Montreal may have dominated, but it couldn’t find the breach in the ramparts that New York City FC had installed at Saputo Stadium on Saturday. The two teams tied 0-0 for a second straight full house in the Montreal arena.
Posted at 9:46 p.m.
It is true that New York City FC came to Montreal without Taty Castellanos, the leading scorer in MLS. The Argentinian has just left on loan for La Girona, in La Liga. The fact remains that the visitors, second in the Eastern standings, didn’t really show anything very convincing at the Saputo stadium.
The CFM still took 13 shots towards the net in this game, compared to only 2 from New York. Only one of all these shots on either side was on target.
But here, the credit goes mainly to the Blue and Black, who once again offered an offensive possession game, continuous, and asphyxiating for the opponent.
Wilfried Nancy’s troupe have been looking for the breach all along, but their one real chance ended in a failure that will give Mason Toye nightmares.
He and Romell Quioto came in two against one, in the 55e. The Honduran had the ball on the left. He finally hands it over to Toye, who only has goalkeeper Sean Johnson to beat from close range in the box… but he misses his shot completely, over the crossbar.
Its main artisans? Kamal Miller, among others. The Canadian defender played particularly fair on Saturday. His defensive retreats were effective and clean, while his surges created problems for New York.
As well as Lassi Lappalainen who, as a winger, obviously has a more offensive role for Montreal. Wilfried Nancy has often noted the uniqueness of the Finn in his line-up. None of his players have a similar profile, he said. Once again on Saturday, the Finn stood out for his liveliness on the left, both in the hallway and to regain possession in his area. He just needs a little more realism near the surface to become a real impact player in this league.
Neither team found a breach, which is in keeping with the recent trend for these formations. NYCFC has won three of its four straight shutout wins. Montreal, since the arrival of James Pantemis in front of the net, has regained serenity at the back. He has allowed just one goal in three games since replacing Sebastian Breza.
A solemn tribute to Jason Di Tullio
Montreal started its match with a tight throat. It is that before kick-off, the club paid tribute to Jason Di Tullio, the assistant coach of Wilfried Nancy who died of brain cancer at 38, the day before.
The ceremony, modest and sober, was done with dignity. The players of both teams were gathered in the center of the field. On the sidelines, surrounded by members of her staff, Nancy seemed the most moved. He was captured by the TVA Sports camera shedding hot tears. The head coach has worked with Di Tullio for a long time, since their years at the club’s Academy. He also wore his initials on the sleeve of his sweater.
At the 7e minute, number that La Grinta wore, the group of 1642MTL supporters stopped their chants and lit two white smoke bombs around their bell. Solemn moment, as Montreal came on offense for one of its many first-half climbs. Quioto was stopped by Sean Johnson in the box. The crowd was anticipating a more than perfect moment, which however did not come.