Circumstances mean that things can change quickly over the course of a season, and CF Montreal is no exception.
There was a time when the Bleu-blanc-noir was looking for solutions in the left lane and the arrival of Ariel Lassiter gave head coach Hernan Losada more ammunition. The team must now go through this same process, but on the right side, as they must deal with circumstances beyond their control.
The Montreal troupe was not really badly taken on the right wing despite the loss of Alistair Johnston during the offseason. The arrival of Aaron Herrera has stabilized this position and Zachary Brault-Guillard is capable of rendering great service as a substitute.
However, the two players have been selected by their country to participate in the Gold Cup and they could be absent for some time, while Canada and Guatemala are still in a position to move on to the knockout phase.
Losada had targeted Mathieu Choinière and Lassi Lappalainen as substitutes on this side of the pitch, but now they are injured and are doubts for the next game. The two players also trained alone at Center Nutrilait on Tuesday.
Against Charlotte FC 10 days ago, Lassiter had his ups and downs down the right flank and he was eventually moved to the left. Against New York City FC on Saturday, Sean Rea won the confidence of his coach, but with mixed results.
In a system that involves full-backs a lot, Losada must continue that search until someone takes over – or until a player or players return to the lineup.
“Our full-backs are important in our system. They have to run up and down the field, so you have to be in great shape. They need to be able to help in attack and defense. It’s a very difficult position, explained defender Joel Waterman. We are trying to find the right parts, but I think Sean did well on Saturday. The important thing is that no matter who plays in this position, we have to work together and make sure it works. »
Waterman knows what it’s like to play in a new position or plug a hole while his head coach searches for solutions.
The Canadian defender spent the whole of last season on the right, but he was used on the left side for a few games this season. Good work from Gabriele Corbo eventually pushed Waterman back to the right side, where he is more comfortable and able to get more involved offensively.
Now that the players follow one another in front of him in this corridor, Waterman wishes to serve as their support. He also wants to make sure they can be comfortable with the ball, both attacking and defensively.
“These changes are not difficult to manage, but it is different. There are guys who have different strengths and weaknesses and you have to play with that. I do my job to help the guy in front of me, whoever it is, and make sure we can work and communicate together. We have to make sure that this right side is closed,” he said.
The defense could possibly get a hand in the next game, as captain Samuel Piette trained with his teammates for a second straight week.
Piette, who hasn’t played since 1er April in Vancouver, had some offensive prowess last season, but it was his consistency in midfield that Losada lacked – although Choinière did a great job in his absence.
“Sam is our captain. He has been with the team for a long time and he knows the system well. He has a strong midfield presence, he does a lot of the ‘dirty’ work for us and he makes sure we stick together. We are happy to have him back, and he will help our team a lot. Hopefully he’ll be back on the bench this weekend, even if it’s not my decision,” Waterman said.
CF Montreal will take on Atlanta United on Saturday night at Stade Saputo.