Wilfried Nancy does not want to “ignite”, even if his CF Montreal is starting to get its head out of the water.
Posted at 3:18 p.m.
His men are unbeaten in three games, including two straight wins, having lost their first three MLS clashes this season. They will finally be back home on Saturday, against the Vancouver Whitecaps, for their very first game at Saputo Stadium in 2022.
This is also where the Bleu-blanc-noir’s training was held on Thursday, under intermittent rain and spring greyness.
“The season is still long, maintained Nancy after the session, while the drops fell on the roof of the stadium. [Au début], we did not have the results but the performance was interesting. Now we have results. »
A 3-3 draw in Atlanta. A 4-3 victory in a crazy meeting in Cincinnati. A rare win at the home of the New York Red Bulls. What is the guideline of these seven points accumulated on the road in recent weeks?
Coming back from behind.
“I love it,” replied the coach when asked about the potential mental strength of his team. I do not hide that it is something that I watch carefully. I think it can be part of our trademark. »
“We are a team that knows that a game is played for about 96 minutes, he adds. […] If we are leading in the score, are we able to score one more goal? If we don’t lead, we have to be able to get the result. »
Midfielder Matko Miljevic is happy to see that this “resilience” is part of the “characteristics” of the team. But he also believes that “it would be good to be able to put yourself in more comfortable positions sometimes”.
“It’s a habit you have to get into,” he explains through an interpreter.
And with home games coming up – three games at Stade Saputo in four games – he wants the home of CF Montreal to “become a fortress”.
“It’s crucial to win at home,” he believes.
“No easy match in MLS”
Starting with the Whitecaps on Saturday. Vancouver is trailing in the Western standings with just one win and four points in six games. But that doesn’t change anything for Wilfried Nancy.
“We don’t look at the rankings, says the head coach. […] Each game has its story. There are no easy matches in MLS. »
“All the teams bother us, he explains again. The Whitecaps have a way of doing things that is really special. They can be low, and they can be very aggressive with outside players. »
Mathieu Choinière and Samuel Piette were indeed present at training on Thursday. They took part in the exercises without too many apparent problems. But both are still on the injured list.
“It’s good to see them, because it’s not easy for them, consoles Nancy. When you have an injury that is not clear, what happens is that they take a few steps forward and then take a few steps back. It seems to be gradually going well. »
“It will take several days for them to be available, he finally drops. I won’t speak in weeks, but there is still work to be done. »
Note that Saturday’s match will also be an opportunity to celebrate Canada’s qualification for its first World Cup since 1986.
For CF Montreal, Ismaël Koné, Samuel Piette, Kamal Miller, Alistair Johnston, Zachary Brault-Guillard and James Pantemis have all been part of John Herdman’s qualifying squad. Among the Whitecaps, the names of Lucas Cavallini, Derek Cornelius and Cristian Gutiérrez should be cited at Stade Saputo.