’t in the starting lineup for this game, probably to give him a break after Wednesday’s game. But his entry into the game changed the game for Montreal. He stabilized the midfield, becoming the necessary glue in the center of the field for his team. As in 2023, after a more complicated start to the season, here he is once again an undisputed starter for his coach.
FALLING
Ariel Lassiter
Lassiter has some interesting qualities in general, which explains his place in Courtois’ starting XI. But too often, he is guilty of technical waste, imprecise crosses… and turnovers. He lost possession of the ball nine times on Saturday night, and only completed 83% of his passes.