If Kwadwo Opoku has as much talent as he has charisma, and vice versa, CF Montreal could be in a good position. Both on and off the field.
It was after training in the rain at Center Nutrilait that Opoku met the Montreal media for the first time on Monday. Even the gloomy weather didn’t get the better of the Ghanaian, who couldn’t help but smile as if he had just won the lottery.
Come to think of it, maybe that’s the case, in a way. Stuck behind top players like Dénis Bouanga and Carlos Vela with Los Angeles FC, Opoku sees his arrival in Montreal as an opportunity to make big strides in his career.
“It’s very good to play with talented players like Carlos and Dénis and to learn from them. I am now here to polish my skills. It’s a big step, because you always want to show your abilities. This is an opportunity for me to do so. I feel at home in Montreal and the welcome I have been given is extraordinary,” said the 21-year-old forward.
Arrived in the metropolis during the weekend, Opoku was able to take the opportunity to reconnect with midfielder Bryce Duke. The two players reunite with CF Montreal after spending two seasons together in California, in 2020 and 2021.
The two young players were even roommates with Los Angeles FC and they continued to talk to each other and nurture their friendship when Duke moved to Inter Miami CF – and subsequently to Bleu-blanc-noir, earlier this season.
As an attacking midfielder, Duke was among those who welcomed the acquisition of his good friend last week. He didn’t hesitate to call Opoku’s left foot “insane”.
The main interested party preferred to slightly calm expectations, but he knows why he was acquired for a sum of more than 1.6 million US.
“My left foot is good,” Opoku said with a laugh. All players do their best to help the team win. As a striker, of course my main objective is to score goals. I hope we can score a lot. »
CF Montreal head coach Hernán Losada liked what he saw of his new player during training. However, he did not want to compromise on his first match with the team.
“I had a positive feeling towards Opoku and he is a youngster with a lot of energy. He had not taken part in any training with the ball for six days. If we also count the stress of changing countries and moving, we will be patient with him and we will see how he feels on Tuesday,” expressed the Argentine.
Losada must still be looking forward to seeing Opoku in action in a match. Its players have been shut out in their last three outings, including the last two at home, and they are entering an important week in which they will face two teams with the same number of points as them in the race for the playoffs of Eastern Association.
The Montreal offense has struggled creatively in recent games and the forwards have also lacked finishing. Opoku’s attacking qualities could make the job of just about everyone on the pitch easier.
“He can pull off one-on-one action and we lack a bit of that, especially against teams that close spaces and have a low defensive block. You need someone’s action to break this formation. I hope Opoku can give it to us,” Losada observed.
The addition of Opoku creates congestion up front, but in Romell Quioto’s absence, no one has necessarily stood out. CF Montreal’s leading scorers, Quioto and Chinonso Offor, have only scored three goals each since the start of the campaign.
Striker Mason Toye is still very happy to see Opoku by his side in training. This is another opportunity to raise the level of play a notch.
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Mason Toye
“As a professional, you should always be looking over your shoulder or wanting the place of the player in front of you in the lineup. You should never be satisfied with having your place, because you have to earn it every day, insisted Toye. We know that Hernán makes a lot of changes, so you will have your opportunity. It’s now whether you can take advantage of it. »
Midfielder Mathieu Choinière has been training with the group, but his presence in the lineup for Wednesday’s game in Chicago is uncertain. Lassi Lappalainen, who trained alone on Monday, will be absent.
Losada also announced that Aaron Herrera will join the team in Chicago after being eliminated from the Gold Cup tournament. In the same situation, Zachary Brault-Guillard will train with his teammates on Tuesday.
Defenseman Rudy Camacho will miss the game against the Chicago Fire due to a one-game suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.