(Orlando) “Wake up, dammit!” »
A preseason match result is worth what it’s worth, especially when said match is one of 120 minutes divided into 4 periods of 30 minutes. That said, we had a special place for this confrontation, installed just behind the players’ and coaches’ benches, with our feet on the same pitch as the players in the match. Our view was therefore perfect for examining Laurent Courtois during a meeting of his team.
The Rapids score at 6e minute, courtesy of former Montrealer Djordje Mihailovic. A few moments later, we have a first example of Courtois’ style at the helm. “Wake up, dammit!” » [wake the f*** up !], he tells his players.
PHOTO JEAN-FRANÇOIS TEOTONIO, THE PRESS
CF Montreal coaches.
Courtois and Laurent Ciman are the most talkative of the group of coaches. When the assistant notices a ball-returning gesture that he appreciates, particularly towards the young Alessandro Biello: “Well done, chicken! And then what do we do? » Biello starts running to follow the game. “Yeah. »
Samuel Piette came on for the second 60 minutes. From the sidelines, Courtois asks him: “Sam, where do you want Rida?” », speaking of midfielder Rida Zouhir. Is this new to you, Samuel, that a coach asks you to choose the location of your own teammates during the match?
“Laurent and his staff want us to be very vocal on the pitch,” explained the captain after the meeting. […] To give me this role, the keys to guide the attackers, it’s a pleasure. But it is a responsibility that I must learn. I’m not an expert at the tactical level, I’m learning a lot of stuff at the same time. It’s super interesting. »
An encouraging 30 minutes, but…
Courtois’ desire to see his players wake up eventually had the desired effect. The second 30 minutes was CF Montreal’s best on Saturday. We clearly saw the beautiful passing game that the Frenchman is trying to establish. Despite conceding a second goal, Dominik Iankov and Nathan Saliba scored in quick succession after effective offensive sequences.
The second half of the first group was the one you want to see. But why wait for the second half? […] It is especially the attitudes of the first half of the first group that I would like to correct.
Laurent Courtois
You will therefore understand that despite this good moment in an otherwise difficult match, Courtois does not really come away satisfied.
“It’s my fault for not having given enough cues to concede fewer errors,” he said about the match in general. We’re going to get back to work to see which errors are acceptable, and which errors are not. »
Piette, Wanyama and the reserves
For the next 60 minutes, the group mainly composed of players who should gravitate around the XI this season gave way to reserves and academicians, with the exception of Piette and Victor Wanyama.
It was during this period that the team conceded four goals. Does this explain it?
“It’s nice to try to find extenuating circumstances for us,” replies Laurent Courtois to the question of The Press. They scored four goals, we can’t concede that much. […] Even with youth or inexperience, we have to be more competitive. There are defensive notions of solidarity that must be there. Today, we didn’t find them, especially in the second group. It’s up to me to tighten up and instill that. »
For Piette, the goals were “totally the fault” of the Bleu-blanc-noir. “Stupid” technical errors linked to missed passes, among others. “At the same time, it’s the style of game we want to play. It’s normal to make mistakes, especially at the beginning when you start learning this new system. It’s okay to make the mistakes now. We learn the hard way. »
The setbacks of Sebastian Breza
Far from us the desire to focus on the case of Sebastian Breza. The Montreal goalkeeper, returning to the club after his departure at the end of the 2022 season, was in a way the supporter of the fans that year, before James Pantemis became the regular starter. But in this preseason, Breza still doesn’t inspire confidence, let’s put it that way.
What’s more, Courtois asks his goalkeepers to be aggressive with the ball. The Montrealer entered after Jonathan Sirois for the third 30 minutes on Saturday. After an error far outside his zone with the ball, Courtois turned to his staff and called on Luca Bucci, head of the goalkeeper development method at the CFM. A short discreet discussion between the two men followed.
Logan Ketterer, third goalkeeper, then came on for the final 30 minutes.
” It’s the timing, Laurent Courtois explained to us when asked about Breza’s shortcomings. There are times when he tries to fit in. And when you are incorporated, there are decisions to be made to try to minimize turnovers. We will learn, rectify, adjust. There’s work. »
Good marks for Doody and Álvarez
Despite the result and the pace of the match, a few players still stood out. We really liked the percussion of Grayson Doody, American right back drafted in the last MLS SuperDraft.
Fernando Álvarez, who replaced Joaquín Sosa in the first half, also looked good in defense. He looks confident, the young Colombian, and doesn’t seem to make many mistakes.
His reputation is well established, but defender Joel Waterman has shown great leadership qualities on the field. With the captain’s armband in the first half, he seemed to dictate the game from the back by transmitting the ball forward with efficiency, like a quarterback in American football.
On that subject, happy Super Bowl everyone!