There was a moment, at the start of the season, when we were entitled to wonder if CF Montreal was destined to languish in the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference standings. However, now the formation of Wilfried Nancy will be able to equal a positive team record this weekend.
Posted at 8:09
With a draw or a win against Atlanta United on Saturday afternoon at Saputo Stadium, CF Montreal (3-3-2) will complete a sixth game in a row without losing.
It’s a tour de force that the Montreal organization has achieved three other times in its history, in 2015 (4-0-2), in 2016 (2-0-4) and in 2021 (4-0-2 ). On Saturday, CF Montreal will appear in front of their fans after registering three wins and two draws since March 19.
“It shows that we are a resilient team, that we are starting to grow,” said Canadian defender Kamal Miller after the team’s training session on Tuesday at Center Nutrilait.
“We had a difficult start,” he noted, referring to the losses in the first three games of the calendar. But I think it’s getting better and better. The performance was always there, but the results weren’t there. Now that the results are in, everything is falling into place nicely. »
Strangely, this positive streak began with a result that could be described as negative against the same club that will stop at Stade Saputo this weekend.
With a 3-1 lead and one more player on the pitch following the sending off of Dom Dwyer in the 67and minute of play, CF Montreal conceded two goals from the 85and minute – the second during stoppage time – to finally settle for a very disappointing draw at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I think we had a bit of a downer in this game, considering how well we played. We thought the game was over before it was, and those are things that are going to happen in MLS,” Miller said.
“If you don’t play for 90 minutes, an opponent will come from behind and score a goal in stoppage time. By striving to play a full 90 minutes, we may want to get a positive result,” he said. he added.
This March 19 duel against Atlanta United, which had left a bitter taste in the mouths of CF Montreal players, ended a busy streak of five games in 14 days, including two outings in the Concacaf Champions League.
He was also kicking off a two-week break which seemed to do the team some good.
“Our mentality is to learn from our mistakes, correct them and also ‘kill games’ and not open the door for the opposition to come back,” midfielder Victor Wanyama explained on Tuesday.
“We have learned a lot from our mistakes and we are always trying to improve. We have shown that we can be better, defend together and protect our advances. »
Since returning to the field, CF Montreal have conceded six goals in four games, but only one in each of their last three encounters.
“The chemistry is good,” Miller said of CF Montreal’s defensive line, which is usually complemented by Joel Waterman and Rudy Camacho.
“At the start of the season, we went through some tough times, conceded a lot of goals and we hurt ourselves in those games,” Miller also admitted. But as the season goes on, I feel like we’re playing better and showing better cohesion. The good results are appearing and we are aiming for shutouts. »
The team’s recent successes can also be explained by what seems to be the beginning of the outbreak of Djordje Mihailovic, but also the sustained and solid presence of Wanyama in midfield.
In 12 games since the start of the 2022 season — including the team’s four Concacaf Champions League outings — the 30-year-old Kenyan has missed just 20 minutes of action. It was March 12, in a lost cause, when CF Montreal lost 4-1 to New York City FC.
“He’s been very good to us this year, especially with Sam (Samuel Piette) out, and he’s taken on a lot of responsibility in midfield on his own,” Miller said of Wanyama.
“He shows his experience in every game and he’s only getting better. He is so strong on the ball. […] He is having a fantastic start to the season. »
Asked about his own performance, Wanyama said he was satisfied with his performance. But quickly, he redirects the conversation to the group.
“Whenever I’m on the field, I will always do everything in my power to help the team,” noted Wanyama. That’s what I try to do. We continue to work hard to maintain our record and our way of playing. »