One person’s misfortune is another’s happiness, as the old adage says. At CF Montreal, this proverb can apply to two people in particular.
The first has not set foot on the field since July 22. The second has obtained four starts in five matches since the same date, and has not been left out of the lineup since the end of May. The first is approaching the twilight of his career, while the dawn brilliantly lights the sky of the second.
We are talking here about Victor Wanyama, defensive midfielder and the Impact’s only designated player, as well as Nathan Saliba, a rookie who made very good progress in 2023. The highest paid player on the team no longer seems to be part of the squad. plans of head coach Hernán Losada, who prefers a Saliba with a more mobile and offensive profile.
“I have a good relationship with Victor,” said the 19-year-old midfielder on Tuesday after his team’s training at the Nutrilait Center. […] He’s an example for us, he had a very good career. He continues to have this mentor role that he naturally has with the group. I think he does his role very well. »
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Victor Wanyama
If Saliba concedes that “it’s difficult on a personal level” for Wanyama, “he doesn’t make anyone feel it”. “He continues to be positive and a good person to us. »
But Wanyama’s profile alone doesn’t quite explain Saliba’s regular selections since May. Firstly, because they are not completely interchangeable players tactically – Nathan Saliba deploys his range in the north and south of the pitch, while Victor Wanyama has made his career as a rock solid in front of the defense .
Secondly, the rise in power of the young Montreal nugget is also due to his “work” and his “consistency” during training and matches, according to him.
“I demonstrated [à Losada] that he could have confidence in me and give me responsibilities on the ground, he believes. […] I think I didn’t blame him for giving me this confidence. »
Saliba started the season as a starter, but gradually saw his playing time decrease, until a real slump in May. But since the visit to DC United on May 31, he has been present at all of his club’s matches, 16 consecutive meetings.
“It’s just the person I am,” says the midfielder. I never really gave up. I knew that hard times happen, it’s just the beginning of my career, there will be several more. […] I continued to work, I put my head down and I did what I knew how to do best, which was to show my qualities and gain confidence on the pitch. That’s what helped me get back on track. »
Fernando Alvarez and his bulldog
Speaking of young prospects, there is one at the CFM who tasted his very first MLS minutes before the international break: the new kid Fernando Alvarez, a young Colombian international who arrived from Pachuca a little over a month ago.
After 45 minutes in the blue, white and black jersey, how does he feel?
“I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time, since the first contacts with CF Montreal,” he explains in perfectly adequate English. I am really happy. »
The team was already down 3-0 when Alvarez entered at halftime against Columbus. So we agree that whatever he was going to offer to the left of the defense that evening, it was going to be an improvement. But we can’t say he looked bad in his MLS debut. Far from there.
And otherwise, how is life in Montreal for this young man who has just changed clubs for the very first time in his career?
I’m doing well ! Here at the club, everyone is great to me. I feel at home here, and in the city it’s the same. The people are really nice. It’s a beautiful city, and we live a beautiful life. I am happy.
Fernando Alvarez
We speak to him in a particularly joyful context, in addition: his mother and grandmother are currently visiting the Quebec metropolis. They should be at the game against the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at Saputo Stadium.
And he has another friend who keeps him happy company in his new life as a Montrealer. Her dog Theo, a corgi.
“It’s a little dog, but it looks like a bulldog!” »
Will he be at Saturday’s match too, Fernando?
“Yes, he already has my sweater!” »
Will he stay here even after your family members leave?
“Yes, he will be like my son. »
If you hear yapping at the stadium on Saturday, you’ll know who to blame.
And what about the injured?
The CF Montreal attack badly needs the flair of Romell Quioto these days. If the Honduran international is approaching a return to play, it would be very surprising if he played his first MLS match since mid-May against the Fire next Saturday. Although he trained for most of Tuesday’s session with the main group, he still took a few minutes aside to do solo exercises at one point.
For his part, defender Joel Waterman did not show any apparent discomfort during the hour and a half spent on the pitch at the Nutrilait Center. He missed the last match against the Crew.
Robert Thorkelsson, absent since July, trained alone, while Aaron Herrera spent his morning doing exercises indoors, still far from his family.