(Montreal) CF Montreal are still in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, but they will have to find a way to fill the net to stay there.
The day after a bitter 3-0 loss at the hands of the Fire, the Bleu-blanc-noir woke up in 10e position in the East, out of the portrait of the playoffs, after having been robbed of the ninth and last rank giving access to it by the troop of Chicago.
Despite everything, it was the lack of attack and the missed opportunities that once again caught the attention after the Montreal team’s training at Center Nutrilait on Thursday.
Shut out in their last four outings, Hernan Losada’s men allowed two goals in the first 11 minutes and a third, in the 33e minute. When they had the chance to create a spark, Ariel Lassiter hit the post from a penalty, on the 36the minute, and then they missed finishing in the penalty area.
“I think we need to be more patient and more focused in the final third. When the centers arrive, we have to be more present and more combative. We have to be more decisive in our actions and take advantage of our second chances,” analyzed Quebec midfielder Nathan Saliba.
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
CF Montreal head coach Hernan Losada
Everyone seems to have their own idea of solutions to help CF Montreal unblock offensively, but on the field, no one seems able to apply them. Even Losada doesn’t seem convinced he can use any other options to generate offense.
The Argentinian could use the Coupe des Ligues to try other combinations, but in the meantime he has another direct opponent to negotiate on Saturday evening.
To be honest, I think we pretty much tried every option. Maybe we could give players who haven’t played a lot more minutes, play them in a position where we think they can perform. The League Cup can be an opportunity to work on the physical and mental aspect.
Hernan Losada
CF Montreal was stuck in a similar situation at the start of the season. He had won only one of his first seven games, suffering six shutouts in the process.
The team was able to regroup and move up the standings, notably thanks to six consecutive shutouts at home. Losada intends to take this sequence as an example to motivate its players, because they have already achieved it, but also because the season is far from over.
“We already experienced a difficult situation at the start of the season and we managed to recover. We had good games, shutouts and good collective defensive performances. The competition is open and there are still plenty of points to win. It’s good to give constructive criticism between us because it feels good,” said the head coach.
Against Fire, Losada welcomed the return to play of captain Samuel Piette, absent since 1er April due to injury. Aaron Herrera and Zachary Brault-Guillard also played their first game since returning from the Gold Cup.
In the absence of Herrera and Brault-Guillard, the right-back position proved to be a real revolving door. Several players have played this position, but with little success. Gabriele Corbo showed great things last week, but he was back on central defense against the Fire.
Losada did not hide that he was happy to find his two regulars in the right lane. And when Piette has regained her seasonal rhythm, her troupe will be able to take another step forward.
“We were struggling on the right side and we used players who weren’t playing in that position. Aaron joined us in Chicago when he couldn’t give us 90 minutes. ‘Zach’ returned on Tuesday, but he had been training in a different system. With these returns and that of ‘Sam’, if they are fit, the team will naturally improve and that is what we are aiming for,” said Losada.
The head coach did not confirm the rumor of a Honduran media, which indicated that striker Romell Quioto, injured for two months, would soon be back in Montreal.
“I have no information regarding Romell,” he simply implied.