The year 2022 for CF Montreal has been the season of records. Highest team ranking since joining MLS, most road wins in circuit history, etc. 2023 is not 2022, however…
“We’ve achieved so much as a group, we’ve broken a lot of records, but we understand as a collective that all of that doesn’t really matter anymore,” said central defender Kamal Miller. It’s good to be in the club’s history book, but it’s time to start a new chapter, because in the end we didn’t win any trophies last year. »
Head coach Hernán Losada, who will be in his first season at the helm of the CFM, adds: “It’s a waste of time to compare ourselves with what the group did last year. It’s a new season. Several players are still here, but several have also left. There are players who did not play last year who will have the chance to play this year”.
So in the end, what is left of 2022? Little expectations for Montrealers. The predictions of 12 of the 13 experts on the MLS site place CFM in the second half of the Eastern Conference standings for the next campaign, which begins Saturday night in Miami.
I’m not at all surprised. I think even if we had won the MLS Cup last year, they would have said we were going to finish last this year, so it’s the same tape as last year. In the end, it’s always nice to prove them wrong, but we don’t focus too much on their opinions.
Kamal Miller
Besides Miller’s outspokenness, there are several elements that still hold true. The defense, with the exception of Alistair Johnston, who was replaced by Aaron Herrera, and the main defensive midfielders in Victor Wanyama and Samuel Piette are back. Romell Quioto, the club’s top scorer for the past three seasons, too.
Also to add to the list, the philosophy of offensive play introduced by Thierry Henry then perfected by Wilfried Nancy. Losada repeated that he wants to build on the basics of the game system and that, without distorting it, he wants to give it a little touch. A pinch of madness, verticality and goals.
Thus, the pilot of the Montrealers hopes to “go further than last year”, which, as Miller reminded us, ended without champagne.
The big difference with last year will be the contribution of the youngest. Nathan Saliba, Sean Rea, Rida Zouhir and Sunusi Ibrahim should all be put to work.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Victor Wanyama
“I think there are a lot of good young players who are ready, who have always shown what they are capable of. It’s just a question of opportunities and I’m confident that they can do a good job, ”says co-captain Victor Wanyama, who, in the theme of change, will be on his third logo with the Bleu-blanc -black.
This mystery of who will start does not worry Miller, quite the contrary. He says he is “excited” to see what the collective will be able to do this season and that this is the biggest difference with the 2022 season.
“This year, it will be more about a team effort and a strong collective performance in each match than individual strokes of genius,” he analyzes.
Ultimately, he wants the CFM to finally get the respect it deserves, according to him.
Ready to face the pink flamingos
After seven weeks of training camp, the team is exactly where Losada wanted them to be. Satisfied with the preseason, he notes that the atmosphere and the atmosphere are excellent at the dawn of the season.
He concedes, however, that it’s “a little weird” to face Inter Miami in a curtain raiser when the clubs faced each other only 10 days before the start of the season in a pre-season match.
“All the players played 45 minutes and it was mainly to give rhythm, explains Losada. But it was an opportunity to see new players and see the Miami game system. I already know them very well. I know it well [leur entraîneur-chef Phil] Neville. In modern soccer, there are no surprises. Everyone knows everyone. »
Losada made sure not only not to reveal his hand, but also to germinate doubts about the players who will be in the starting XI. Like what, there can be surprises.
The presence of defender Joel Waterman, holder last year, is uncertain for the game: “We hope he will be 100%. It’s a little thing, but nothing to worry about.”
The case of Robert Thorkelsson is also uncertain. He might need a bit more rest than his counterpart according to the trainer.
If there’s one thing Losada might secretly like to be compared to last year, it’s the club’s success abroad. And he will be able to set the tone in the coming weeks.
CFM will begin the campaign with three road games before facing the Philadelphia Union at Olympic Stadium. He will then play two more games on the road before playing his first game of the season at Stade Saputo.