CF Montreal achieved an unusual feat in 2021, winning a game at Exploria Stadium, the home of Orlando City SC. Wilfried Nancy’s men will try to repeat this tour de force on Wednesday evening, although it is possible that the scenario of the first duel between these two teams will not be repeated.
On September 15, the Montreal team caused a certain surprise by going to defeat Orlando City SC by the mark of 4-2. It was the second defeat for the Florida team in its castle, and their last, in 14 games this season.
The match was marked by the expulsion of Nani, the team’s top scorer, due to two yellow cards in a seven-minute interval during the first half.
That didn’t stop Orlando City from erasing a two-goal deficit and leveling the score before Lassi Lappalainen scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute. Sunusi Ibrahim added an insurance net in the 80th minute.
Despite the rise of the premises, Nancy had appreciated the performance of his players and he felt, Monday, that the style of play deployed by his team had perhaps destabilized his rivals.
“I think Nani took a red card – again it’s me speaking, it’s not Nani – because the way we play, we try to attract the opponent, to compromise him to try to play behind their backs. Did Nani, in relation to that, or the other players, in relation to that, lose their cool a little? “, Put forward, in the form of a question, the head coach of CF Montreal.
“I really liked what we did in Orlando, it’s not easy to play there. We had certain phases of the game which were super interesting in relation to what we want to do, ”added Nancy.
Besides, Nancy knows full well that Orlando will want to avenge this failure, especially as the two teams, and a few others, are battling fiercely to ensure they make the next playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
“Orlando didn’t appreciate losing to us at all. He will arrive very motivated, like us. We will have to repeat a high level performance to bring back the three points ”, advised Nancy.
“I expect our team to respect the way we play, our identity. What I liked Saturday (against Philadelphia) is that we were very good in the defensive transition and in the notion of wanting to fight to recover the ball, ”he also analyzed.
This defensive efficiency will have to be there against a club that can be quite unpredictable on the offensive side, according to the analysis of goalkeeper James Pantemis.
“It’s a team that has good players, like Nani, Daryl Dike. It’s a team that attacks well. We know his strengths, his tendencies, I have to prepare for everything. It’s a team that strikes from afar, that strikes from everywhere, ”he said.
In addition, Pantemis knows how crucial the stake in each of the last five games on the calendar is.
Only eight points separate the second-place club – Nashville – to the ninth-place one – the New York Red Bulls.
Orlando (12-8-9 – 45 points) sits fourth and is chasing Nashville (48 points) and Philadelphia (46). However, he also needs to keep an eye in his rearview mirror, as Atlanta United have only three points of hindsight.
As for CF Montreal (11-10-8 – 41 points), they share sixth place with DC United, just one point ahead of New York City FC and the Red Bulls.
“All the players are preparing for these moments. Each game, for me, is a playoff game, ”compared the Quebec goalkeeper.
“There are challenges ahead of us,” added Pantemis. We can’t wait, because at the beginning of the year, all the analysts were saying that we were going to finish in last place. We’re just trying to show that we’re here, that we can play with the best teams and that we can win. I can’t wait for the next game. “