After breaking several team records this season, CF Montreal is now just one win away from achieving its first goal.
Buoyed by a great road win against Toronto FC, the Bleu-blanc-noir will host the Columbus Crew at Saputo Stadium on Friday night, in what could be a prelude to the playoffs.
The Montreal troops also have their sights set on a first appearance in the playoffs since 2016 and what could be better than confirming their place against the team that allowed them to start the last third of the season with a bang.
A little over a month ago, CF Montreal (16-9-4) arrived in Columbus with a three-game unbeaten streak. The Crew (9-6-13), however, imposed their pace and manhandled their opponent until the game was interrupted due to bad weather. After waiting about 90 minutes, the Montrealers left the locker room with a knife between their teeth and scored two goals late in the second half to save themselves with three points.
Wilfried Nancy’s men went unbeaten for four more games in a row before seeing their record streak come to an end at eight. This victory showed the new face of the team this season.
“Of course when you play a game like the one against the Crew, you trail and you leave from there with three points thanks to goals in the last minutes of play, it gives a lot of confidence. It shows us that we must not give up, no matter what happens, mentioned midfielder Samuel Piette. In recent years, we conceded the first goal and it was difficult to come back. It’s quite the opposite this year and we have great strength of character.
Although they are sixth in the Eastern Conference and only two points ahead of the New England Revolution, who sit in eighth place, the Columbus team should not be taken for granted. the slight.
First, the Crew have suffered only six losses this season and only the Philadelphia Union has lost fewer games in MLS this season (four). Then, the Ohio team has suffered only one defeat in its last 16 games (6-1-9), against CF Montreal.
During that streak, the Crew scored 12 goals in seven away encounters and players like Cucho Hernandez and Lucas Zelarayan took their game up a notch.
Nancy is wary of the Crew’s quick and efficient style with the ball.
“The Crew knocked us off balance several times in the last game because their forwards don’t always defend. It’s part of his tactics. His players are good on the counter-attack because they are very quick, analyzed the Montreal head coach. When we don’t have the ball, I want my players to be aggressive, but calm to win the ball. Above all, I want us to gain ground. I don’t want us to sit in front of our penalty area.”
For the Bleu-blanc-noir, a victory would not only confirm its place in the playoffs, but it would also put a spoke in the Crew’s wheels.
CF Montreal also has the opportunity to show that it is ready to dominate the teams that will come before it at Stade Saputo. Players have noted a few times over the past few weeks that they would like to be more decisive at home, although they don’t necessarily play badly in front of their fans.
“It’s the first time that we are in a position to kill the hopes of the teams or hurt them in the standings, explained Piette. Before, it was the other way around. If the Crew is a team that we could face in the playoffs, we want to show them that we can beat them in their stadium, but also send a strong message that we can also do it at home. We want to show that home-court advantage in the playoffs is going to be good for us.”
In the Montreal camp, midfielder Lassi Lappalainen is expected to miss a third game in a row due to an adductor injury. On the Crew side, Zelarayan’s presence is doubtful due to a right thigh injury.