(Montreal) Throughout the season, CF Montreal head coach Wilfried Nancy hasn’t wanted to project himself too far in time, but with three games to go, he can immediately start thinking in the playoffs.
Posted at 4:27 p.m.
Nancy often mentioned that his men advanced one game at a time, in all humility, but the first objectives he set were achieved in the space of four days.
First, the team secured its first appearance in the MLS playoffs since 2016 by drawing a draw at the Columbus Crew on Friday. On Tuesday, a victory over the Chicago Fire confirmed that the Montrealers would host a playoff game at their home.
It’s still unclear which one, though.
A chilly wind blew through Thursday’s CF Montreal practice at Center Nutrilait, raising questions about where the team’s first playoff game will be played in mid-October.
Although some players have indicated that they want to brave the cold to play at Stade Saputo, others seem less fond of the joys of Quebec in the fall.
Romell (Quioto) said this morning that he didn’t like this weather. I told him that if we went far in the playoffs, there might be snow. As I told the players, it was raining Tuesday against the Fire. Our goal is to climb the mountain and go as high as possible. From time to time, there are difficult moments and the rain or the cold are part of it.
Wilfried Nancy, head coach of CF Montreal
The other option is a little less popular, the Olympic Stadium. Certainly, the atmosphere would be boosted and the players would not have to worry about bad weather, but the risk of injury is higher.
Earlier this week, defender Alistair Johnston said young players in their early 20s had developed some age-specific pain and injuries due to a few practices and games at the Olympic Stadium.
Midfielder Samuel Piette also said he wanted to play this playoff game at Saputo Stadium. Even if Nancy will not be one of those who will have to run several kilometers on the ground, he agrees with his players.
“We want to play on the lawn, at the Saputo stadium. Sam has experience playing outside in minus 50 degrees Celsius, but I don’t know if I’d be able to do that,” Nancy said. I have always told the players that the minute they come to Montreal, there is a possibility of playing at the Olympic Stadium. I’m putting pressure on the city to change the pitch and I hope they will do so soon. But no matter where the match is played, we will play our style. »
What may be a bit of an advantage to Nancy is that he has used almost all of his players this season, regardless of the opponent in front of them or where the game was played.
One of the substitute players has also stood out in recent games. Defender Zachary Brault-Guillard ensured the qualification of CF Montreal by hitting the target in stoppage time of the second half against the Crew and he scored the winning goal against the Fire.
A starting player for the Bleu-blanc-noir last year, Brault-Guillard has only had four starts this season and he has seen his playing time drop considerably. Nancy, however, thinks that the Montrealer has grown from this experience.
“Zach knew we were going to put competition in his position and that allowed him to progress. Even though he hasn’t played much this season, he has taken a step forward. I am not surprised that he does well when he enters the field because in training you see that he is someone different compared to last year. He has grown up and what matters to me is that he accepts his role well,” mentioned Nancy.
The head coach also let it be known that he will soon be able to count on the return to play of midfielder Lassi Lappalainen (adductors). The Finn has been training away from his teammates and won’t face the Revolution before the international break.