“I only played once in Atlanta and we conceded a goal in the 95th minute,” said Finnish midfielder Lassi Lappalainen of CF Montreal on Friday afternoon. “We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen (Saturday). »
What he witnessed from the sidelines in the 15 minutes after leaving the game on Saturday was even worse.
Even the most fatalistic and pessimistic supporters of CF Montreal could not have imagined such an outcome. Two goals conceded in less than 10 minutes – including the second in stoppage time – against a team with only 10 players on the field, turned a seemingly certain victory for CF Montreal into a painful 3-3 draw against Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In the Montreal camp after the game, there was no question of taking comfort in the fact that the team had just collected a first point in the standings, after three losses in MLS, nor with the fact that it had finally amassed a point in Atlanta, after four successive defeats.
Once again, as happened too often last year, CF Montreal lost valuable points late in the game.
“There may have been a little complacency, thinking that the job was done before it was completed, because of the pace of the game,” ventured to explain defender Kamal Miller.
In the mind of midfielder Djordje Mihailovic, the time has come to do a collective examination of conscience before the Montreal team resumes the collar, April 2 in Cincinnati.
“We’re all going to have to take a long look at ourselves in the mirror and try to figure out what’s going on with us. That includes everyone, including myself. We have a little time before our next game, but it’s better to do it now before it’s too late. »
Previously, also noted Mihailovic, players should give themselves a few days without thinking about soccer before getting back to work.
“We had a very difficult start to the season with the Concacaf Champions League and tough opponents to start the campaign. This first month has been demanding, mentally, and before we look at the areas we need to review and improve, we need to take a few days to clear our minds. »
An impressive reaction
If we exclude these two late goals from Atlanta United, the Montreal team played a strong game overall. A performance that ended a streak of five games in 14 days, and on inhospitable ground, to boot.
But of all the positive elements, Ismaël Koné’s performance is the one that probably deserved the best rating.
Koné had however started the game badly, with an error which directly cost a goal in the sixth minute. Four minutes later, he received a yellow card which could have dampened his enthusiasm. It was quite the opposite.
“(Ishmael) played a big game. He generated a lot of energy. It’s probably one of his best parts of the year,” Miller said.
Mihailovic was particularly blown away by Koné’s reaction to his blunder which allowed Josef Martinez to open the scoring.
“For a youngster, the mistake that led to the goal can kill him. I have been there. Honestly, it’s been impressive to see how he’s bounced back and how he’s recovered. He scored a goal, gave me a nice pass on my net and he won a penalty,” said Mihailovic.
“He was involved in all three of our goals after that error, which gives an idea of his strength of character and his development. It’s very good to see from a player who has great potential, in my opinion. He has a very bright future,” added Mihailovic.