“Everyone has the big banana right now. It’s the fun. »
Posted at 3:09 p.m.
Mathieu Choinière and his team are right to smile.
CF Montreal is first in the Eastern Conference standings. He is undefeated in eight games in MLS. A sequence during which he went for six victories, including three in a row.
Obviously, with 23 more games to play, we are far from the parade downtown. But the fact remains that, for a team which, at the start of the season, only had the objective of qualifying for the playoffs, the feat is a major one.
So much so that some league pundits, like Matthew Doyle, are starting to talk about CF Montreal as a contender for the Supporters’ Shield, a trophy given to the best team of the season.
Not bad for a club whose same analysts predicted a very laborious year 2021, before having to change their minds in view of a breathless series race.
What do some of the main stakeholders think?
“It sure gives us confidence,” said Mathieu Choinière on Tuesday, before training at Center Nutrilait. “We see that the world is talking about us. We just want to continue, be focused on ourselves and improve. »
Defender Kamal Miller believes that “it’s not the fault” of the experts, since they “didn’t pay too much attention to what was happening on the ground” last season.
“Maybe they’re finally waking up and seeing what we can do as a team. »
“We can set really high goals”
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Defender Kamal Miller (left)
Montreal is third in the league in goals scored (22), and second in assists (25).
Yes, the defense had a tough start to the season as the team also played on the Champions League front. Which darkens the picture of the goal differential a little: he allowed 19, which places him at 22and rank out of 28.
But since the 4-3 victory in Cincinnati on April 2, the CFM conceded only one goal per game, or five, before getting its first shutout last Saturday in Charlotte.
“Our defensive body is one of the best in the league, whether it’s three or five,” Miller said. We want to be the best in terms of goal differential and goals against. We’re not there yet. »
What’s more, even when a defensive stalwart like Joel Waterman has to sit out due to suspension, a Gabriele Corbo can replace him without missing a beat.
“All the guys know they have to be ready at any time,” Miller said. No matter who comes in, we don’t expect our level of play to drop. »
Mathieu Choinière believes that “everyone knows the game system”.
We have great depth. We know that everyone can play, we trust everyone. It becomes easy because we know what we have to do on the pitch.
Mathieu Choiniere
An airtight defence, goals from everywhere, young stars like Djordje Mihailovic who win, attacking players like Joaquín Torres who stand out… Where is the ceiling for this team?
“We are exactly where we need to be,” Kamal Miller said on Tuesday. Few teams play like us. All we needed were shutouts and knowing how to play a good 90 minutes. Everything is taking shape. »
” There’s no [de plafond], says Choinière. You can set really high goals. »
A united group, according to Nevio Pizzolitto
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Nevio Pizzolitto is now an analyst for MLS.
Nevio Pizzolito, in addition to being a former Impact player, is now an analyst for MLS. He comes to Saputo Stadium a few times a year to be the eyes and ears of the league. Installed on the sidelines, he analyzes the “environment”, ie security, the players, he checks “if something is wrong with the alignments”.
Which means that he has an unobstructed view of the course of the game. What observation does he make of Wilfried Nancy’s team?
At the end of the line, he immediately speaks of “special cohesion” around the group.
“You see it when they score and celebrate goals: they cherish each other (hold each other dear). »
Kamal Miller had the same point on Tuesday. “When someone scores, it’s as if everyone scores. »
“It’s something that has grown since last year, explains Pizzolitto. The core was good, and we added parts that helped us this year. Guys like Kei Kamara. »
Mathieu Choinière and Kamal Miller agree.
“He’s a unifier, says the Quebecer about the Sierra Leone veteran. He likes it being with all the guys and everyone smiling. That’s what he brings. Afterwards, we know that he is a great player.
“The veterans do a great job of including everyone and making sure all players are welcome. I give the credit to Kei, he uses his experience well to help us manage certain moments during the matches. »
Pizzolitto also praises the work of Olivier Renard, who has built a team “deeper than in recent years”. He also speaks of that of Wilfried Nancy, “which includes everyone”.
“In the East, we are quite strong, like all the other teams. Philadelphia is strong, Orlando is fine now. It’s a long season. »
Precisely, are there any chances that everything will collapse by October, if a serious injury were to occur for example?
“Even if we didn’t start the season very well, we were in every game. It’s not a matter of luck, it’s a matter of fit. The depth is there. I’m not worried about that. »