CF Montreal fans were encouraged by the first three matches away, but the last three brought back concerns that brought back some bad memories of the 2023 season.
While the experts did not give much credit to the Bleu-blanc-noir, he started his campaign by collecting seven points out of a possible nine on opposing fields. Suddenly, the Montrealers climbed the rankings reporting the state of forces in the MLS and they were to be taken seriously.
A bizarre defeat in Chicago brought everyone back to earth and the last two performances, well below expectations, showed that the process was far from over for head coach Laurent Courtois and his men.
The 1-0 loss suffered at the hands of DC United last week was nothing glorious, but the 5-0 loss suffered against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday evening was enough to leave its mark. The Montreal team was completely dominated and was unable to find solutions abroad, much like was the case last year, when it only obtained two victories in 17 games.
“Everything was lacking. Our intensity wasn’t at the level we expect from everyone. We have to go into duels and win them. Above all, it was the mentality of winning that was not present,” explained midfielder Mathieu Choinière.
“I came into this match with a lot of confidence, maybe too much. Today [samedi], it was insufficient. It was the spirit that displeased me. There was a lack of discernment and respect for the principles that we had agreed to apply,” added Courtois.
Long stretches of away matches are known to be physically and mentally demanding. Earlier this week, CF Montreal stayed home to participate in an event during which they met thousands of fans at the MTelus.
The team would have undoubtedly liked to take the energy of this crowd and translate it onto the field, but that was not the case. For Courtois, it is first and foremost about respecting commitments to supporters.
“Intentions must be confirmed with real actions. We didn’t do it todayseat. We want to be perceived a certain way and we have promised certain things to the fans. You have to keep your word. We lacked humility,” he insisted.
When the time came to evaluate his team’s six-game journey, the head coach did not linger.
“Before tonight’s game, I was very proud of our trip. Today, I am disappointed,” he said.
Despite everything, Montrealers have the opportunity to erase this bitter setback and end their series of three defeats by finding their bearings in front of their fans, while the next two games will take place at Saputo stadium.
The Bleu-blanc-noir had obtained 10 victories at home in 2023 and the MLS trend is going in this direction for practically all the teams on the circuit.
“It’s not an excuse, but it’s not easy to start the season with six games on the road. We can’t wait to have our fans behind us. They will push us and it will feel good,” Choinière said.
FC Cincinnati, the Supporter’s Shield holders, will be visiting Saputo Stadium next Saturday. There will probably be no better test to know if the CF Montreal players have learned their lesson.
“That’s the beauty of football. You need to turn around quickly. We’re going to dissect the game against the Sounders and learn from it to make sure it doesn’t happen again. We will be ready for Cincinnati,” concluded defender Joel Waterman.